The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Since taking over as the general manager of the Green Bay Packers in 2018, Brian Gutekunst has selected just three defensive linemen.
James Looney was drafted in the seventh round in 2018 and is no longer on the team. Kingsley Keke was a day three selection in 2019 and is also no longer with the team.
Tederrall Slaton was selected in the fifth round in the 2021 NFL Draft and flashed his potential as a rookie.
The Packers need to get Kenny Clark help along the defensive line. That means Gutekunst needs to invest more draft capital into the position.
If Gutekunst fails to add a defensive lineman during the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft, Eyioma Uwazurike could be a player that he targets in the fourth round.
The Iowa State defensive lineman checks in at No. 80 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.
Uwazurike came to Ames as a three-star recruit. In 2017, Uwazurike recorded four tackles for loss and a .5 sack. The following season the Cyclone defensive tackle recorded five tackles for loss and one sack.
In 2019, Uwazurike recorded 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. In 2020, Uwazurike recorded eight tackles for loss and three sacks.
This past season Uwazurike earned First Team All-Big 12 after recording 12 tackles for loss and nine sacks.
“After years of flashing great potential, he finally put together a complete season as a versatile pass rusher and run stopper at both the nose tackle and end spots,” Levi Stevenson, a contributor for Wide Right & Natty Lite, said. “In Iowa State’s three-down front, the nose tackle is critical to making everything work, especially in run defense. Enyi filled that role and allowed Iowa State to have yet another stout defense under defensive coordinator Jon Heacock.”
Uwazurike looks every bit the part of an NFL defensive tackle. He stands at 6-5 and weighs 319. He has a filled-out frame with long arms.
In Iowa State’s three-man front, Uwazurike has experience playing nose tackle and kicking outside. That versatility is Uwazurike’s greatest strength according to Stevenson.
“Enyi is a mountain of a human being, but don’t mistake that for him being an old school nose tackle that’s just big and takes up a lot of space,” Stevenson said. “If needed, he could be an athletic, oversized defensive end for any team that needed him. He excels both as a pure pass rusher and as a run stopper.”
Uwazurike holds his ground against the run. He’s strong at the point of attack and is not easily moved out of his gap. During his time at Iowa State, he ate up double teams which allowed linebackers like Mike Rose, O’Rien Vance, and Jake Hummel to roam free.
The Iowa State defensive tackle has the lateral quickness to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage. He’s become an absolute force that wreaks havoc behind the line of scrimmage. Over the last two seasons, he’s recorded 20 tackles for loss.
“His gap discipline is excellent, and he commands the attention of two offensive linemen at all times,” Stevenson said. “His combination of size and athleticism typically make him too much to handle for a single shorter interior lineman. Only on the absolute rarest of occasions will you see Enyi over-penetrate the line and give up a cutback lane.”
Uwazurike is an active interior pass rusher. He has a powerful upper body and has thunder in his hands. He’s a devasting bull rusher. He may not always get home to record the sack, but he’s going to collapse the pocket.
“His combination of size and athleticism make him a very difficult one-on-one matchup,” Stevenson said. “He’s typically a little too big for interior linemen to face straight up, and his quickness makes him really dangerous on stunts, where he can burst through a gap very quickly.”
Fit with the Packers
Dean Lowry is coming off a career year after recording five sacks (career-best). With the Packers counting pennies, will Lowry be back? Or will the former Northwestern Wildcat be a cap causality?
If Lowry ends up being cut, the defensive line depth chart will leave a lot to be desired behind Clark. Even if Lowry is brought back, the Packers need to get Clark more help upfront.
Uwazurike checks all the boxes. He has the size, quickness, strength, and versatility to be a potential difference-maker for the Packers.
“Versatility, size, and athleticism,” Stevenson said. “You can put Enyi just about anywhere on any defensive line and see success.
“He obviously has plenty of experience playing in a three-down front, so a 3-4 would be an easy transition, but a switch to defensive tackle in a four-down front could see get more opportunities to get those one-on-one matchups in the interior and be a successful pass rusher in the NFL.”
Gutekunst has a small track record of drafting defensive linemen on the third day of the NFL Draft. If Green Bay’s general manager opts to go that route again, Uwazurike could be a potential target as Gutekunst looks to beef up the defensive line.
