All Green Bay Packers All The Time – NFL Football

Packers 2014 NFL Draft – Fourth Round Pick: Carl Bradford, LB, Arizona State

Posted on by Thomas Hobbes
ALLGBP.com All Green Bay Packers All the Time

With their 4th round pick (121st overall) in the 2014 NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers select Carl Bradford, an LB from Arizona State.

PLAYER DETAILS: 

Carl Bradford
LB
Arizona State
6’1″/250 lbs

CAREER NOTES: 

Appeared in 39 games and made 28 career starts, including every game in 2012 and 2013…two-time All-Pac-12, including First Team in 2013…Finished career with 40.5 tackles for loss in past two seasons, tied for the fourth most in the nation in that span…Added 21.5 sacks, 10 pass deflections, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a pair of interceptions…In 2012, he and Sutton became just the first duo in school history to post double-digit sacks in the same season since 1994…Sutton and Bradford’s combined 44 tackles for loss in 2012 were the most for a duo in ASU history and they were the first duo to record 20+ TFLs since Al Harris (22) and Bob Kohrs (20) in 1978…Named Curley Culp Outstanding Defensive Lineman at 2013 team banquet…Graduated with a BS degree in Criminal Justice in Fall 2014.

COMBINE: 4.76 40 yard dash, 23 bench, 30 1/4″ arms, 37.5″ vertical, 122.0 in. broad jump, 7.25 3-cone, 4.30 20yd shuttle

 NFL.com Profile

SCOUTING REPORT: 

Sports a compact, powerful frame. Highly instinctive, physical and versatile defender who splits his time between defensive end, outside linebacker and inside linebacker. Good initial quickness off the snap out of the three-point stance, showing enough speed to cross the face of the offensive tackle, as well as an effective club, rip and spin moves to break free.  Surprisingly effective when run toward due to his quickness and use of leverage, bending to take out the knees of oncoming blockers and creating a pile. Adept at slipping blocks. Locates the football quickly and shows an explosive burst to close emphatically.  
Only occasionally asked to drop back into coverage, but shows at least fair fluidity and speed when doing so. Alert player with a history of making big plays.Played in a highly aggressive scheme that may have maximized his big-play ability while minimizing his faults. Lacks ideal physical traits to remain as an outside pass rusher in the NFL, where he starred for the Sun Devils.  Can be engulfed in the running game (whether playing linebacker or defensive end) and does not appear to possess ideal arm length to break free once blockers latch on.  Smooth accelerator off the edge but doesn’t possess great speed. Can play out of control, at times, dropping his head to deliver the knockout blow and occasionally whiffing on open-field tackles. Can allow his emotions to get the better of him; benched for the second half against Oregon State Nov. 16 after a physical altercation with teammates on the sideline.

COMMENTARY:

An incredibly versatile player, Bradford has experience playing both linebacker positions as well as defensive end, but likely projects with the Packers as an inside linebacker with pass rushing potential.  He reminds me a lot of a bigger Desmond Bishop; neither have the obvious measurables that really stand out, but both are aggressive linebackers that have surprising pass rushing ability.  Bradford was also a two way player in high school playing fullback as well, which might make him at worse a “Korey Hall” type of player who contributes at first on special teams and slowly develops into a starter.  Bradford was coached in high school by Todd Gerhart, father of former Vikings running back Toby Gerhart and current Packers practice squad member interior lineman Garth Gerhart.

VIDEO:

——————

Thomas Hobbes is a staff writer for Jersey Al’s AllGreenBayPackers.com.

——————

39 thoughts on “Packers 2014 NFL Draft – Fourth Round Pick: Carl Bradford, LB, Arizona State”

    1. I liken him more like Desmond Bishop due to the pass rushing skills. On a side note, Bradford is a couple years late, but he fits the Packers requirement of linebackers have crazy hair.

      1. It’s my understanding that Capers was very involved in the selection of Bradford and will introduce a new look on Defense with Matthews and Bradford Blitzing from opposite sides. It will be called the Van Halen package!

        1. Where did you get this information? I’m curious since Capers hasn’t done his press release yet.

          1. Mr Hobbes I would be glad to tell you,but only if you give my “Van Halen Package Post” a Thumbs Up LOL!

      2. Linebackers with crazy hair paired well with our most-dreaded (locked) secondary! Too bad we didn’t have linemen with afros . . . we would have won more Super Bowls with that hairy defense.

  2. Love this pick. He could play inside and outside. Maylock said he thought he’d be a ILB too. Whatever that’s worth! LOL

    1. Based on his height and arm length alone, I think Mayock is probably right. For comparison Clay Matthews is 6’5″ with 32″ arms while Carl Bradford is 6’1″ with 30 1/4″ arms. I think where he could shine is in the Packers amoeba defense, where his versatility will really confuse offenses.

        1. My mistake but that only heightens (har har) the difference between Matthew’s arm length and Bradford’s

  3. NFL Draft Report:

    The new rage in both college and professional is unearthing flexible athletes who can perform as a hybrid rush/end/outside linebacker. ASU has aptly named that position the “Devilbacker” and based on his performance the last two years at that position, Bradford has emerged as one of the elite hybrids in the 2014 draft class.

    The junior is quite effective, whether with his hand down and playing on the line in a 4-3 defensive scheme, or standing up and handling underneath areas as a linebacker in the 3-4 alignment. In twenty-seven starting assignments at the position, Bradford has collected 142 tackles (103 solos) with nineteen sacks, 39.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, six forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, two interceptions and eight pass deflections.

    One of the more powerful players in the Arizona State program, Bradford boasts a 545-pound squat and has also shown very loose hips and fluid lateral agility, as he recently clocked and impressive 7.03-second timing in the demanding three-cone drills. The 250-pound defender also generates good closing speed, as he was timed at 1.66 seconds in the 10-yard dash at the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine and 4.72 seconds in the 40-yard dash during the Sun Devils’ recent Pro Day.

  4. Angry, gets in altercations with his own teammates….. We need a little bit of that (within reason). GoPack

    1. All I think with that comment is AJ Hawk giving the bird to the Packers sideline (I presume it was some sort of crass inside joke but still)

  5. TT talks about adding length to his defense front 7 but everybody he drafts has short alligator arms. This guy is ridiculous at 30″. His hands don’t reach his belt. He will be a disaster in space (that’s why Raji is so easy to elude even when he is on top of a guy). Probably why he fell so far in this draft.

    1. those 30″ arms are also coupled with a 37.5″ vertical and have helped amass two interceptions and 8 pass deflections (while only occasionally dropping into coverage at all) in what would project to less than two full NFL seasons.

  6. All of the comments about TT looking senile, having dementia, wearing depends, etc. are crass and offensive and should be removed from this board. Haven’t you people ever had parents or family that needed to be in nursing homes?

    I’d like to see Archie, Big T, and Cow performing at their jobs (assuming they’ve ever had one).

    1. I agree they’re annoying, insensitive, pointless, and dumb . . . but I don’t think they should be banned for it.

      1. …Offensive…yes…but, we have something in this country supposedly called ‘Freedom of Speech’…

        1. Freedom of speech is a limitation put on government. This is a private site where you are guest here at the a pleasure of the those who monitor the site. The government can’t restrict what you say on this site, but that doesn’t mean you are not a jerk.

  7. Looks like a baller to me. He bangs hard enough to play Hawk’s position, he creates fumbles and clogs up passing lanes, and he’s a natural gap shooter. What’s not to like? I do think he converts to ILB at some point.

    1. I think he fits in where Desmond Bishop did. AJ Hawk likely ends up in the fullback role, soaking up offensive linemen for the more accomplished pass rusher get to the quarterback in the middle.

      1. Hawk would be a great fullback – he has learned a lot about not shedding blocks over the years.

        1. The most misunderstood thing about AJ Hawk’s performance the last few years, is that more often than not, his job isn’t to shed the block, it’s to block to blocker.

          So when you see him ‘not shedding’ a block, a lot of the time, he’s doing exactly what he’s supposed to do.

      2. I agree that this kid is the playmaker, just saying he is physical enough to engage and tangle up the linemen. That versatility to play either ILB role in this 3-4 D is a huge boon for the DCo. to hide intention.

        As it sits now, teams know before the snap that 90% of the time, AJ Hawk’s assignment is to find the lead block and engage it while the other backer is going to play off that block and go for the tackle.

        1. From what I’ve seen of him, he’s mostly played with his hand on the dirt, with a smattering of linebacker thrown in. I do wonder if it’s much different to shed a block when you are right in front of an offensive linemen vs. when you in essence have a running start at ILB most of the time.

      3. maybe on most rushing plays, but on passing downs we usually send hawk on a blitz because he can’t cover anyone….. how many sacks does he get?

  8. Good 4th round pick. I’d like to see a Center, another WR, DB and LB with remaining picks. Go Pack Go! Thanks, Since ’61

      1. Yes, except another WR in round 7 is a bit perplexing but I don’t have access to the GB board or any other team’s board or the amount of info that the professionals have so I give them the benefits of the doubt until we see how these guys perform.
        Go Pack! Thanks, Since ’61

  9. Another convert that will flourish as Perry did because of world class coaching of W Moss and Dom…..with the right tutelage, this guy might have a shot. Will have to do it on his own with this bunch though

    2. Are you the Old Bag of Donuts blogger? Whether you are or not, you sure are consistently negative in a major way.

  10. Forgot to add Bag o donuts in with the other village idiots, Archie, Big T, and Cow. Load them in a car and drive it off a cliff, make the world better place.

    1. I didn’t give a thumbs-up to silencing those guys, but I do give a thumbs-up to driving them off a cliff. . . . What does that say about me?

      1. Two Bears, the comments that those guys repeatedly make says a lot more about them then any point that they think they are trying to make. Although Archie does come up with some good legit analysis once in a while when he is far enough from his home planet. Thanks, Since ‘6

  13. Love this time of year and trying to figure out who’s gonna make it and who won’t. Lot of the picks are boom or bust types. And “boom or bust” is always relative to where the were picked. Maybe that’s the definition of any draft pick. Bradford seem to me to have less of a bust factor in him. The center from Ohio state also seems more a guy with only upside.

Comments are closed.