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.
The Green Bay Packers fortified their defensive line group by signing free agent Jarran Reed to a one-year deal. With Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry and now Reed, the Packers have the makings of a strong defensive line group for the upcoming season.
What does that group look like a year from now though? Both Reed and Lowry will be free agents next offseason.
With that in mind, Brian Gutekunst will likely look to address the defensive line group early if the right player falls to him during the 2022 NFL draft.
A player that Gutekunst could target with one of his two second round picks is DeMarvin Leal. The Texas A&M defensive lineman checks in at No. 10 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.
Leal arrived at Texas A&M as a five-star recruit. As a freshman in 2019, Leal started seven games and recorded 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. The following season Leal recorded seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one interception and four pass deflections.
This past season Leal recorded 58 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. The former five-star recruit finished the season on a terror, recording 17 tackles, four tackles for loss, and three sacks in the last three games. In the final game against LSU, he recorded six pressures. That strong finish to the season is what people were expecting from Leal all season. With his traits, it’s not out of question to think Leal could post that kind of production at the NFL level.
“Leal is an interesting prospect because he has a lot of traits, but it’s sometimes hard to gauge the capacity of each one, as his consistency wanes at times,” Ian Cummings, an NFL Draft analyst for Pro Football Network, said. “I’d say his lateral agility is his greatest strength as a defensive lineman. It’s something that shows up on the interior and on the edge. He can execute crisp swims and inside…