The Georgia Bulldogs had one of the best defensive units in college football history this past season. A defense that will likely have seven defensive players selected in the Top 100.
The Green Bay Packers strengthened their front seven in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft by selecting a pair of players from that historic defense. A defense that gave up less than 10 points a game and allowed just 2.61 yards per rush attempt.
Brian Gutekunst selected linebacker Quay Walker with the 22nd overall pick and defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt with the 28th overall pick.
“Adding two players of this kind of talent to your front seven,” Gutekunst said. “We’re fired up about that.”
Walker arrived on campus as a four-star recruit. During his first year on campus, Walker earned the team’s Special Teams Newcomer of the Year award.
This past season marked Walker’s first year as a starter and he responded by recording 65 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and three pass deflections.
Walker has a unique blend of quickness and size. He’s built like an old-school linebacker (6-4, 245 pounds), but moves like a modern-day linebacker.
“We identified him really early in the process,” Gutekunst said. “We thought he’d be an excellent fit…It’s been a while since we’ve been able to stay in certain packages with two inside backers that can handle everything…This move gives us a ton of flexibility.”
The Georgia linebacker has the sideline-to-sideline quickness to shut down perimeter plays. He’s quick to read and react, flowing fast to shut down running angles.
Walker is light on his feet. He’s a modern-day three-down linebacker. He’s a fluid athlete that has the lateral agility and quickness to match up with running backs and tight ends in coverage.
A year ago, Krys Barnes played nearly 50 percent of the defensive snaps. With Walker’s skillset, Joe Barry will likely give that bite of the apple and even more to the Georgia linebacker.
“He can do a lot of things,” Gutekunst said. “He has some similarities to Dre (De’Vondre Campbell). Having two interchangeable pieces there gives our defense so much flexibility…That was certainly attractive.”
Wyatt is a twitched-up big man. Men of his size (6-2, 304) shouldn’t be able to move the way that he does. There is a reason why the Georgia defensive tackle was No. 5 on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks list for 2021.
“He’s such a disruptor along the line of scrimmage,” Gutekunst said. “He can play the one, he can play the three. He’s a dynamic pass-rusher. His ability to scrape and get to the ball in the run game…We didn’t’ expect him to be there.”
Wyatt gets up field quickly with an explosive first step. He’s a backfield disrupter that finished his career with 12 career tackles for loss.
With his size and strength, Wyatt is able to clog up running lanes. He has a flexible lower body and stays balanced through gaps.
For a man his size he has good lateral quickness to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage. Wyatt was a key cog in the Bulldog defense giving up less than three yards per carry.
The Packers have a strong secondary with Jaire Alexander, Erick Stokes, Rasul Douglas, Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage.
With Rashan Gary and Preston Smith they have a dynamic pass-rushing duo. They have an all-pro linebacker in De’Vondre Campbell. Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed form a solid trio of defensive lineman.
By adding Walker, the Packers improved arguably their biggest weakness on the defensive side of the ball (No. 2 linebacker spot).
With the addition of Wyatt, the Packers are getting a twitched up defensive lineman that will help shore up their run defense, while also bolstering their interior pass rush.
“I’m really excited about that front seven,” Gutekunst said. “Just the speed that we have now…Our ability to cover ground. Our ability to take away passing lanes…I like us on paper right now.”
Defense wins championships and the Packers having the makings of a championship caliber defense.
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