The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects who the Green Bay Packers could select in the 2025 NFL draft.
The 2025 NFL Draft is loaded with talented defensive linemen. It would not be shocking to see the Packers use three to four picks on the defensive line group.
A potential target on Day 3 of the draft is Jah Joyner. The Minnesota Golden Gopher defensive end checks in at No. 8 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.
A three-star recruit, Joyner did not play during the COVID-19 shortened season in 2020 and redshirted the following season. In 2022, Joyner had three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. The following season, the Connecticut native recorded eight tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.
This past season, the Golden Gophers defensive end recorded six tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and knocked down seven passes.
Joyner looks like he was sent from central casting. He’s 6-4, 262 pounds with 34-inch arms. He looks the part of an NFL defensive end. He has a nice blend of length, speed and lower body flexibility.
As a pass-rusher, Joyner has a quick first step and closes with burst once he wins the corner. He has fluid strides to quickly chew up grass to get to the quarterback. He occasionally flashes power in his hands to put blockers on their heels. He pulls out slaps and rips moves to win with his hands. Once he develops a deeper bag of tricks to go along with his tools, Joyner could become a force off the edge.
This past season marked his first season as a full-time starter and he recorded 31 pressures to go along with his 4.5 sacks. As a rotational edge rusher during the previous two seasons, Joyner recorded 78 pressures. Those are pretty impressive pressure numbers. When he doesn’t get home, he does a good job of using his long arms to knock down balls.
“Joyner is a pretty one-dimensional pass rusher right now, he’s a big-time speed rusher who plays with more finesse right now than power,” Devin Jackson, an NFL Draft writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer, said. “Once he gets hip to hip with a tackle, he’s shown enough bend to flatten and get to the quarterback.”
Joyner does a good job of using his long arms to keep himself clean as an edge setter. He’s a forceful tackler and does a good job of using his length to lasso ball carriers. With his initial quickness, he can beat offensive linemen off the snap and get into the backfield to slow down run plays.
“Joyner is a solid, but not great run defender,” Jackson said. “He can get washed down by offensive linemen and though he has some nice length, doesn’t always utilize it consistently, but he does occasionally shoot gaps and disrupt outside zone plays with his initial speed off the snap.”
Fit with the Packers
During Jeff Hafley’s first season as defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, the pass rush did disappearing acts in big games far too often.
The Packers dismissed defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich and replaced him with DeMarcus Covington, who spent this past season as the defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots.
Brian Gutekunst made it crystal clear during the NFL Scouting Combine that they need the defensive line to create more chaos if they are going to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
“We need to affect the quarterback more in our front four, with just four players,” Gutekunst said. “I’m excited about the guys we have in the room, we’ll see if we add to it, but that’s gotta get better if we’re going to accomplish our goals we want to accomplish in this season.”
With Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness, the Packers may wait to add a pass rusher until Day 3 with the hopes that Gary enjoys a bounce-back season and Van Ness enjoys a breakout season during his third year in the league.
If that’s the route the Packers take to bolstering their pass rush, Joyner could be high on Green Bay’s board for Day 3 of the draft. The Minnesota edge rusher has outstanding length and has all the tools in the shed to develop into a rock-solid pass rusher.
“If you’re drafting Joyner, it’s to be more of a depth, rotational player who can give you quick wins working on an outside track and a player that can develop into a solid role player,” Jackson said. “He’s likely a Day 3 player who can give you some juice on the edge but doesn’t offer you much on early downs.”
With his first-step quickness and length, Joyner has enough working for him to be a designated pass rusher as a rookie. He was a rotational edge rusher for two years prior to becoming a starter this past season. During those two seasons, he showed a knack for affecting the quarterback. He’d bring much-needed juice to Green Bay’s pass rush and would be a great value pick in the fourth or fifth round.