Who is Javon Hargrave? What to know about Packers defensive tackle

The Green Bay Packers are adding some heft up front with a familiar name, former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. They're set to sign him to a two-year deal, which was reported Wednesday, March 11.

The Packers need some retooling of their defensive line after they traded Colby Wooden to the Indianapolis Colts for linebacker Zaire Franklin. They're also resigning Jonathan Ford for more depth up-front.

Hargrave was headed into the final year of the two-year deal he signed with Minnesota, but the Vikings chose to release him to clear salary-cap space.

Here's what else to know about Hargrave:

Javon Hargrave age

Hargrave turned 33 last month. That would make him the oldest Packers player after kicker Brandon McManus, who's 34.

Javon Hargrave height and weight

Hargrave is listed at 6-foot-2, 307 pounds.

Javon Hargrave college

The North Carolina native attended South Carolina State, a Division I Football Championship Subdivision school in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, located in Orangeburg, South Carolina. He was twice named first-team All-MEAC. The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Hargrave in the third round of the 2016 draft, with the 89th overall pick.

Javon Hargrave NFL career, stats

Hargrave played for the Steelers from 2016 through 19, then joined the Philadelphia Eagles from 2020 through 2022, the San Francisco 49ers in 2023 and 202,4 and Minnesota last year.

He's made two Pro Bowls (2021, 2023) and has 49 career sacks, with five forced fumbles, eight pass deflections, one defensive touchdown on a fumble recovery and 432 tackles overall.

He played in back-to-back Super Bowls in 2023 (with Philadelphia) and 2024 (with San Francisco), losing to Kansas City both times. He had five tackles and one tackle for loss in the first Super Bowl and had six tackles, a sack and fumble recovery in the second. He also played in an AFC Championship Game with Pittsburgh in 2017, with a sack and two tackles for loss in Pittsburgh's loss to New England.

With Philadelphia, he played for defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, now in the same role with the Packers. In 2022 under Gannon, he had a career-high 11 sacks.

With Minnesota last year, he had 3½ sacks, a forced fumble and a recovery in 16 games.

Hargrave has four playoff sacks and six playoff tackles for loss.

Javon Hargrave contract

ESPN has reported the deal is for two years and $23 million.

Packers fans will like Javon Hargrave's nickname, 'Gravedigger'

Hargrave uses the moniker "Gravedigger" on his Instagram profile, and the Vikings turned that into a comic book-style graphic on gameday against Detroit shortly after Halloween.

It's a natural nickname because of his name but also his position, and he credits college coach Mike Adams with coining it … yes, because Hargrave's play reminded him of former Packers star Gilbert Brown, himself known as "Gravedigger" during his playing days.

Hargrave was born Feb. 7, 1993, a little more than two months before the 1993 draft when Gilbert Brown was drafted … also in the third round (79th overall). Brown was taken by the Vikings and then picked up by the Packers when he didn't make Minnesota's team out of camp. The Packers have shown they like it when Minnesota moves on from a Gravedigger.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Who is Packers' Javon Hargrave? New defensive tackle's stats, career