Green Bay Packers sign DT Jordon Riley from Giants’ practice squad

Devonte Wyatt’s season-ending injury is a major blow to the Green Bay Packers. The fourth-year defensive tackle has played 379 snaps on defense this season, contributing 27 total tackles, two pass breakups, and four sacks. Without his availability, the team’s interior defensive line depth will be tested over the remainder of the season, with young internal reinforcements like Warren Brinson expected to play a bigger role down the stretch.

However, the Packers went out and acquired an external reinforcement as well on Wednesday. Appearing at today’s practice was a new face, wearing number 97: Jordon Riley, a third-year tackle out of the University of Oregon. Riley had spent the season on the New York Giants’ practice squad, but the Packers have reportedly signed him directly to their active 53-man roster.

The Giants drafted Riley in the 7th round two years ago, and he has played in 21 games with five starts over the last two seasons. Riley is already 27 years old, having turned 25 just after he was drafted. He enrolled at the University of North Carolina in 2017 and played for four different programs over six seasons of college football, including Garden City Community College and Nebraska. Eventually Riley finished his career at the University of Oregon during his final season in 2022.

What Riley brings is an ability to eat up space in the middle of a defense. At Oregon’s 2023 Pro Day, Riley was listed at 6-foot-5 and 338 pounds, though the Giants’ official roster listed him at a slimmer 315 pounds. His Giants bio notes that he played nose tackle during a late-season stretch in the starting lineup in 2024, but at his listed weight he could be a candidate to play at any spot across the interior of the Packers’ line. His movement skills leave something to be desired, however, as his Pro Day testing put him below the 50th percentile for defensive tackles in every movement drill.

Still, Riley will add to a defensive tackle rotation that badly needs bodies. Karl Brooks and rookie Warren Brinson appear to be next up at the 3-technique tackle spot, while Colby Wooden and Nazir Stackhouse are the two current nose tackles on the roster. Brooks, who would be the likely choice to start in Wyatt’s absence, missed each of the last two games with an injury, though media members attending Wednesday’s practice noted that he was participating.

Riley did get into the Giants’ game against the Packers during his rookie year in 2023. That game, a 24-22 Giants win, saw Riley make one solo tackle — bringing down running back AJ Dillon for a gain of five yards — while playing 14 total snaps (nine on defense and five on special teams).

The Packers did have one open roster spot prior to Wyatt going on injured reserve and Riley signing with the team. Those two transactions would likely swap with one another and offset while another; meanwhile, Jayden Reed is widely expected to be activated onto the 53 from injured reserve this week to fill up the active roster.