Devonte Wyatt Drafted by Packers: Green Bay’s Updated Depth Chart After Round 1

AP Photo/Butch Dill

The Green Bay Packers selected Georgia star Devonte Wyatt with the 28th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

Heading into the draft, he was the No. 25 overall player and No. 4 defensive lineman in Bleacher Report’s big board.

Here’s where he’s likely to slot into Green Bay’s front seven:

LDE: Devonte Wyatt, Dean Lowry

NT: Kenny Clark, Tedarrell Slaton

RDE: Jarran Reed, Jack Heflin

OLB: Preston Smith, Tipa Galeai, Chauncey Rivers, Randy Ramsey

ILB: Quay Walker, Krys Barnes, Ty Summers, Ray Wilborn

ILB: De’Vondre Campbell, Isaiah McDuffie

OLB: Rashan Gary, Jonathan Garvin

CB: Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas, Kabion Ento

CB: Eric Stokes, Shemar Jean-Charles, Kiondre Thomas

FS: Darnell Savage Jr., Henry Black, Innis Gaines

SS: Adrian Amos, Vernon Scott, Shawn Davis

The defense set the tone for Georgia as it captured its first national championship since 1980. In particular, the Bulldogs dominated at the point of attack. Alongside Wyatt, they boasted Jordan Davis and Travon Walker along the defensive line and had Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker at linebacker.

Kirby Smart’s squad allowed a paltry 9.5 points and 253.9 yards per game. The unit will go down as one of the best in recent history.

Because of the talent surrounding him, it was easy to overlook Wyatt at times.

The 6’3″, 304-pound defender had 39 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 14 games. He also blocked a field goal in Georgia’s 30-13 victory over Kentucky.

Scouting Davis for Bleacher Report, Derrik Klassen compared the 24-year-old to Packers nose tackle and two-time Pro Bowler Kenny Clark:

“Wyatt’s game is defined by how well he comes off the ball. He can explode up the field to knock a lineman back, as well as rip across the line of scrimmage into a different gap. Wyatt also plays with excellent leverage to ensure he delivers on his explosiveness, which is absolutely necessary considering his average length and inconsistent hand placement.

“Wyatt also handles himself well in the running game against single blocks, in part because of how well he takes control early. He can then finish on plays thanks to his good balance to stay upright and eye discipline to see the backfield correctly. That said, Wyatt’s anchor suffers immensely against double-teams because he does not have the raw strength in his lower body to withstand that much weight trying to move him.”

Wyatt’s five sacks over four years at Georgia point to how he’s unlikely to be an elite interior pass-rusher at the next level. That’s an area of his game that could improve as he gets more and more seasoning. Clark, for example, didn’t register a single sack as a rookie and proceeded to get 16.5 over the next three seasons.

Right out of the gate, Wyatt will be an effective presence against the run and offer immediate help to the Packers in that area.

If he can hit his ceiling, then there will likely be multiple Pro Bowls in his future.

Clark’s presence seemingly made it unlikely Green Bay would use an early pick on a more traditional defensive tackle. Following the trade of Davante Adams, wide receiver jumps to mind as a position of need.

But general manager Brian Gutekunst had other ideas. The front office might see Wyatt as more of a defensive end in the team’s 3-4 scheme.