Paul Bretl | 4/27/2025
GREEN BAY, Wis. — For the fifth consecutive year, the Packers selected a Georgia Bulldog in the NFL draft. This year, it was interior defensive lineman Warren Brinson in the sixth round.
There’s obviously a reason that GM Brian Gutekunst has an affinity for Georgia players, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. But as it pertains to Brinson and the defensive front, in Georgia’s pro-style defensive scheme, defenders are asked to handle a variety of responsibilities and fill a number of roles–as is often the case in the NFL.
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“At Georgia, they expect you to do multiple things,” Brinson told local media members after being drafted. “Coach Scott has a saying, he doesn’t want anybody to be a one-trick pony and he wants you to be able to play any position on the defensive line.
“So I had Nazir Stackhouse next to me, helping me push the pocket, I will take double teams, he’ll take on double teams and when a 1-on-1 comes our way, the goal is to win our 1-on-1.”
Brinson measured in at 6-5 – 315 pounds during the pre-draft process and recorded a Relative Athletic Score of 9.10, which featured a 31-inch vertical and 9-07 foot broad jump, highlighting his explosiveness, which is obviously an important trait as an interior defender.
If you look at the stat sheet, Brinson’s numbers aren’t going to leap off the page. Over the last three seasons at Georgia, he tallied 42 combined pressures with three sacks during that span. However, that doesn’t exactly tell the whole story either.
For one, within the Georgia defense, the defensive line is rotated heavily throughout the course of a game. For example, last season, Brinson’s 180 pass rush snaps were the most of his career.
But Brinson made the most of those opportunities and showcased his ability to win his pass rush reps, ranking 37th out of 200 eligible defensive tackles in PFF’s pass rush win rate. For what it’s worth, Brinson would also grade out well as a run defender by PFF’s metrics.
“Georgia, we have a multiple defense,” Brinson said. “We play a lot of different scheme and we had a lot of guys that deserved to play on our team so our coach was doing the best thing possible, just keeping fresh bodies in. And my role in the defense was a lot of pass rush. First-, second-down, third-down pass rush. So it was everything for the team, honestly. Whatever they needed me to do, I did it.”
Gutekunst mentioned that Brinson is a more natural pass rusher than run defender, but what the Packers see is an interior defender who has size, is athletic, can get after the quarterback, and can line up across multiple gaps.
“I think Brinson coming out probably has a little more pass rush naturally,” Gutekunst said. “But again a really big man that can do a lot of things. I think the coaching staff and I know I believe he can play up and down the line. He’s not just a one position player on the defensive line. So that was one of the thongs that attracted us to him.”
Gutekunst continues to insist that the Packers have what they need on the roster already to be a productive pass rush unit this upcoming season. However, he’s also acknowledged that more consistency from that four-man front is a need as well. Both things can be true.
The addition of Brinson to the interior defensive line will strengthen the rotation and add some competition as well. And when there is competition, hopefully the level of urgency is raised, and therefore the level of play as a result of that.
“In pass rush, just interior juice and when a big play is needed, I’m going to bring a big play, honestly,” Brinson said of his game. “And just being an athletic three-technique big, and getting some pocket push, it’s all over.”