Since the years coming out of the pandemic-impacted seasons, the Green Bay Packers have used their pre-draft visits on players whom they are highly likely to target, either in the draft or later down the line in their careers. Since the 2022 draft, 30 of them have been brought into Green Bay, which includes post-draft additions like tackle Darian Kinnard (trade) and tight end Josh Whyle (picked up after he was released), on top of many original draft choices and undrafted free agent signings.
Why
is this important? The Packers brought in a guy who appears to be on the chopping block, Los Angeles Chargers “fullback” Scott Matlock, back in 2023.
On Sunday, it was announced that former Miami Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold will follow his former head coach, Mike McDaniel, to Los Angeles. It’s virtually unheard of for a team to carry two fullbacks on a modern NFL roster, so the other shoe is going to drop for Matlock, eventually.
Here’s the thing about Matlock: He’s not a normal fullback. At 296 pounds, Matlock doubles as a defensive tackle, similar to the Baltimore Ravens’ Patrick Ricard.
Graded as a defensive tackle, Matlock’s athleticism is elite.
He originally started his NFL career at defensive tackle, playing 266 snaps on the defensive side as a rookie. In 2024, he pivoted to the offensive side, playing 362 snaps there to just 137 defensive reps. Last season, he played 334 offensive plays to just 18 defensive plays. On top of that, he’s also played 478 special teams snaps over his career. For perspective, his 153 special teams snaps in 2025 would have ranked eighth on the Packers in 2025, behind just Isaiah McDuffie, Ty’Ron Hopper, Chris Brooks, Arron Mosby, Zayne Anderson, Kitan Oladapo and Bo Melton.
I don’t know that Green Bay will be targeting Matlock, but a player with a unique skillset who has previously been on a visit usually means that the Packers will have their eyebrows raised if he hits the market. An interior defensive lineman who can help on special teams takes a lot of stress off the rest of the roster if he’s able to help on the kick return unit. This is one reason why Green Bay values Karl Brooks (143 special teams snaps) so much, as he plays more than double the special teams reps of any other interior lineman on the roster.
If the Packers want a big body who can replace some of the Darian Kinnard tight end snaps this season, he’s a name to watch.
