The Green Bay Packers traded up to snag Missouri powerhouse Chris McClellan, securing a versatile interior defender whose elite athleticism and pass-rushing motor provide critical depth.
Chris McClellan is a big man, checking in at 6-foot-4, 323 pounds. That's undoubtedly part of the reason the Green Bay Packers selected him with the No. 77 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Heading into the draft, it was clear that interior defensive linemen were one of the Packers' biggest needs. Apparently, according to Matt Schneidman of "The Athletic", the Packers almost filled that need in the second round. They liked McClellan with pick No. 52, but ended up selecting South Carolina Gamecocks cornerback Brandon Cisse there.
Still, McClellan hung around on the board, and he was there in the third, where general manager Brian Gutekunst decided to move up to select him. Off went a fifth-round pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and in came McClellan with the Packers picking seven spots sooner than expected.
"He was sticking out there like a sore thumb," Gutekunst said of the big man from Missouri, according to Wes Hodkiewicz of the team website. "Like all right, that's the highest guy and let's go get him."
The Packers went and got McClellan, but what are they expecting to get out of him?
Size is the big thing right away and at very least he'll be a rotational big man who they can throw at offensive linemen when starters Devonte Wyatt and Javon Hargrave need a rest.
The Packers like his ability to play all across the defensive line, though. You're not going to throw him at the end as a nine-technique, but he can rush the passer. The first two seasons of his college career came with the Florida Gators, as he committed to then-head coach Billy Napier as a 4-star defensive end.
He kept that EDGE mentality when he moved inside and then transferred to Mizzou. In 28 games (23 starts) with the Tigers, he notched 87 tackles with 13.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and four pass breakups.
This is a kid who is a great athlete for his size, and the Packers will undoubtedly use that to their advantage.
Would it be out of the realm of possibility to see him start his career as a third-down pass-rushing specialist at either one-technique or three-technique? Absolutely not.
Again, the most prime of those snaps are going to initially go to Wyatt and Hargrave. Wyatt is coming off a devastating leg injury, though, and Hargrave is 33 years old.
Those are two of the main reasons depth on the interior of the defensive line felt so important for the Packers heading into the draft and they are still two factors to keep an eye on in 2026.
Warren Brinson is going to get some looks as a 2025 draft selection (sixth round) and Nazir Stackhouse is an intriguing gap-stuffer at 6-foot-4, 327 pounds. There's also Jonathan Ford to consider, who is a whopping 6-foot-4, 338 pounds.
McClellan should absolutely be able to compete alongside those three for snaps behind the starters, though. In fact, there's reason to believe McClellan can get above at least Stackhouse and Ford on the depth chart. He should also be able to push ahead of Brinson if his college abilities quickly translate to the NFL, though.
Nov 29, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green (10) is sacked by Missouri Tigers defensive tackle Chris McClellan (7) during the fourth quarter at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Missouri won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images.Best-case scenario? McClellan is the Packers' first sub behind Wyatt and Hargrave by mid-season. Considering his college production and his draft pedigree, a 2.5 or 3.0 sack season with several tackles for loss could be possible.
More realistically, he'll compete for rotational snaps in a grouping with Brinson, Stackhouse and Ford. The Packers may roll with the hot hand in that grouping, but McClellan seems to have the goods to get hot and be a contributor, even as a rookie.
"He was a guy that really I think checked a lot of boxes since the middle of the season through the all-star process," Packers director of football operations Milt Hendrickson said.
"The more you watch, the more he grew on us and ultimately, we made the decision to go get him. Big man, good length, he's got a really good tag. He can do a lot of things. I think there's a lot of versatility he's going to be able to bring our defense."
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