The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL draft. Up first: LSUDL Jaquelin Roy.
The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL draft.
The Green Bay Packers have struggled against the run during the 2022 season. Stop me if you’ve heard that one before. Joe Barry’s unit is currently giving up five yards per carry, which ranks 29th in the league.
With Jarran Reed and Dean Lowry set to be free agents, the Packers will be in line to address the defensive line this offseason.
The presence of Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt and TJ Slaton gives Brian Gutekunst and the Packers a solid foundation to build upon.
A player that Gutekunst could target in the 2023 NFL Draft is Jaquelin Roy. The LSU defensive tackle checks in at No. 100 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.
Roy, a four-star recruit out of Louisiana, finished his career at LSU with 97 career tackles. During his first season on campus, Roy recorded four tackles for loss and two sacks. In 2021, Roy recorded six tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
This past season Roy recorded a career-high 49 tackles to go along with 3.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks.
“He had seen the field sparingly in the first two seasons, but in 2022 with the injury to Maason Smith he was one of the two defensive tackles the Tigers turned to this year for almost every snap,” Preston Guy, a staff writer for Tigerbait.com, said. “Against Texas A&M he had a monster game with 12 tackles. But for most of the season, he quietly took up blocks and made the plays when they came to him. He certainly was solid in 2022, but I would have liked to see him stick around for another year and develop into more of a disruptive force.”
Roy’s greatest strength is his size (6-4, 315 pounds) and sheer natural strength. His calling card early in his career will be his ability to stuff the run. He’s a space eater that clogs up running lanes. The former four-star recruit eats up double teams to keep linebackers clean. Roy has light feet for a man his size and shows good lateral agility to create plays up and down the line of scrimmage.
“At 6’4 and 315 pounds he has solid size,” Guy said. “He rarely gets blown off the ball and will plug up running lanes. His size and arm length allow him to plug up run lanes and free up linebackers. While he only had 79 tackles over the past two seasons, LSU had linebackers Damone Clarke and Harold Perkins who really shined the last two years in part because of those blocks he was absorbing.”
As an interior pass rusher, Roy has a quick first step and can collapse the pocket with his initial quickness and his powerful bullrush. He creates knockback with his long, powerful arms.
“Given the opportunity, he will use his long arms to do a rip inside,” Guy said. “But for the most part, he starts his pass rush off with a bull rush.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Roy posted a pass-rush grade of 88.6. This past season, Roy recorded 20 hurries and earned a pass-rush grade of 70.6.
“Roy posted seven different pass rushes that received a raw +1.5 PFF grade, which tied for the most in the Power Five last year. Most of those came courtesy of his menacing club-to-arm-over move.”
Fit with the Packers
Get Kenny Clark some help. That’s been the battle cry among Green Bay fans for quite some time. Gutekunst took steps to get Clark some assistance by drafting Wyatt in the first round and signing Reed to a one-year deal.
With Reed and Lowry set to hit the open market, Gutekunst will likely be looking to add a defensive lineman or two this offseason.
Slaton has flashed the ability to be a disrupting nose tackle in limited reps. His presence could also allow the Packers to kick Clark outside. Wyatt will likely step into a more prominent role during his second year in the league and like Slaton, has flashed with his limited reps.
That trio figures to see most of the snaps in 2023. Gutekunst needs to add to the mix to build a deep, talented rotation.
Adding a player like Roy would give the Packers another nose tackle with adequate athleticism to help shore up Green Bay’s run defense.
If Roy were drafted by the Packers he wouldn’t be asked to step in and be a day-one starter. He’d be a solid rotational piece with the tools to eventually develop into a disruptive force.
“Jaquelin will make a solid mid-round pick for a team looking for a big body in the middle to help clog lanes and free up backers in run support,” Guy said. “ I hope he gets drafted to a team that is patient with him and will look to develop his interior pass rush and help him use his strength to shred blocks and make more plays himself.
At LSU, Roy faced consistent double teams and helped free up teammates to make plays. If he were to land in Green Bay he’d face more one-on-ones and benefit from playing alongside Clark. With his quickness and strength, Roy could be a piece of the puzzle to help the Packers turn into the dominant front seven.
