Kansas State inside linebacker Arthur Brown. Photo by Brian Carriveau of CheeseheadTV.com.

When the Packers unexpectedly released linebacker D.J. Smith on the eve of the NFL Draft, it brought attention to the inside linebacker position in Green Bay.

With a six-game starter from last season now gone and Desmond Bishop coming off a hamstring injury that forced him to miss the entire season, there's a whole lot of question marks at the position and not a lot of top-flight talent.

One solution to the situation would be for the Packers to take Kansas State's Arthur Brown with their first-round selection on Thursday evening. Brown was the leader of a Wildcats defense that was a national title contender for most of the 2012 season before finishing 11-2 and losing in the Fiesta Bowl to Oregon.

“My goal is to be where I need to be," said Brown at the NFL Combine. "Pursuing to the ball is a key element to my game and any defensive game. That is something I strive to always consistently do, aggressively downhill, always making plays in open space.”

Brown is considered one of the top inside linebacker prospects in this year's draft class along with Georgia's Alec Ogletree, LSU's Kevin Minter and Notre Dame's Manti Te'o.

At 6-0 and 241 lbs., Brown is an inch or two shorter than the prototype inside linebacker and played at a light 227 lbs. in college before adding weight prior to the Combine.

He also played primarily middle linebacker in a 4-3 defense in college and whether his skills would translate to being one of two inside linebackers in a 3-4 is up for debate.

“I’m not as familiar with the 3-4 as I am the 4-3 because that is what we played at Kansas State," said Brown. "I’m confident in the preparation. It’s new and different, but I’m able to do it.”

What Brown does bring is a degree of athleticism that make him one of the top options as an inside linebacker.

While he declined to perform in any drills at the Combine apart from the broad jump, Brown impressed at his pro day workout on campus at Kansas State, according to former NFL personnel executive Gil Brandt of NFL.com.

"Brown ran the 40-yard dash in 4.67 and 4.68 seconds," wrote Brandt. "He recorded a 32 1/2-inch vertical jump, a 4.31-second shuttle drill, a 7.07-second three-cone drill and performed 21 reps of 225 pounds."

A native of Wichita, Kan., Brown originally enrolled at the University of Miami where he played sparingly for two seasons before transferring back near home at Kansas State and playing for head coach Bill Snyder.

In two seasons for the Wildcats, Brown displayed a nose for the football by making at least 100 tackles each season, but his big-play ability is suspect with only a combined three sacks, three interceptions and zero forced fumbles over the course of those two years.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Bryce Brown is Arthur's brother.

“It was helpful to watch Bryce and his mentality, his approach, not necessarily to the game but the business side of it," said Brown. "Definitely will be an eye opener. It has helped me in this process leading up to ... the draft."

The Packers showed a commitment to some of the other inside linebackers on their roster this offseason by signing Brad Jones and Rob Francois as free agents and restructuring the contract of A.J. Hawk.

Apart from Bishop, however, none of the other inside linebackers currently have a reputation as being a physical, smack-you-in-the-mouth type of presence the Packers defense is lacking.

Other holdovers include Terrell Manning and Jamari Lattimore. Among them, Manning is intriguing because it was just a year ago when the Packers traded up into the fifth round to grab Manning, showing how highly they value his potential.

Even so, it's possible and perhaps even likely Brown would be an upgrade over any of the inside linebackers in Green Bay.

If the Packers were to take Brown with the 26th overall selection on Thursday, there's a good chance he could come in and be a starter from Day 1.

“I feel well prepared," said Brown. "Coach Snyder is a guy who gets the most out of you and he has done that with me. Mentally and physically he prepares you for that next step.”

Brian Carriveau is the author of "It's Just a Game: Big League Drama in Small Town America," and editor of Cheesehead TV's "Pro Football Draft Preview." To contact Brian, email [email protected].