The Green Bay Packers selected Missouri defensive tackle Chris McClellan with the No. 77 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. To acquire McClellan, the Packers traded their third-round pick (No. 84) and a fifth-round pick (No. 160) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to move up to No. 77.

McClellan brings prototypical size to the interior at 6-4, 313 pounds with 34-inch arms and 11-inch hands. Over two seasons at Missouri, he totaled 87 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, and four pass breakups.

With Javon Hargrave already turning 33 this year and Devonte Wyatt playing on a fifth-year option, the Packers needed to address the interior of the defensive line. McClellan should help anchor against the run early, with the upside to develop into a three-down player.

Here are some scouting reports on McClellan from the top draft experts:

A two-year starter at Missouri, McClellan lined up as an interchangeable one-/three-technique (depending on the formation) in defensive coordinator Corey Batoon’s scheme. He spent two seasons as a backup at Florida before becoming a steady force for the Tigers as a junior and senior. His production won’t blow anyone away, but his impact gradually increased each season. McClellan looks like an NFL player, with his big frame and bear-claw hands. He can be a tough guy for centers to defend when he times up the snap and uses his full extension or arm-over moves to create interior pressure. However, he can get stuck on blocks and needs to be more efficient with his hands to deconstruct and shed. Against the run, he can hold the point and respond well to double teams. Overall, McClellan isn’t a consistent disruptor, but he checks boxes with his physical characteristics and developing recognition skills. He projects as a rotational lineman on the interior who can give teams quality snaps as a zero-/one-technique.

Two-year starter who is solidly proportional with adequate length. McClellan is not a natural knee-bender, which limits his anchor, and he allows blockers too far into his frame too often. He has flashes where he can dominate a rep, but he will need to improve his take-on technique and hand usage to be more consistent. His first step is average and his pass rush isn’t overly explosive, but McClellan can pry open edges with strong hands. He plows through to collapse pockets once his foot is in the door and projects as a backup nose tackle in an even-front defense.

McClellan is a long, powerful interior defensive lineman who emerged after transferring from Florida to Missouri, where he became a productive, multi-year starter (87 tackles, 14 TFL, 8.5 sacks over two seasons). He brings an appealing blend of size, length (34-inch arms, large hands), strength, and body control, though his game is heavily dependent on technique and pad level.

Everything with McClellan starts with leverage. When he fires out with proper knee bend and lower pads, he plays with much better balance and can maximize his length—jolting blockers, disengaging, and pursuing effectively. However, he’s inconsistent in this area, often playing too high, which limits his impact.

Athletically, he’s not explosive or twitchy. He lacks elite get-off and redirect quickness, but compensates with strength, flexibility, and the ability to work through contact. As a pass rusher, he’s more of a grinder than a penetrator, using length and upper-body power to collapse pockets and generate pressure rather than quick wins. His hands are heavy but not especially sudden or violent.

Against the run, he holds up well one-on-one thanks to his length and upper-body strength, but his high pad level and average lower-body power show up against double-teams, where he can gradually give ground.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: What draft experts said about new Packers defensive tackle Chris McClellan