We have watched for an number of years the Packer defense letting TE’s just do to much. To go with all the Safety talk or middle of the defense problems, inside linebacker has been sorry to say this, bitched about since Hawk was drafted. I am not Hawk hater and I think Jones having been banged up most of last season has sown doubt about him after being given a nice contract. But saying that, Jones made plays in 2012 and some in 2013 when he was healthy, that Bishop and Hawk could never make. Is he the answer? I can’t say he is or isn’t, but the position can and should be upgraded.
Barrington is a possibility, but I would still like to see some competition added. If someone like Mosley happens to be there at #21 and I was turning in the card there would be smoke coming off my shoes to turn in the selection. I like Shazier also as a ILB in the 3-4. And both are worthy of the #21 pick.
There are some good linebackers in this draft. OLB’s that can play ILB and some ILB’s that can play some OLB. I like College OLB’s for the 3-4 ILB spot. They have to have range, quickness and as with the Safeties, got to be able to cover. As I mentioned about the safeties a LB being able to play both ILB and OLB in the 3-4 is big plus in the Capers defense.
So lets take a look at a few and see what you think.
Lamin Barrow 6-1 237# ILB LSU Another three down ILB. Good speed and quickness, good agility and instincts. One thing that stood out to me is his ability to shed blockers. 4th pick or later pick.
Howard Jones 6-3 235# OLB/ILB/DE Shepard. Developmental linebacker, I think he can be used as a ILB with development, but could rush the passer day one and play special teams.
Watch this one TT is mentioned. here’s his combine workout video. Another late 5th type.
Avery Williamson 6-1 246# ILB/OLB Kentucky. I like how he plays, reads quickly and moves, good quickness. Can read and move with a TE pretty well. Good player for one of the 5th round picks, But I think he will go earlier.
Steele Divitto 6-2 241# BostonCollege. Just a good football player. Might be the best name in the draft. Under rated to me, but a 6th, 7th rounder.
Honorable mention: Christian Kirksey Iowa, KevinPierre-Louis BostonCollege and Jordan Tripp Montana.
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Jersey Al Bracco is the founder and editor of AllGreenBayPackers.com, and the co-founder of Packers Talk Radio Network. He can be heard as one of the Co-Hosts on Cheesehead Radio and is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com.
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The Packers have been plagued throughout the Ted Thompson era with the inability to cover the middle of the field. Certainly the selection of AJ Hawk has a lot to do with that but I think it goes beyond just that. Let’s face it, be it a S or ILB, Teddy boy has not drafted anybody that can cover in his decade at the top of the food chain in GB. Apparently he thinks it is OK to let the enemy have the middle of the field as long as you take away the boundaries. Faulty reasoning. Earth to Ted, the easiest pass in the book is the one over the middle to a wide open receiver. I can only hope and pray TT goes after Shazier at pick 21. Mosley has fallen out of R1 by most accounts at this point. It could be smoke but there are some real concerns about his health.
“The Packers have been plagued throughout the Ted Thompson era with the inability to cover the middle of the field…”
So true. Whether it is our LB’s trailing their assignment or exploiting missed coverage by the safety, we have been totally weak over the middle. I just don’t know if there is a ILB in this class that is worth picking in the 1st round. Both Shazier and Mosely are a bit small and might fit our IR more than LB. Given the slim pickings, I am inclined to think that a 2nd round pick may be better value (Van Noy, Christian Jones, Attaochu)
A high school team could pass over the middle against the Packers. It has been that way for a long time. Everybody is aware of that, but it is just not a prioritiy for TT to fix. Ted would rather find the next Marshall Newhouse, he is awesome at that…
Yeah, we really screwed the pooch with Hawk. He’s only started every game and is the franchise’s all-time tackles leader. If we could draft an ILB at #21 who we KNEW would start every game and become our franchise leader in tackles, we’d be ecstatic….but Hawk will continue to get bashed because he doesn’t make splashy plays.
Jones is terrible; I don’t understand why Thompson resigned him (except that he knew Bishop was finished, I guess).
Mosely would be a great pick; Shazier is a better fit for a 4-3 defense as a weakside backer….he’s not real physical against the run and he’s kind of undersized. If not Mosely at #21, we’re probably better off taking Lamin Barrow later in the draft, or Christian Jones (who wasn’t mentioned here).
Hawk is a great player because of his durability and attitude. His downside is the fact that his all-time franchise tackles are all 7-10 yards down the field. And coverage is definately not his forte…
Can someone explain to me this obsession with size?! Since when is 6’1 237 lbs small?! This was Shazier’s COMBINE height and weight. The NFL has no reason to exaggerate those numbers at the combine. This is the same size as Willis and Bowman by the way. Shazier is also 22 yrs old…a young man who will easily add 8-12 pounds just by maturing and being in an NFL training program. i have also watched a fair amount of film on him and seldom if ever did I see him get pushed around. If anything, I have seen the guy absolutely annihilate some ball carriers and never went backwards. Shazier is a perfect fit in a 3-4 at ILB on the weak side. I’m not sure why you don’t think so but most “experts” disagree with you. By the way, Mosley is also fantastic but is merely 3-4 lbs heavier than Shazier. Let’s quit with the size obsession. Both of these guys are THE REAL DEAL!:) GP!
Yeah, we really screwed the pooch with Hawk. He’s only started every game and is the franchise’s all-time tackles leader. If we could draft an ILB at #21 who we KNEW would start every game and become our franchise leader in tackles, we’d be ecstatic….but Hawk will continue to get bashed because he doesn’t make splashy plays.
Jones is terrible; I don’t understand why Thompson resigned him (except that he knew Bishop was finished, I guess).
Mosely would be a great pick; Shazier is a better fit for a 4-3 defense as a weakside backer….he’s not real physical against the run and he’s kind of undersized. If not Mosely at #21, we’re probably better off taking Lamin Barrow later in the draft, or Christian Jones (who wasn’t mentioned here).
Thompson said at the combine,” he’s taking Offense”! To many concerns about all the picks on defense. I want a pro player! Not another underperforming pick, and not one who can’t get on the field.
Given where the Packers are defensively, I wouldn’t be all that surprised to see them overkill the middle of the D in this draft and pull out as many as 4 players at LB/S.
I would love to see us add the pieces to fix this perennial average defense, I just don’t know that more is always better. If the players aren’t talented, then we simply have more bodies. We saw that with our safeties last year. We had to get rid of two that can’t play in this league.
We need two guys that can contribute and make the D better. That means two players that have talent and will probably be in the first 3 rounds. Beyond that, I just want us to draft guys that have enough talent to play on this team, regardless of position.
A really great ILB prospect was missed. Listed as a 6th round pick, but very likely to go sooner.
Carlos Fields Jr! Small school guy, but a very good player from what I’ve seen. Here’s some film to watch on him. Wouldn’t be surprised if Thompson or another team takes him in the 4th.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAHhW2PjvNo
The Weak ILB in the 34 D isn’t too dissimilar to the 43 Weak ILB. They are run to the ball players who are generally kept clean to make plays. Asked to make plays sideline to sideline and should be good in coverage.
Last year Jones played hurt and struggled so he wasn’t very good. Either way, its the position I expect to be drafted high this year.
I like Shazier and think he’s a better fit for the Packers due to his size and speed. The best sideline to sideline player in the draft IMO. Mosley would be good too, but has some injury concerns that may cause him to drop. Either would be a great pick, but IMO Shazier is the better fit for the Packers.
I’m on Fields also. 4th round sounds about right…
I hadn’t heard of Carlos Fields. Thanks for bringing him to my attention and posting the link.
I have to do a little more homework, but in the mock drafts I have done I’ve taken an OLB in the 6th round. (I have either drafter Mosley or Shazier in the 1st round.) If Fields is available in the 6th round he looks like a guy I would like to have on my team!
Fields would be more of an ILB in a 34 D not an OLB. IF we don’t get Shazier or Mosley I would take Fields in the 4th and feel the ILB had been addressed to satisfaction. Great D2 player in this draft.
Both Drafttech and CBS has him listed as a OLB. It doesn’t matter… Personally, I wouldn’t take him as my only LB in this draft anyway. He looks great on film playing against Fayetteville State and Slippery Rock. I would love to see him playing against Florida State and Alabama. IMO, there are too many good players in the 4th round who have proven themselves against high-quality competition for me to take him that high. If I could get Mosley in the 1st round and Fields in the 6th, that would work for me.
I know they list him as an OLB, but those draft sites don’t usually differentiate between 43 OLB and 34 OLB or ILB. Fields game isn’t pass rush so much even tho he can do it some. And he’s not really big enough to get up to 255 or so to play 34 OLB.
I consider a 34 OLB to be a minimum of 6’2 250 and that’s on the small side. Fields is 6’1 238. As a 34 ILB that is the perfect size (average in the 235 to 245 range for ILB).
Fields’ game is that of an all around LB which being a 34 ILB requires. ILB need to be able to play in all directions, moving forward, sideline to sideline and backward in coverage. The OLB in a 34 ideally can do that, but its more imperative they be able to play forward, no backward so much.
Fields is a 34 ILB, and IMO he’ll be a very good one. After Mosley/Shazier I would take Fields over the rest.
I can see that he is playing ILB. He really does look like he can bring the hit. Ideally,I’d like him to be my second LB in this draft. I’d like to see Mosley start next to Hawk this year. Fields would play his rookie year as back-up ILB and ST player. With the first year I’d like to make sure he can play on a NFL level. If he can, I’d start him next to Mosley next year replacing Hawk. We could then have the Packers version of Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman for the next six years.
Given the choice between Mosley and Shazier, I think Shazier is the better fit for the Packers. Mosley would be a good choice if Shazier isn’t available.
I doubt they use 2 draft picks on 2 ILB.
How about a dback,JBush is not the answer, a tight end, awide receiver in the first 5 picks? Lights out offense wiith AR.
Still hope they can trade back and get more picks. If Shazier and Mosley are gone, I like Christian Jones or Skov.
Out of the guys above, I like Barrow the best. Andrew Jackson is another late round guy I wouldn’t mind.
If we hope to get better play out of an ILB this year it might have to be Mosley or Shazier. Seems like these guys would need a year or two to develop. How long are Hawk and Jones signed for? Because how much longer they are under contract might dictate when the Packers feel the need to pull the trigger on an ILB.
I live in Montana and Jordan Tripp is tough as nails. If he drops to the 4th/5th round or so, draft him. Good backup for Hawk and he can play outside or inside.
http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2014/4/6/5588108/2014-nfl-draft-jordan-tripp-visit-eagles-montana-linebacker
Ummmm… What about Chris Borland?
I like Borland a lot! What’s not to like? Here are the issues: He is short for an ILB at the NFL level. This would hamper him quite a bit in coverage against TE’s and huge WR’s. He is not nearly as fast as Shazier or Mosley. He is also alleged to have a pretty bad medical jacket and there apparently are concerns about one of his shoulders. With the Packer’s dreaded injury history, one could understand why they may be reluctant to pull the trigger on Borland. The guy is a heck of a player and if he could stay healthy and not be a liability in pass coverage, he may be a heck of an NFL player?!
I like Barrow and have him on my list for 4th round … but the biggest problem I have with him is: that while he can hit like a truck … he doesn’t wrap, tackle and drive his man into the turf. A lot of the time he grabs then wrestles guys to the ground. I have Jones listed as next in the 4th-5th round … if he ever ‘gets it’, he’s potentially a 2nd round talent. Borland is going to need a 3rd surgery on his shoulder due to a problem with a screw from #2. IMO, he’s not a 2nd rounder any more, more like a 4th-5th and that’s only if you’re willing to take a chance.
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