The Green Bay Packers have three primary offseason priorities: center, nose tackle, and cornerback, in no specific order. While we’ve previously discussed the cornerback free agent market, today’s focus will be on the nose tackle position.
Nose Tackle Needs for 2025
The Packers faced challenges after trading Micah Parsons, which also involved sending starting nose tackle Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys, leaving no suitable replacement for Clark.
The defensive tackle free agency class from last year was disappointing, but there was optimism for drafting a replacement for Clark in 2025. Unfortunately, nose tackles were selected earlier than anticipated in the draft due to the lack of quality in the free agent pool.
The Packers drafted Warren Brinson in round six and secured Nazir Stackhouse as an undrafted free agent. However, neither was able to start in 2025, leaving Colby Wooden to fill the role despite being undersized at 273 pounds, having gained weight from his college days.
The Packers’ interior line struggles contributed to a quick decline in their defensive performance. Initially strong, their defense fell to one of the worst in the league after just one quarter of play in 2025.
In 2026, the Packers will need to acquire a competent nose tackle to reduce Wooden’s snap load, as he struggled under the heavy workload. It’s likely they will target at least one significant free agent in this position this offseason.
2026 Free Agent Nose Tackles
To evaluate potential nose tackles, it’s essential to focus on players who aligned at the position for at least half of Wooden’s snaps in 2025. I prioritized players exceeding Wooden’s performance grade in that position to compile a relevant list of free agents.
The criteria included players who logged at least 156 snaps (half of Wooden’s 312) at nose tackle and held a higher Pro Football Focus grade than Wooden’s 60.1. This narrowed the list to 32 potential candidates.
After reviewing player contracts, only eight from the remaining group qualify as free agents for 2026. Some notable names include Sheldon Rankins (Texans), Roy Lopez (Lions), David Onyemata (Falcons), and Khyiris Tonga (Patriots), each offering varying degrees of potential to fortify the Packers’ defensive line.
