Most Interesting Prospects: Ohio State defensive lineman Tyleik Williams

It’s tough to label anything that goes down in the NFL Draft a mistake. The vast majority of the time, we just don’t know whether or not moves are good for years, and there are so many factors that go into a pick succeeding or failing that it’s hard to blame anybody for what goes down during the selection process. An error would have to be frightfully obvious to be a clear mistake on draft weekend.

But I think the Packers failing to add any kind of defensive line depth during this year’s NFL Draft might be one such mistake. The Packers are frightfully thin up front and could be even thinner a year from now, if and when they decide to move on from Kenny Clark. Getting more talent in the pipeline is imperative.

On top of that, the Packers could probably use multiple linemen. T.J. Slaton’s departure leaves them with a serious vacancy in the run-stuffer department, and more interior pass-rush juice will never go amiss. Finding both of those attributes in one guy is probably impossible outside of the very top of the draft, so a double-dip on the defensive line wouldn’t be a terrible choice. Add one run stuffer and one pass rusher and you’ve done a lot to improve one of the weakest areas of the Packers’ defense.

If I were in charge of the Packers, I’d probably start my search for defensive line help with a run stuffer. That’s where the Packers are weakest now — they lack size up front. Only one current defensive lineman weighs more than 305 pounds, and that’s Kenny Clark, who’s coming off the worst season of his career. I’m not saying you can’t be a good run defender at a lighter weight. Plenty of players have done that. But having some bulk up front should be a key part of the Packers’ plans.

And if I wanted to add some bulk to my defensive line, I’d be looking long and hard at Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams.

A robust 329 pounds (or 327 or 334, depending on your data source), Williams has the heft to hold up against whatever an offensive line throws at him. He recorded 20 stops (plays where the defense holds the offense below the statistical threshold for a “successful” run play) in 2024, second among Ohio State defensive linemen, after leading them in that category with 26 in 2023. For his career, Williams recorded a robust 28 tackles for loss, fourth most among the 29 defensive linemen for whom I created statistical profiles in this year’s draft class, and it’s worth noting that three of the four players ahead of him played more games than Williams’ 51.

But Williams, despite his bulk, is not just a run stuffer. He has 10 sacks to his name in his college career, including five in his first year as a contributor for Ohio State. He boasts a career production ratio of .77 — certainly not elite and certainly boosted by his run-stuffing value, but he clearly has a history of making plays on the opposing side of the line of scrimmage.

If there’s a concern with Williams, it’s his injury history. A variety of injuries affected his 2024 and 2022 seasons, and he had to drop out of testing at his Ohio State pro day because he hurt himself during the 40-yard dash. Given the availability concerns driving a lot of the Packers’ offseason conversations (see Alexander, Jaire), I’d understand if there was some hesitancy about adding another guy who’s been hurt a bunch.

But Williams’ skill set is undeniable. It erases one of the Packers’ biggest needs on the defensive line. Adding Williams — say in the second round — would be the Packers’ biggest investment in their run defense in years, and I think it would be absolutely worth it.