The Green Bay Packers made a notable trade on Saturday, exchanging starting defensive tackle Colby Wooden for former All-Pro linebacker Zaire Franklin. The move aimed to bolster their linebacker corps but left questions about the defensive tackle position, which remains a pressing concern. The Packers’ defense, particularly their run defense, relied heavily on Wooden last season, making the trade a significant adjustment in Green Bay’s defensive lineup.
Impact of Losing Colby Wooden on Defensive Line
Colby Wooden emerged as a crucial player during the last season, shifting from a backup role to starting all 16 games and earning the nickname “The General” for his leadership on run defense. He recorded seven run stuffs—tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage against the run—while the rest of the Packers’ defensive tackles combined for eight such plays, with no other player exceeding three.
Wooden’s presence improved Green Bay’s run defense by about 0.13 yards per play when he was on the field. Despite some expected improvement needed at the position, his departure has heightened the defensive tackle shortage for the Packers going into free agency.
Devonte Wyatt, the team’s top defensive tackle and an emerging force as both a pass rusher and run defender, has never played more than half of the defensive snaps in a full season. In 2025, after missing seven games, he was on the field for only about 34 percent of snaps across 10 starts. Additionally, backups such as Karl Brooks, Warren Brinson, and Nazir Stackhouse have had modest impact, with Brooks recording 7.5 sacks and 10 tackles for losses in 2023 and 2024, but only a handful in 2025.
The situation became so challenging by December that the Packers re-signed Jonathan Ford, a seventh-round pick from 2022 who had spent much of his early career on practice squads. Ford, who had been released by the Bears, appeared for 30 snaps late last season but will enter free agency soon.
With free agency dominated by veteran players mostly in their 30s, Green Bay’s general manager Brian Gutekunst, who has consistently prioritized youth in building the roster, may need to reconsider signing experienced but older players to fill immediate gaps.
Zaire Franklin’s Career Trajectory and Current Performance
Zaire Franklin, 29, will turn 30 before the upcoming training camp and carries a base salary of $6.24 million in 2026, rising to $8.24 million in 2027. This figure makes him significantly more affordable compared to Quay Walker, the four-year starter expected to leave Green Bay in the upcoming free agency period.
Franklin has been a reliable linebacker during his years as a full-time starter, producing high tackle counts: 167 tackles in 2022, 179 in 2023, and an NFL-best 173 tackles in 2024. However, his 2025 season saw a noticeable drop in production, including a reduction in tackles for loss—from highs of 11 to just seven—and a sharp decline in forced fumbles, dropping from five to one.
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Franklin’s 2025 performance placed him last among 64 off-the-ball linebackers who played over 500 snaps. Although some critics discount PFF’s grading system, a top NFL executive described Franklin as having “a rough year” under the Packers’ new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.
Looking deeper into PFF’s statistics, Franklin’s missed-tackle rate ranked 46th among his peers, while his pass coverage metrics were mixed: 26th in completion percentage allowed, 48th in yards allowed per reception, and 39th in passer rating against him. His run-defense impact also suffered, with a run-stop rate placing him 38th, despite ranking ninth for average tackle depth downfield.
By contrast, Quay Walker’s average tackle occurred four yards downfield, indicating Franklin’s tackles tend to be made closer to line of scrimmage.
“He’s a dog,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said of Franklin in 2024. “He shows up every single day, he works his tail off, he prepares the right way. He leads in the locker room the right way and he plays with great intensity, great effort and energy. Obviously, (he) studies tape. You can see it: He’s in the right spots making tackles over and over and over again every week.” – Shane Steichen, Colts Coach
Evaluating the Franklin-Wooden Trade
This trade marks the opening move in the Packers’ offseason defensive shuffle. The next key challenge will be filling the gap at defensive tackle, where head-to-head improvement is critical for the team’s success. For Green Bay to claim progress, they must be significantly stronger on defense with the combination of Zaire Franklin and a new defensive tackle compared to the previous pairing of Quay Walker and Colby Wooden.
Franklin’s durability—starting nearly every game in the past four seasons—and his experience could be pivotal, particularly if he efficiently marshals the linebacker unit and facilitates younger defenders like Edgerrin Cooper.
As it stands, analysts have graded the trade as a C-plus, reflecting both the risks involved and the uncertain payoff. The Packers’ ability to address their defensive tackle shortage in free agency or through the draft will largely determine if this trade is a step forward or backward.
