The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects who the Green Bay Packers could select in the 2025 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers’ run defense improved dramatically this season under first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. Last season they gave up 4.4 yards per carry and 2,181 yards, which ranked 28th in the league. This past season they gave up four yards per carry and 1,689 yards, which ranked seventh in the league.

If the Packers want to continue that upward trajectory, a player they could target in the 2025 NFL Draft is Ty Hamilton. The Ohio State defensive tackle checks in at No. 61 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.

A three-star recruit, Hamilton recorded 2.5 sacks during his first three seasons with the Buckeyes. During the 2023 campaign, Hamiton recorded five tackles for loss and two sacks.

This past season, Hamiton recorded 51 tackles, six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. During Ohio State’s playoff run to the National Championship, Hamilton recorded two tackles for loss, one sack and 10 pressures.

“Ty was among that seasoned group of coulda-lefts on the Ohio State defense who opted to return for another season to try to win some kind of hardware,” Tim May, a reporter for Lettermen Row, said. “Of course, unlike most of them, Ty, being a fifth-year senior, at least had a Big Ten championship ring from being on the squad as a freshman in the Covid season of 2020. In his last couple of seasons though he blossomed into being force down in the pit, helping spring the likes of Michael Hall in 2023 and Tyleik Williams in ’23 and ’24.”

Hamilton is a roadblock against the run. His greatest asset is his sheer natural strength. He clogs up running lanes and is able to root in against double teams. He controls his gap and uses his hands well to disengage. Hamilton has light feet and shows good lateral agility to create plays up and down the line of scrimmage. According to Pro Football Focus , Hamilton recorded 48 run stops over the past two seasons.

“He grew into becoming a reliable gap-sound defensive tackle, a major part of why the Buckeyes usually fared quite well against ballyhooed running backs, especially in the four-game run to the national championship this past season,” May said. “He also showed savvy at times, reading plays on the move and being where he was supposed to be despite the flow.

Hamilton’s trump card is his ability to stuff the run. However, he’s no slouch as a pass rusher with his devasting bullrush. He’s naturally powerful and drives offensive linemen backward. The Ohio State defensive tackle has heavy hands to create knockback and collapse the pocket.

“He served a role in the Ohio State defensive front equivalent to being a supporting actor nominee,” May said. “Turn on the video from the 2024/25 season, especially the last four games, though, and you can see him routinely challenging the integrity of the pocket, either with a one-gap good first step or a two-gap bull surge.”

Fit with the Packers

The Packers could be losing TJ Slaton to free agency this offseason. Hamilton is lighter than Slaton, but he offers a similar skillset with his run-stuffing ability and upside as an interior pass rusher.

Hamilton is ready to step in on day one and help against the run. With his sheer strength and pass rush upside, Hamilton could be an ideal Day 3 target for the Packers as they look to not only replace Slaton but potentially upgrade from the former Florida Gator.

“One reason is his pedigree,” May said. “He is the younger brother of five-year NFL veteran DaVaon Hamilton of Jacksonville. Like his older brother, Ty was a late but continual bloomer through his time at Ohio State. Ty probably can carry a little more weight, which means he could become even more effective. But again, in regards to his playing ability, just turn on the video of him over the course of the past season, and especially in the Buckeyes’ playoff run when the defense faced and handled four of the more highly rated offensive lines in college football. Good against good, he did more than simply hold his ground. He was a disrupter even without piling up gaudy stats.”

Hamilton is a well-put-together and powerful defensive tackle. He’ll quickly enter a team’s defensive line rotation with his ability to muck things up against the run and his potential upside as an interior pass rusher.