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The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects who the Green Bay Packers could select in the 2025 NFL draft.
A position that the Green Bay Packers could target early and potentially double-dip at during the 2025 NFL Draft is defensive tackle.
Kenny Clark is coming off the worst season of his career and is entering his 10th year in the league. His play in 2024 could just be a blip on the radar, or it could be a sign that a decline is coming.
Devonte Wyatt may or may not have his fifth-year option picked up, and even if it's picked up, will the Packers go beyond that and give him a second contract?
Karl Brooks has shown he can be a valuable member of the rotation. The Packers need to add another impact player at the position and they need bodies in that room after losing TJ Slaton in free agency.
A potential target on Day 2 of the draft is Darius Alexander. The Toledo defensive tackle checks in at No. 9 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.
A three-star recruit out of Indiana, Alexander recorded two tackles for loss during his first two seasons on campus. In 2022, Alexander recorded seven tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. The following season, Alexander recorded 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. This past season, Alexander recorded 40 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Alexander has had a strong predraft process. He was a standout during Senior Bowl practices and was named the National Team's top defensive lineman for his efforts throughout the week in Mobile.
Then at the NFL Scouting Combine, he showcased why he was No. 53 on Bruce Feldman's Freaks List. The Toledo defensive tackle clocked a 4.95 40-yard dash at 305 pounds with a 1.72 10-yard split.
At 6-4, 305 pounds with 34-inch arms, Alexander is a well-put-together defensive tackle with a unique blend of size, strength and initial burst.
"Without a doubt, Alexander's greatest strength is his power profile," Ian Cummings, an NFL Draft analyst for Pro Football Network, said. "Through his natural leverage, length, mass, and explosiveness, he can channel awe-inspiring levels of driving power and knock-back off the snap. His hands are heavy, he creates a ton of pop on extensions, and he can plow through blocks and generate displacement with ease."
Alexander is stout against the run and powerful at the point of attack. With his length and strength, he can forklift offensive linemen out of his way. The Toledo defensive tackle flashes violence in his hands and uses his length to shed blocks. He's light on his feet and the movement skills to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage. He's active and slippery, with the lateral mobility to shoot into gaps and disrupt the action in the backfield. Over the past two seasons, Alexander recorded 50 run stops.
"The brunt of Alexander's utility in run defense comes from his ability to take on blocks and his hot motor in gap pursuit," Cummings said. "With his long, high-mass frame, he can function like a tree trunk off the snap, wedging between blocks and prying through combo blocks and double-teams with his length. Alexander lacks the lower-body mass and raw size to be a consistent two-gapper, but as a one-gapper, he's strong at the point, sturdy against chips, and he can establish half-man relationships and clog lanes with his length and leverage acquisition skills. Beyond that, he has great gap instincts, and can slide and align his base according to blocker landmarks."
Alexander is an active interior presence. He has explosive power and can really cave in the pocket when he gets rolling downfield. He has bully strength and has a devastating bull rush. His combination of power and initial burst can overwhelm offensive linemen. Over the past two seasons, Alexander recorded 83 pressures to go along with 7.5 sacks.
"With Alexander, you're getting an interior rusher who's simultaneously traits-rich and nuanced with his pass-rush arsenal," Cummings said. "He's more linear than he is laterally proficient as an athlete, but his raw power element can cave in initial blocks right away, and he'll bowl over blockers who fail to set their anchor quickly enough. Alexander can also channel his length and torquing freedom to finish swim moves and swipe-rip combos, and he knows how to use his footwork and hand usage in tandem to exploit angle advantages, either in a phone booth or while shading across gaps. He still has room for more consistency with his counter game past initial moves, but the tools and temperament are appealing, and he's proven he can execute on top of that."
The Packers need more disruption from their defensive line. A year after having a pass rush run hot and cold, mostly cold, Gutekunst may be looking to kickstart Green Bay’s pass rush by adding more talent to the mix.
Alexander checks all the boxes with his NFL-ready frame, power and quickness. He's a well-rounded player who can disrupt the run and the pass. Despite being on the older side (25), there is a lot to like about Alexander's skill set and athletic profile. The Packers need an impact player on the interior of the defensive line and Alexander fits the bill.
"I'd draft Alexander because he profiles as a high-floor interior defensive line prospect with schematic versatility, either as an even-front defensive tackle or an odd and hybrid-front defensive end," Cummings said. "He can take situational duties at 1-tech, 3-tech, and 4i as a one-gapping brawler, and his elite power element and tenacious, gritty play style is sure to make an imprint right away for a defense. He'll be a 25-year-old rookie, which brings age guardrails into the equation -- but he offsets his shorter projected prime range with a profile that's ready to produce on day one."
Alexander has a unique blend of power and quickness. He's able to overwhelm offensive linemen with his brute strength and has the nimble feet to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage. He's a disruptor.
Alexander would bolster Green Bay's interior pass rush and would provide them with a player who could create havoc against the run. If he's on the board when the Packers are on the clock in the second round, he could be the pick.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Unpacking Future Packers: No. 9, Toledo DT Darius Alexander
Continue reading...
A position that the Green Bay Packers could target early and potentially double-dip at during the 2025 NFL Draft is defensive tackle.
Kenny Clark is coming off the worst season of his career and is entering his 10th year in the league. His play in 2024 could just be a blip on the radar, or it could be a sign that a decline is coming.
Devonte Wyatt may or may not have his fifth-year option picked up, and even if it's picked up, will the Packers go beyond that and give him a second contract?
Karl Brooks has shown he can be a valuable member of the rotation. The Packers need to add another impact player at the position and they need bodies in that room after losing TJ Slaton in free agency.
A potential target on Day 2 of the draft is Darius Alexander. The Toledo defensive tackle checks in at No. 9 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.
A three-star recruit out of Indiana, Alexander recorded two tackles for loss during his first two seasons on campus. In 2022, Alexander recorded seven tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. The following season, Alexander recorded 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. This past season, Alexander recorded 40 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Alexander has had a strong predraft process. He was a standout during Senior Bowl practices and was named the National Team's top defensive lineman for his efforts throughout the week in Mobile.
: Toledo's Darius Alexander was named top DL on National squad in vote from OL group at Practice Player-of-the-Week awards ceremony today at 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl. #TheDraftStartsInMOBILEpic.twitter.com/lZMSM1Nwzw
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_Sooners) January 31, 2025
Then at the NFL Scouting Combine, he showcased why he was No. 53 on Bruce Feldman's Freaks List. The Toledo defensive tackle clocked a 4.95 40-yard dash at 305 pounds with a 1.72 10-yard split.
At 6-4, 305 pounds with 34-inch arms, Alexander is a well-put-together defensive tackle with a unique blend of size, strength and initial burst.
"Without a doubt, Alexander's greatest strength is his power profile," Ian Cummings, an NFL Draft analyst for Pro Football Network, said. "Through his natural leverage, length, mass, and explosiveness, he can channel awe-inspiring levels of driving power and knock-back off the snap. His hands are heavy, he creates a ton of pop on extensions, and he can plow through blocks and generate displacement with ease."
Alexander is stout against the run and powerful at the point of attack. With his length and strength, he can forklift offensive linemen out of his way. The Toledo defensive tackle flashes violence in his hands and uses his length to shed blocks. He's light on his feet and the movement skills to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage. He's active and slippery, with the lateral mobility to shoot into gaps and disrupt the action in the backfield. Over the past two seasons, Alexander recorded 50 run stops.
"The brunt of Alexander's utility in run defense comes from his ability to take on blocks and his hot motor in gap pursuit," Cummings said. "With his long, high-mass frame, he can function like a tree trunk off the snap, wedging between blocks and prying through combo blocks and double-teams with his length. Alexander lacks the lower-body mass and raw size to be a consistent two-gapper, but as a one-gapper, he's strong at the point, sturdy against chips, and he can establish half-man relationships and clog lanes with his length and leverage acquisition skills. Beyond that, he has great gap instincts, and can slide and align his base according to blocker landmarks."
Alexander is an active interior presence. He has explosive power and can really cave in the pocket when he gets rolling downfield. He has bully strength and has a devastating bull rush. His combination of power and initial burst can overwhelm offensive linemen. Over the past two seasons, Alexander recorded 83 pressures to go along with 7.5 sacks.
"With Alexander, you're getting an interior rusher who's simultaneously traits-rich and nuanced with his pass-rush arsenal," Cummings said. "He's more linear than he is laterally proficient as an athlete, but his raw power element can cave in initial blocks right away, and he'll bowl over blockers who fail to set their anchor quickly enough. Alexander can also channel his length and torquing freedom to finish swim moves and swipe-rip combos, and he knows how to use his footwork and hand usage in tandem to exploit angle advantages, either in a phone booth or while shading across gaps. He still has room for more consistency with his counter game past initial moves, but the tools and temperament are appealing, and he's proven he can execute on top of that."
Fit with the Packers
The Packers need more disruption from their defensive line. A year after having a pass rush run hot and cold, mostly cold, Gutekunst may be looking to kickstart Green Bay’s pass rush by adding more talent to the mix.
Alexander checks all the boxes with his NFL-ready frame, power and quickness. He's a well-rounded player who can disrupt the run and the pass. Despite being on the older side (25), there is a lot to like about Alexander's skill set and athletic profile. The Packers need an impact player on the interior of the defensive line and Alexander fits the bill.
"I'd draft Alexander because he profiles as a high-floor interior defensive line prospect with schematic versatility, either as an even-front defensive tackle or an odd and hybrid-front defensive end," Cummings said. "He can take situational duties at 1-tech, 3-tech, and 4i as a one-gapping brawler, and his elite power element and tenacious, gritty play style is sure to make an imprint right away for a defense. He'll be a 25-year-old rookie, which brings age guardrails into the equation -- but he offsets his shorter projected prime range with a profile that's ready to produce on day one."
Alexander has a unique blend of power and quickness. He's able to overwhelm offensive linemen with his brute strength and has the nimble feet to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage. He's a disruptor.
Alexander would bolster Green Bay's interior pass rush and would provide them with a player who could create havoc against the run. If he's on the board when the Packers are on the clock in the second round, he could be the pick.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Unpacking Future Packers: No. 9, Toledo DT Darius Alexander
Continue reading...
