Cincinnati Bearcats defensive tackle Dontay Corleone, also known as The Godfather, is one of the more polarizing prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, the Green Bay Packers might have a chance to tap into his upside without taking too much of a risk on him.
Once considered a potential first-round pick, Corleone now could land in the Day 3 range. However, the reason for his fall has been largely beyond his control. Therefore, drafting Corleone would be a great opportunity for Brian Gutekunst and the Packers to buy the dip on a guy who was once a high-level prospect. He fits a position of need and is also the exact archetype of a player at that position.
Gutekunst has done a great job addressing needs in free agency. He hasn’t filled every roster hole, but he has addressed them to the point that there is no clear need. Still, Green Bay’s roster needs more specific player archetypes. They could use an explosive running back, a developmental outside corner, and maybe the biggest (no pun intended), a massive run-stuffing nose tackle.
At 6’0”, 340 lbs., Dontay Corleone is exactly that.
Between Devonte Wyatt, Javon Hargrave, and Karl Brooks, the Packers have a defensive line rotation that’s ready to play in a game tomorrow. However, all three of them are much better pass rushers than run defenders.
To improve their run defense, either one of those three veterans needs to randomly develop this late in their career as a run defender; one of Warren Brinson or Nazir Stackhouse, a seventh-round pick and UDFA from last season, needs to develop greatly, or they need to add a big body in the middle. The latter is the most realistic option, and the draft is the most likely solution.
That brings us to Corleone. His last few seasons somewhat mirror the Packers: He has a lot of potential and could rise to become one of the premier players in the draft. However, for a multitude of reasons, that hasn’t come to fruition.
In Corleone’s first season as a redshirt freshman in 2022, he burst onto the scene as one of the best defensive players in college football. He finished the season as PFF’s top-rated defensive player and was third-team All-American. Had Corleone entered the transfer portal, he would likely have attracted immense interest from high-level programs, but the Cincinnati native chose to stay loyal to his home school.
In 2023, Corleone entered the season as a preseason first-team All-American. He still had a great season, finishing on second-team All-Big 12. However, Cincinnati struggled in its first season in the Big 12, finishing 3-9. Therefore, Corleone did not get much national recognition.
Following a second strong season, Corleone could have transferred to a more competitive program or entered the draft as a potential Day 2 pick, but he stayed home again. Given this evaluation, another season made a lot of sense. He could earn his degree, solidify his draft stock, and continue to help build his hometown program as they transition to a power conference — a sound decision on his end. However, the 2024 offseason was a disaster.
In June of 2024, after experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath, Corleone was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism, which caused blood clots in his lungs. Despite being sidelined for three months, he still played 11 games in 2024 and was a first-team All-Big 12 selection. After battling injuries all season, Corleone decided to run it back for one final season to re-solidify himself and finish what he started at Cincinnati.
After three extremely productive seasons, he entered 2025 as one of the top players in college football. Bruce Feldman featured him on his “Freaks List” for the third time and had potential first-round buzz.
However, 2025 did not go as he expected. Corleone suffered an ankle injury in September. He missed two games, then returned, but the injury clearly lingered throughout the season. He finished with the least-productive season of his career, registering no sacks or tackles for loss.
Corleone went into the draft process hoping to be healthy and boost his draft stock. However, after one day at the Shrine Bowl, he showed up the next day with a boot on the same ankle he had injured during the season. He ended up getting tightrope surgery and is focused on getting healthy for training camp. Therefore, he will not work out for any teams or do any testing.
As a beastly run-stuffing nose tackle that has some pass rush juice (9.5 sacks over his first three seasons), Corleone has the talent to be a first-round pick and would be a perfect fit for Green Bay’s defensive line that needs size.
However, because of the injury and health issues that have plagued him the last two seasons, he finds himself 112th on the consensus big board, likely going late on Day 2 at the earliest. If the medicals check out for Green Bay, it would be a great opportunity to find some value in a draft where the Packers lack picks. And if he’s available with a later-round pick, it’s an offer the Packers shouldn’t refuse.
