Green Bay Packers get undrafted steal in DL Tyler Lancaster

The Green Bay Packers got a steal in former Northwestern Wildcats defensive lineman Tyler Lancaster, who will play nose tackle in their defense…

The Green Bay Packers really emphasized the defensive side of the ball in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Despite trading down to the bottom of the first round with the New Orleans Saints, Green Bay came away with two players that had top 20-25 grades at the cornerback position in Jaire Alexander from Louisville and Josh Jackson from Iowa.

In addition to upgrading their pass defense, however, the Packers knew they had to improve a run defense that ranked 16th in the NFL in yards allowed last season.

They brought in free agent defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson to help out with that, but they also have a darkhorse in the running to contribute as a rookie in undrafted free agent Tyler Lancaster, formerly of the Northwestern Wildcats.

Lancaster wasn’t invited to the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, largely because he didn’t put up huge numbers while with the Wildcats.

Even though he wasn’t putting up flashy numbers, Lancaster was productive. He finished the 2017 season with 40 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. His most impressive statistic though is the fact that he started 39 straight games from 2015-17.

More from NFL Mocks

After being diagnosed with sleep apnea early in his collegiate career, Lancaster was finally able to get stronger in the weight room and recover properly, as he recalls in the video above.

After that diagnosis, Lancaster established himself as one of the top nose tackles in the Big Ten. Doing the dirty work as a defensive linemen doesn’t generate a ton of NFL hype, but Lancaster did a great job of taking on double teams and really playing his assignment well.

When you’re a 0T or 1T defensive tackle, your responsibilities don’t always equate to high production. Lancaster was willing to play the role he was asked to play, even if it came without flashy numbers.

That kind of player can come in and help the Packers immediately. He’s obviously got a great frame at 6-foot-4, 314 pounds with phenomenal upper-body strength to be a bear at the point of attack, and he’s got room to get even stronger.

I think as Lancaster progresses, he could add another 5-10 pounds of good weight to his frame and become a stout gap-clogging nose tackle in the league. He can be an effective run stuffer from day one and the Packers might have themselves a gem.

The former team captain at Northwestern drew rave reviews from head coach Pat Fitzgerald, so this is a hard worker on and off the field.

Home/NFL Draft