Key Returning Piece: Devonte Wyatt is Needed
The Packers will need everything they can get from their interior pass rush to get the season started
By Luke Leavitt
When Micah Parsons went down last season, the Green Bay Packers did not win another game. There was no secret to who the Packers most valuable player was on the defensive side all season, and the final 5 games of the season proved that to a noisome.
However, a similar argument can be made that the loss of Parsons was yet another gut punch to a defense already banged up and simply could not overcome the talent they no longer had accessible. That other talent resides in #95, Devonte Wyatt.
When Devonte Wyatt suffered a season-ending ankle injury on Thanksgiving in 2025, Green Bay’s record following the game was 8-3-1, in the hunt of a division crown, and top seed in the NFC. Following his injury, the Packers went 1-4 across the remainder of the 2025 regular season and postseason
When Wyatt wasn’t on the field, the Packers lost their only true interior penetrator. The ripple effect was immediate and brutal.
Caleb Williams extended plays at will, sliding out of collapsing-but-not-quite-there pockets, buying time, and turning broken plays into explosives. Without Wyatt’s first‑step disruption, the pocket stayed too clean for too long.
Derrick Henry ran for a career day, punishing a defensive front that couldn’t reset the line of scrimmage. Henry thrives when he gets downhill untouched — and without Wyatt, Green Bay gave him exactly that runway.
These weren’t isolated moments. They were symptoms of a defense missing its interior spark. Every time Wyatt sat, the Packers lost the ability to dictate terms.
Every great defense has a player who ruins the middle of the field. The Packers have lived for years on the edge. Clay Matthews, Preston & ZaDarius Smith, Rashan Gary, and now Micah Parsons. However, the interior has been a rotating cast of “solid” rather than “scary.”
Following Kenny Clark’s departure Wyatt has remained as the lone interior with true disruptive upside. Combining explosiveness, first‑step violence, and the ability to win quickly, not just hold ground.
Offseason addition of veteran Javon Hargrave brings technique, winning experience, and veteran savvy. But he’s no longer the every‑snap force he was in Philadelphia or San Francisco. That doesn’t mean the two can’t be better because of one another.
The second of two Packer first round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft (Quay Walker), Wyatt has 16 sacks across his four seasons. No other interior defensive lineman from that draft class has more than ten. No one else has more than 18 tackles for losses; he has 21.
His career numbers show a player who can generate pressure in spurts; the Packers need him to become a player who lives by it.
If Wyatt makes that leap, the entire defense stabilizes. Hargrave becomes more efficient in a lesser snap load. Micah Parsons and Lukas Van Ness gain more one‑on‑one opportunities because interior pressure prevents offenses from sliding protection. The secondary benefits from rushed decisions rather than extended improvisation. Gannon’s scheme functions as intended: fast, aggressive, and structurally sound.
Missing their best defensive player for at least the first month of the season in Parsons, Wyatt’s season must be a compilation of the flashes he has exhibited in his first four seasons.
With what seems like an inevitable return for the offseason champion, Super Bowl hosting Los Angeles Rams in future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald. The Rams deep down must know that their lone Super Bowl championship in the past few decades came in large part to their interior passing attack Donald provided.
No matter how many stars you may have on the edge, a rush right up the middle can throw off a play, and a quarterback unlike much else. Green Bay has that talent in Devonte Wyatt, now he must replicate it repeatedly.
My favorite plays of Devonte Wyatt's career...
He deserves so much more league wide recognition than he gets. pic.twitter.com/QZ8jN1bXef
— Eli Berkovits (@BookOfEli_NFL) July 6, 2026
Devonte Wyatt has gotten so much better. Kenny Clark’s departure and the arrival of Micah Parsons has given him so many opportunities.
Hope we keep seeing more of it #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/swcL9LsWoh
— SleeperPackers (@SleeperPackers) September 12, 2025
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Luke Leavitt is a Contributor for Cheesehead TV, covering the Green Bay Packers. A Manchester by the Sea, Massachussetts native, Luke is a lifelong Packer fan, and 16-year shareholder. Keep up with Luke on X @LukeLeavitt7
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Comments (34)
Coldworld
July 12, 2026 at 09:06 am
Wyatt has become decent against the run. However, that’s not his strong point and he’s not an anchor or space eater versus the run. At around 6’3 and 305 he’s not really built to be either. If Wyatt not being there made us worse against the run it just highlights the inadequacy of the others playing g that position and who we chose to be out there.
We do need Wyatt back. He’s by far the best penetrator of those we had last year on the IDL. However, both Hargrave abd McLellan as well as Brinson (who got less snaps than Stackhouse last year) all project best to the same position and all should be more effective penetrators than those used alongside Wyatt last year. None look like plus anchors for the run game, though each may be better than Brooks and Wooden.
They key to stopping the run is not Wyatt but how we approach it and if and how we use these players alongside true NT talents in run probable situations against teams that can attack the middle. On paper our interior pass rush got a long stronger and deeper this off season, but if we try to force non NTs to hold up against the run, often that will be rendered significantly less important.
Guam
July 12, 2026 at 09:51 am
Between the return of Wyatt and the addition of Hargrave, the Packers should significantly improve their ability to disrupt the opposing QB (which is not something they have had at DT for quite a while) and both should be better than Wooden and Brooks versus the run. However neither is true run stuffer. Against run heavy teams like Detroit and Chicago, the Packers will need to find a true NT. Hopefully either Stackhouse, McClellan or Ford or some combination thereof can fill that need. I really don't want to ever see a repeat of the Ravens game last year.......
Coldworld
July 12, 2026 at 03:43 pm
My fear is that they try to make McClellan be something he’s not, which is a true NT. I think his greatest impact at this point is playing the same role as Wyatt, Hargrave and Brinson, not at NT. Gannon in the past has utilized anchor types to great effect in freeing others to do damage and stiffen the run D. I hope he’s brought that skill with him.
SicSemperTyrannis
July 12, 2026 at 04:29 pm
So if we have 4 DEs that are good at that as long as there's a good NT, that seems like an enviable place to be! When Jonathan Ford was first acquired, this was the apparent idea. Everything about this season hinges on player development, and our defense on JG using players effectively. He's got a rich pallette of different tools to use, hopefully he excels ...
Guam
July 12, 2026 at 05:20 pm
Most NT's are grown over time and I doubt McClellan will be ready to play much NT his rookie year. He did play some NT in college and may be able to help this year as a rotational NT, but I expect it would take a couple of years for him to grow into a true NT roll. I am really hoping for a second year jump from Stackhouse. Ford is who he is at this point and will probably always be just a rotational player.
Coldworld
July 13, 2026 at 08:42 am
Individual players aside, I’m hoping that Gannon will demonstrate a willingness to use personnel groupings that give us a chance to be stout against the run. Hafley seemed to underestimate that need almost as much as Gute. The desperate scramble late was a panic mode switch after years of watching big men on the sidelines too often, even when Gute did have them on the roster. Hopefully Gannon, who realized that an NT is a key piece in Philly even away from base, has the conviction to change that.
Oppy
July 12, 2026 at 09:15 am
Wyatt has displayed all pro talent when healthy.
If the packers let him walk, I believe the packers will regret it.
Here’s hoping he stays healthy in 2026 so all the fence-riders and nay sayers can be quieted. He’s a legitimate disruptive force from the interior of the line.
TarynsEyes
July 12, 2026 at 09:57 am
"Here’s hoping he stays healthy in 2026 so all the fence-riders and naysayers can be quieted."
We naysayers 'hope' your 'hope' finally comes through...with someone.
Oppy
July 12, 2026 at 10:19 pm
You're just a chicken shit hearted fan, Taryn. Nothing more, nothing less.
You refuse to predict because you may be proven wrong. You refuse to have optimism because you may be disappointed.
That's really all there is to it.
WestCoastPackerBacker
July 13, 2026 at 12:19 am
Reminds me of someone who doesn't study for a test so that when they get a low grade or fail, they can say they didn't really try. Just assume a bad outcome; it's easier on some than being disappointed. Or it feels good to be negative and call it realism.
SicSemperTyrannis
July 12, 2026 at 04:37 pm
The concept that all pros are required for a team to succeed is something I call into question. What if Wyatt is never clearly the best in the league at his position? Usually the spread between 1 - 5 isn't very much. What if he's among the best 5? 10?
I think a team with players of that caliber all over the field and no weak position groups can succeed.
Of course it's nice to have someone who's clearly the best in the league at their position, but very few such players currently exist and we don't have any. What we do have is top 10 (or better) players at several positions. What we need most is many more with "potential" to enter or at least approach that level this year! And of course seamless returns from injury for several key players ...
stockholder
July 12, 2026 at 09:26 am
Wyatt can't stay on the field.
That s the problem and there is no fix.
Oppy
July 12, 2026 at 10:16 pm
Tell me about how many games he's missed due to injury, and how unfixable it is.
In detail, please, so we can have a proper discussion about it.. you know, based on facts.
stockholder
July 13, 2026 at 06:24 am
Devonte Wyatt has struggled to stay on the field primarily due to a recurring series of lower-body injuries, most notably a season-ending fractured ankle suffered in 2025 and various knee and foot issues in prior seasons.
(This was a cut and paste)
Oppy
July 13, 2026 at 07:46 am
Details. How many games has he been unavailable due to injury? What injury?
I don't think you're going to like the facts.
Coldworld
July 13, 2026 at 08:52 am
He’s actually only missed 2 or 3 prior to last year (depending on the source). Last year he missed 7. 5 of which were due to the broken fibula from being landed on.
The problem with Wyatt is his oversparing use initially and that he has played a high percentage of games where he wasn’t himself. There have been brief periods of dominance and long periods of largely neutral play, the latter often attributed to being dinged up.
I like Wyatt, though I think he’s going to be better for playing as part of a rotation than has the first man up who has a heavy run defense duty largely because of the lack of capable alternatives. McClellan, Hargrave and Brinson now mean he’s not the only rush threat and run player roles into one. Last year he was. Even with Clark he was the lead interior rush and probably run player number 2.
WestCoastPackerBacker
July 13, 2026 at 12:23 am
He missed one game as a rookie and zero games his second year. He played in 24 of 34 games the next two years. He was on the field A LOT. A Packer player rolled up on his leg last year; that's hardly injury prone. That takes out anybody.
stockholder
July 13, 2026 at 06:25 am
Aside from the injuries, his inability to log a higher snap count historically stems from his development as a player. He had to adjust to a new defensive scheme and has not yet proven he can handle the full physical workload of an every-down interior defensive lineman.
(This was a cut and paste)
Handsback
July 12, 2026 at 10:16 am
No question he has to come back. He's the 'Dancing Bear' for the Packer's defense.
If you youngsters want to know what that means....Perplexity it!
JMHO
LeotisHarris
July 12, 2026 at 10:29 am
It's okay to think of him as the D's Mr. Green Jeans, too.
Bitternotsour
July 12, 2026 at 02:50 pm
the captain had quite a haircut to go thru life with
LeotisHarris
July 12, 2026 at 04:03 pm
There are two stories out there:
1) Keeshan was only in his 20s when he played Capt K, so he wore a godawful wig.
2) Keeshan cut his own hair, an act which inspired many young self-barbers including one Doug_In_Sandpoint.
I believe the second story to be true.
golfpacker61
July 12, 2026 at 12:43 pm
Ahhh, the 2022 NFL draft. We could have selected the Top Rated LB, Devin Lloyd, instead of the 8th rated LB, Quay Walker. And instead of Wyatt, we could have just picked Christian Watson right there and wouldn't have had to waste picks to move up for him in the 2nd round. A much better DT choice would have been Travis Jones-U Conn with our extra 2nd round pick. 3 stars instead of 2 question marks and 1 is already gone.
Guam
July 12, 2026 at 05:14 pm
Hindsight is always 20/20.
13TimeChamps
July 12, 2026 at 06:02 pm
Ahhh, another 'fill in the blank' year when we could have drafted 'fill in the blank' player, but we didn't argument. These are so tiresome. I guarantee you every team has fans that are obsessed with who their team "should/could" have drafted.
Yes, we could have drafted TJ Watt but we didn't. We could have drafted Barry Sanders but we didn't. How many Super Bowls has TJ Watt played in? Sanders? How many teams regret not drafting Aaron Rodgers, Mahomes?
Maybe it's just me but wasting energy on what happened in the draft 4 years ago...8 years ago...12 years ago...and what could have been... is a waste of time.
dobber
July 13, 2026 at 10:47 am
The TJ Watt one is still a favorite for some.
golfpacker61
July 12, 2026 at 06:50 pm
I have energy to waste 13, I am bored. But you don't have to waste your time reading it and commenting if it's boring to you.
Those were the picks I would have made.
Bitternotsour
July 13, 2026 at 10:44 am
Living life in the "would have" lane is a choice. A tedious choice.
I guess they should have double-bagged it...
Ferrari-Driver
July 13, 2026 at 11:33 am
We had injuries to some key players last year. I realize that injuries are part of the game, the injuries that the Packers had to several of our top performers on both the offense and defense significantly changed our team. I realize most of the teams suffer untimely injuries, but I feel we had more than our share to the better players.
Leatherhead
July 13, 2026 at 01:43 pm
This has been mentioned in other threads, and it's relevant here. If the Packers are going to improve this year, it's going to be because the guys who were here last year have better seasons. Reed, Kraft, Parsons, Tom, Golden, Williams, Belton, Rhyan, Banks, etc. All of these guys have room to improve over last year. Some missed time with injuries, and others were learning how things work in the NFL. If they're not better this year, then the team isn't going to be better.
We've added Hargrave and McClellan to the DL, and we've added St. Juste and Cisse to the secondary, and we all hope/expect that they'll improve the team. But they can't make us better unless our guys are also better than last year. That includes Wyatt. He only played in 10 games and only got in on 27 tackles. That's about the same as Brooks and quite a bit less than the departed Wooden, and we just need him on the field more. He only played about 33% of our defensive snaps. Ideally, you'd like to see him double that to 66% of snaps, 8 sacks, and 54 tackles, and although I'm not predicting it'll happen, if it did, it would be a monster addition to the defense.
NFLfan
July 13, 2026 at 02:44 pm
What's that saying about 'availabilty?'
Bitternotsour
July 13, 2026 at 05:27 pm
that it's an obvious cliche?
Ihappydirt
July 14, 2026 at 01:09 am
That it changes from year to year ... And you shouldn't dis your guys working their asses off to get back!
Ihappydirt
July 14, 2026 at 12:54 am
You're not going to mention how Caleb was going to finish under 50% completion for 150 yards, until Doubs dropped that onside. Chi was going to be all over him, because they don't wait to turn on chokers. Then Caleb turns into the savior.
Doubs (who shouldn't have been in there on the onside, because he was an accident waiting to happen with his concussions, and not aggressive at all) wimped out and somehow let Chi win that game,