The Packers have always needed tough guys in the middle of the defense. Karl Brooks and Kenny Clark both played that dirty-work role. They lined up inside, took hits, and did jobs that rarely make highlight reels. But their time in Green Bay unfolded very differently, shaped by how they entered the league and what the team asked of them.
Kenny Clark and Karl Brooks' Packers Careers
Kenny Clark walked in with first-round expectations in April 2016, and the Packers didn’t ease him in for long. By his second season, he was the starting nose tackle, the guy stuck eating double teams every Sunday. That job is not flashy, but it’s the spine of a run defense. Clark became that spine.
Even as coaching staffs turned over during the late 2010s into the early 2020s, he remained steady. Control defined how he played. Instead of chasing highlights, he sealed running lanes, pushed quarterbacks off balance from the interior, and cleared paths for linebackers to attack. By 2023, his impact stood clear - 7.5 sacks piled up, plenty for a player buried in the line week after week. Still, come 2024, even with a sore toe from day one, every single game found him on the field. His body held up - so did respect among teammates.
Clark’s Packers journey closed in Aug. 2025 when Green Bay included him in the trade that brought Micah Parsons. It was a business move tied to age and cap space, but it also underlined how big his presence had been for almost a decade.
Karl Brooks’ path looked nothing like that. He came in as a sixth-round pick in 2023 out of Bowling Green, basically fighting just to earn snaps. What helped him stick was versatility. Coaches moved him around the line and used his quick hands on passing downs.
Brooks made noise fast for a late pick. He picked up sacks, forced turnovers, and kept showing up around the ball. His biggest moment hit on Nov. 17, 2024, vs. the Bears, when he blocked Cairo Santos’ potential game-winning field goal as time expired. That gqme saved a 20–19 win and got him the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
As his role grew, the splash plays came less often, which is normal once teams ask you to handle steadier snaps. He settled in as a useful rotational lineman who could give energy and inside push.
That’s really the story here. Clark gave the Packers years of stability, leadership, and heavy lifting in the middle. Brooks brought juice, flexibility, and clutch moments when opportunities arose. Same position, different vibes. Both helped the defence, just in their own style.
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