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NFL Draft: Day 3 Linebackers for the Green Bay Packers
By contributor
Here we are again, it’s spring and football fans are clamoring for draft info. Who’s going where, where do you draft this or that player and even your team has to get so and so.
Like Safety was just a short time ago, Inside Linebacker seems to be the most talked about position for the Packers. I think both inside and outside need to be addressed in the draft and undrafted FA’s for development.
One of the questions I have been asking is what type of ILB does the team need most. Coverage or Thumper? That question gets a lot more debate then I thought it would, with a few more wanting the coverage aspect more then the thumper. I want someone that does both but you can’t always find that talent.
I am a fan of Jake Ryan, many have already labeled him JAG and I disagree. Why I say that is going back and watching his first games in November and the Play off games. Two different players all around, his coverage technique was night and day better,, and his read and react in the run game was more of what I watched him do at Michigan. I just expect to see a much better linebacker come year two.
Other then Ryan it is a limited bag of possibilities. Barrington is coming back from a foot injury that cost him all of 2015; Barrington is a thumper with limited coverage ability. Bradford is making the switch from DE to OLB to ILB. He must be showing something since he is still on the roster. Bradford when comparing physical ability has the tools to play ILB, the question is can he mentally make that change and be effective? Last but not least is Joe Thomas the dime ILB. You have to love his effort and he does a decent job in the role, but he like others can and should be upgraded.
Many are hoping that Reggie Ragland falls to the Packers, I am not a big fan of Ragland, I see AJ Hawk when I look at Ragland. I think he is more a product of the Defensive Line he played behind then him being a dominating player. Alabama took him off the field in some passing situations. I just don’t see anything that physically stands out about his play and how that will transfer to the NFL being as highly rated as he is. Don’t get me wrong, I think he is a good football player and yes maybe the best ILB in the draft. I don’t see that dominating player doing it all by himself that I expect to see from someone rated in the top half of the first round.
My whole thing with the Packers draft is the Defensive Line talent available at #27 and yes even a “need” after Raji left, the talent at the defensive line position will be the highest rated on the Packers Board. And one of those or an LT prospect will be the first pick.
I study players at all positions and rankings in the draft as they fit into the Packers draft slots. For years my thing is to find those day three and post draft signee's that can come in and help out of the box and or be worth development and play special teams right away.
For this article I’m sticking to day three ILB’s for the most part. One thing I will say is that I like college OLB’s to play ILB in the 3-4 so a few of them might show up, too.
Right at the start of day three there are a number of prospects I like. There are no rankings by me in the placement of the players talked about, I like them all and think they will fit the Packers’ needs.
Nick Vigil 6-2 239# Utah State. He has excellent change of direction and 4.62 40 speed and 1.61 ten yard quickness. What stands out to me - and you see it in his play - is his change of direction with a 4.00 short shuttle and 6.73 3-cone drill. Those are Safety agility numbers. What you get is a player that can stay on the field for three downs. Sorry to say not much video of Vigil playing Linebacker, but he shows his offensive side and a nice INT in this link.
Next up is Nick Kwiatkowski 6-2 243# ILB from West Virginia. This is my kind of football player, plays with reckless abandon. He was a Safety to start and it shows in his movement. 4.65 40 time with a 1.65 ten yard, his agility numbers are not as good as Vigil but quite good at 4.22 and 7.16 in the short shuttle and 3-cone drill.
One of my favorite players in the draft is Joe Schobert OLB Wisconsin 6-1 244# more of a typical 3-4 ILB build then OLB in the NFL. I think he is a perfect fit for the Packers’ Defense. Another ‘stay on the field for 3 downs’ prospect to me. His testing numbers are good: 4.62 40 time and a 1.62 ten yard and a decent 4.30 short shuttle and 7.11 3-cone. This is a player that just produces on the field. A hard nose, do what needs to be done, great effort kind of player. Great place to use one of the extra 4th round comp picks.
One more for fun out of the ILB’s. Luke Rhoads 6-2 236# William and Mary. 4.73 40 time, 1.63 ten yard. 4.32 and 7.13 short and 3-cone drill. He also put up 29 reps at 225# and a 35” vertical. The only player to be in the 2015 Butkus award watch list from an FCS school. No real video on him but the kind of player you look for in the later rounds or to sign.
I have to add this OLB, he is a day two prospect that I just like as a fit for the 3-4 OLB spot. Tyler Fackrell 6-5 245#, another Utah State prospect. Just a good all around OLB, experienced in dropping into coverage and rushing the passer. Good speed and quickness being 6-5 245# with a 4.62 forty time and a 1.61 ten yard. Very fluid in his movement, good back pedal and change of direction.
You don’t have to get the highest rated and/or that early round pick to get damn good football players. For me that is what I think about more than anything: are they good football players, and how productive are they between the side lines?
I believe that any one of these players can help the Packers and some could even start right away. No matter what, you are getting good athletes that can help out on special teams and situational football.
I do believe we will see multiple Linebackers drafted, maybe I’ll get lucky with my final mock and have one pick correct - I had Jack Ryan in that mock last year. And he was in them all year; this year it has been Schobert that shows up more than any other prospect.
Can’t wait to see how it all shakes out, that is what makes the draft fun!
Editor's NOTE: This column is from guest draftnik "Yoop" as he is known over on the Talkin' Packers Message Board. Yoop loves to dig deep and find those potential Day 3 or UDFA hidden gems.
Comments (8)
RCPackerFan
April 19, 2016 at 12:35 pm
Most here probably have seen me bring him up a lot but my favorite ILB is Jatavis Brown. He would fit perfectly into the Packers defense. He plays a lot bigger then his size too. I am not sure where he will get drafted, but honestly I would use a 2nd day pick on him.
http://draftbreakdown.com/players/jatavis-brown/
I really like Schobert. In the Packers defense I believe he would have to be moved to ILB. Moving him to ILB though will take a bit of time for him to learn the position. One thing they could possibly do with him is move him around with Clay. When Clay would go to OLB, Schobert could be moved to ILB, and when Clay moves to ILB Schobert could be moved to OLB. So that would give the defense some flexibility.
vj_ostrowski
April 19, 2016 at 01:15 pm
Good column - I like Schobert too, and not just because he's a Badger.
I think you're spot on in your preamble about TT taking DL with his first pick. Yes, it's a deep draft for DL, but why would you avoid the cream of the crop when it's risen above all the rest? Personally, due to the draft's depth, I'd take a highly talented guy at 27, and two more depth guys deeper in the draft. You can find legit Day One run stopper guys down into the 4th round this year, probably.
I don't think OT at 27 is likely though, unless they known something bad about Bulaga's health. Yes, you can upgrade on Bahk, but he's one of the youngest LTs in the LEAGUE and he's got two years under his belt. I don't think you move on from that, especially because he won't command a top LT contract.
So if you draft an OT at 27, you're essentially saying either this is expected to be our new LT, or this guy replaces Bulaga. You don't draft someone intended to be an OG at 27, if you're TT.
The offensive tackle narrative just hasn't added up, for me.
I think it's DT all the way, unless an unexpected fall happens at another premium position.
zoellner25
April 19, 2016 at 02:28 pm
Schobert anywhere they can get him would be awesome with me. Liked Vigil when I watched him play last fall. That dude made plays all over the field, might have been against someone like San Jose St or something.
EdsLaces
April 19, 2016 at 02:43 pm
Let's goooooooo mountaineers!
Handsback
April 19, 2016 at 02:49 pm
I would look to Vigil for two reasons, he's got good film and second he's under 7 sec. for 3-cone drill. TT likes those 2 attributes.
GLM
April 19, 2016 at 07:30 pm
After watching Schobert's tape, I am a fan. It would be great to see him in a Packers uniform...great article! I like all of your picks...we need a guy who can read, react, pursue, and tackle.
sonomaca
April 20, 2016 at 12:44 am
Bunch of homers.
Thegreatreynoldo
April 20, 2016 at 01:32 am
I liked the article, and generally agree on the players, except for Ragland resembling Hawk.
The other issue is that the author mixed combine results with pro day results, always reporting the better number. In some cases, I could not find the numbers listed for that player anywhere. Case in point: Joe Schobert. He ran a 4.76 at the combine (not the 4.62 listed in the article - a huge freaking difference). Schobert did not run at the Wisconsin pro day (see links). Fortunately, Cheeseheadtv mentions that the author is Yoop, who provides pretty solid analysis, and is much deeper into the weeds on the draft than most, so I will assume that somewhere Schobert ran that fast. Vigil ran a 4.72 at the combine, not the 4.65 listed, but the 3 cone and 10 yard numbers are combine numbers. Fackrell ran a 4.72 and a 1.62, with an nice 121" broad, all at the combine. His 16 reps, 7.34 and 4.36 20 yard shuttle at his pro day are just decent. Kwiatkowski ran a 4.73 at the combine, not the 4.65 listed. The other numbers used by the author come from the combine. I found that Kwiatkowski participated at WVU's pro day, but couldn't find any new numbers, not even wading through a you tube of WVU TV.
I never heard of Luke Rhodes, but the author does list his numbers from William & Mary's pro day. Pretty good numbers.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000642904/article/joe-schobert-gets...
http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2016/3/10/11191056/wisconsin-football-pr...
http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2016-nfl-scouting-combine/2016/2/28/11...