GREEN BAY, Wis. – Sometimes, you’re the hammer. Other times, you’re the nail. Mixing up the analogy, sometimes, you’re the cheese. Other times, you’re the cheese grater.

By all accounts, the Green Bay Packers’ defensive line shredded the Indianapolis Colts’ offense during Thursday’s joint practice.

The Colts’ offensive line isn’t some 1,500-pound weakling. Left tackle Bernhard Raimann received a four-year, $100 million contract extension at the start of training camp. Right tackle Braden Smith was playing under a four-year, $70 million contract extension. Left guard Quenton Nelson in his first seven seasons was a seven-time Pro Bowler and a five-time first- or second-team All-Pro.

The new starting center, Wisconsin native Tanor Bortolini, was a fourth-round pick last year. The new starting right guard, Matt Goncalves, was a third-round pick last year.

In its preseason rankings, Pro Football Focus deemed the Colts as possessing the fifth-best offensive line in the NFL.

Nonetheless, the Packers’ highly questioned defensive line dominated from the moment they stepped off the bus.

“I think we, as group collectively, I don’t think we need the coaches to push us to come out fast,” defensive end Lukas Van Ness told reporters. “I think we recognized that as a group. We came together collectively after the Jets game and knew we had to come out with a little more passion, a little more fight. I think we did today.”

Indianapolis Colts running back Tyler Goodson (31), a former Packers player, greets Green Bay Packers defensive linemen Lukas Van Ness (90) and Kingsley Enagbare (55). / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Van Ness had a couple sacks against Raimann. Moments after his first, linebacker Quay Walker had another. Rashan Gary had a sack and a pressure that turned into an interception.

It wasn’t just the starters.

Second-year linebacker Ty’Ron Hoper had a sack on a blitz. Third-year defensive tackle Colby Wooden, who is fighting for a roster spot, had a sack. Rookie Barryn Sorrell had a sack. Brenton Cox might have had a sack on a pass that was intercepted by safety Johnathan Baldwin.

All of those players are going to have a role on Sundays.

The Colts’ No. 1 unit, led by Anthony Richardson, scored on a 2-minute drill to end practice, though Van Ness thought he had a sack on a play before the touchdown. Green Bay’s defense won the backups’ 2-minute, though, as Isaiah Simmons picked off Daniel Jones.

“We just got to keep stacking,” Van Ness said. “As good as it was, I look at the bad things. I think we got to close out practice better. That’s something to look forward to and improve and be better for moving forward.”

Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper had the same thought.

“No matter how good you play the whole game, you’ve got to finish it out the whole way,” he said.

The Packers didn’t make many big changes on defense this offseason to add a more consistent impact to their pass rush. Sorrell, a fourth-round pick, was the earliest draft pick. Fifth-round pick Collin Oliver has missed all of training camp. Really, the most noteworthy change was the coach, with DeMarcus Covington replacing Jason Rebrovich.

“I really enjoy working with this group,” Covington said this week. “It’s a hard-working group. They attack each day very, very hard with an open mind. These dudes work relentlessly, whether it’s early-morning pre-practice, after practice, whether it’s in the classroom.

“I think they all have a beginner mindset daily. They don’t act like they know it all. They want to learn it all, they’re hungry for knowledge, they’re hungry to get better. Whether it’s KC [Kenny Clark] for being 10 years in the league, whether it’s RG [Rashan Gary] for being seven years, whether it’s from the top to the bottom, all of them try to work to improve themselves from a daily basis.”

Van Ness likes what Covington has brought to the table.

“D.C.’s awesome. I think he’s been a really great addition to this room,” he said. “I feel like we all speak the same language. He’s done a really good job of bringing us together and playing for each other and playing as a group and really building that brotherhood. I think that’s something we lacked in the past.

“The defensive rush unit, the strongest units I’ve ever seen are guys who play together. They play hard, fast. I think we lacked that in the past and I think he’s kind of unlocked a strong connection between us that we can go out and trust each other and know that we’re going to put the hard work in. Obviously, come out and make plays on Sunday or today in practice.”

It wasn’t nearly as good on the other side of the ball. Injuries are just an excuse in a next-man-up league but they’re also a reason. The Packers lined up without quarterback Jordan Love and receivers Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Christian Watson and Savion Williams.

Tight end Tucker Kraft said the No. 1 offense “left some meat on the bone.” It won’t be any easier in Saturday’s preseason game against the Colts. It will be Malik Willis at quarterback and the same young receivers, but Kraft and running back Josh Jacobs are among the players who won’t participate.

“I would say from the standpoint of, you get these young guys in a situation where they might not be as confident in themselves as far as the textbook goes,” Kraft said. “So, they might not be surging off the rock, working edges, angles in the route game to the best of their ability.

“We got some time for them to make some corrections and then moving forward in the game, they got another shot with these guys. So, we’ll just have to see how they do in Part 2.”