Domonique Orange Is the Most Obvious D-Lineman Fit For Green Bay

Iowa State defensive tackle Domonique Orange owns the best nickname in the draft class, “Big Citrus.” He’s also one of the more obvious fits for the Green Bay Packers since the start of the offseason. Throughout free agency and the draft process, now just over a week from the draft, that hasn’t changed. 

Because of his quad injury, we had not seen any testing numbers — or much of anything — from Big Citrus throughout the draft process. However, on Tuesday, he finally got out on the field for a workout in front of several teams, including the Packers. Domonique Orange established himself as one of the best fits for Green Bay on Day 2, and they should feel comfortable taking him at 52.

Orange could’ve sat out the whole process and likely gone somewhere late on Day 2 or early Day 3. Instead, he decided to compete and show off why he was a two-time “Freaks List” member. Orange didn’t do all of the usual testing at his workout. However, he did enough to qualify for a Relative Athletic Score, which came out to an unofficial 8.78. That’s a great tally for someone who’s 322 lbs. with a bad quad that forced him to pull up 35 yards into his 40.

Still, his testing is incomplete, and the 8.78 RAS, while good, doesn't necessarily stand out. So why did his workout leave an impression on me? 

The thing that was most remarkable about his workout was the numbers on his explosion. Explosiveness is the No. 1 thing I look for in defensive linemen, because they play in short areas, and it shows how quickly they can play in those areas. 

Per Rcon14 on X, if the 1.68 10-yard split number holds true, Orange will have the best density-adjusted speed 10 score in the DT class by a lot, one of the best scores of this generation. It’s a truly remarkable number. His 31.5” vertical is also remarkable for a 322 lb. man.

So, with his profile established, why is he one of the most obvious fits for the Packers?

There are multiple reasons, the first being Green Bay's current roster construction. Since the beginning of last offseason, the Packers’ interior defensive line has had a ton of turnover. TJ Slaton left in free agency. They traded Kenny Clark for Micah Parsons and Colby Wooden for Zaire Franklin. They've filled a third of those losses by signing Javon Hargrave, but that still leaves a massive hole at nose tackle.

The Packers need a nose tackle, and Orange is nearly the only consensus top-100 defensive lineman who can play nose. He will likely be available in Green Bay’s range and has mostly a blemish-free profile.

Other defensive linemen in Green Bay’s range either have long-term injury concerns, don’t have testing, didn’t test well, or are too small. That makes it basically Big Citrus or bust if Green Bay wants a nose tackle on Day 2. There are some options on Day 3. I've written about a few, but they’re projected to go on Day 3 for a reason.

Still, Orange is not a perfect prospect. He’d be a first-round pick if there weren’t any concerns. His biggest strength comes with his build. He’s not short, but he’s also not the tallest DL at 6’2 ⅜”. 

However, he has large, violent hands and longer arms, which give him a significant advantage in keeping bodies off him in the interior. His shorter, compact stature gives him a strong base. Combine that with his quick feet, and you basically have a giant run-stuffing orange that grew Golem arms. 

On the other hand, the strength and quickness that make him a force in the run game haven’t translated to much success as a pass rusher. While he gets off the ball quickly and has a strong base to absorb contact occasionally, he plays too upright, which doesn’t allow him to get much push on the interior. 

If Orange is beating you with his pass rush, it’s with his quickness off the ball. However, he then struggles to finish because he’s huge and his run-and-chase ability isn’t great, leaving his pass-rush lacking. 

Still, that's why he fits so well with Green Bay. They have the interior defensive linemen who can rush the passer in Devonte Wyatt and Javon Hargrave. They’re missing the guy who can complement them in the run game. Domonique Orange is exactly that. If he could rush the passer, he wouldn’t be available in Green Bay's range, but he still gives you the untapped potential to become a better pass rusher because he has quickness that you can’t teach 322 lb. men. 

Currently 66th on the consensus big board, he’s near the top of my list at 52. If he makes it to 84, I’d run up the card.