When the Green Bay Packers made the bold move to trade Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for Micah Parsons, it wasn’t just about acquiring a game-changing linebacker. It was also a clear message: they believed Devonte Wyatt was ready to step into the spotlight and become the anchor of their interior defensive line.
Early on, Wyatt looked the part. Over the first three games of the season, he racked up 13 pressures and two sacks, showing flashes of the disruptive force the Packers hoped he’d become.
But football seasons are long and unforgiving. Wyatt’s momentum came to a halt in Week 4 when he suffered a knee injury-ironically, against his former teammate Clark and the Cowboys.
He missed three games, returning in Week 8 against Pittsburgh, but never fully regained the spark he showed in September. Over his next seven games, he managed just nine pressures before an ankle injury against the Lions on Thanksgiving ended his season prematurely.
With Wyatt sidelined and depth becoming a real concern, the Packers turned to the waiver wire. They signed Jordon Riley off the Giants’ practice squad this week, adding a 6’5”, 325-pound run-stopper to help plug the middle.
Riley’s size and profile suggest he’ll be leaned on in early-down situations, especially against the run. But if the Packers are looking for someone to truly take over the interior and generate consistent pressure, all eyes are on Karl Brooks.
Brooks has quietly carved out a meaningful role in Green Bay’s rotation. He’s logged over 1,300 career snaps and has produced 20-plus pressures in back-to-back seasons-a rare feat for a former sixth-round pick. This year alone, he’s delivered multiple pressures in seven different games, and ESPN currently ranks him 17th among all defensive tackles in pass-rush win rate.
Head coach Matt LaFleur sees the potential. “I think Karl is hard on himself, which is a great quality to have,” LaFleur said Thursday.
“Most great players that I’ve been around are critical of themselves and think that there’s room for improvement. … We’re going to need him to play big down the stretch.”
Brooks has matched Wyatt’s pressure total this season, though he’s done it with 65 more pass-rush snaps. His win rate ranks 10th on the team, which suggests he’s more of a volume producer than an efficiency standout. Still, in a league where interior pass rushers are at a premium, Brooks has been one of Green Bay’s most dependable options not named Kenny Clark or Devonte Wyatt over the past three seasons.
His rookie campaign in 2023 saw him post 30 pressures-good for fifth among all rookie interior linemen. He followed that up with 28 pressures in 2024, just four behind Wyatt, and led all Packers interior defenders in win rate that season outside of Clark. That kind of consistency, especially from a Day 3 draft pick, is exactly what teams hope to uncover when they take swings in the later rounds.
The one area where Brooks still has room to grow is in run defense. Through three NFL seasons, he hasn’t been known as a stout run-stopper.
This year, he ranks 13th among Green Bay’s front seven in stop rate and ninth in total stops and tackles. For comparison, Colby Wooden-another young defensive lineman-ranks second in stops and fourth in stop rate.
Still, Brooks is trending in the right direction. His current run defense grade of 56.2 is the best of his career, just a tick below Wooden’s 57.8.
Among interior defensive linemen with at least 40 run defense snaps, Brooks ranks 69th in run defense grade. That’s not ideal, but it’s not a deal-breaker either.
The Packers will need to be smart about how they deploy him-especially on early downs. The modern NFL is built around the pass, and having your best interior rusher on the field matters more than ever.
But you also can’t afford to get gashed on the ground.
The Packers are entering a critical stretch of the season, and with Wyatt out, Brooks isn’t just a depth piece anymore-he’s a central figure in the defensive game plan. If he can continue to generate pressure while holding his own against the run, Green Bay might have found another late-round gem capable of making a real impact when it counts most.