Datone Jones works out during the Green Bay Packers rookie orientation weekend. Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The Datone Jones pick so far has gotten mixed reviews.

Granted, it still is quite early, the defensive end has been called by some as undersized and too slow, lacking a quick first step. Some have even said the position altogether could have been addressed in the later rounds and that selecting a safety probably would have been a safer option.

One thing I will say about Jones, however, is he definately has a swagger that this defensive unit sorely needs.

To say the defense was humbled by the 49ers this past January would be somewhat of an understatement. Colin Kaepernick ran wild and Dom Capers simply had no answer. Datone Jones watched that game. When asked about it last week he was quoted as saying “one good hit [on Kaepernick] and there goes their season.”

To me, this is just what the defense needs. Fresh, young talent with minimal injury history that has the potential to come in and make an immediate impact. I will try to temper expectations here because just last year fans were raving about Nick Perry in the same light until minimal production and a wrist injury ended his season early.

Don’t get me wrong he still has promise but he is still a project in the works. For a rookie to bring this type of swagger seems to be a refreshing shot of adrenaline that could spark a renewed sense of urgency that the 2010 championship team had.

Jones is inspired by the great Reggie White. He also seems to be buying into Capers defensive scheme quite nicely. He believes in the 3-4 and believes he can help. This would seem to be the perfect remedy the defense needs to cure their read-option ailment.

Barring any type of freak injury I see no reason why he can’t step in week one and contribute. Oh, and by the way, he’ll get his crack at containing Kaepernick week one in San Francisco. What better litmus test to truly see what we got at 26th overall right out of the chute.

So what say you Packers Nation? Will Jones help contain this read-option issue?

Is the Read-Option here to stay? Colin Kaepernick probably hopes so. He shredded the Packers defense in the playoffs last year and will get the chance to do more damage as the 49ers open the 2013 season at home against Green Bay.

As I sat drinking my coffee and anxiously awaiting the schedule release last night, I couldn’t help but notice our beloved Green and Gold play at San Francisco again this year.

While the Packers faithful have 579 total reasons to forget their season ending there, this does make me wonder just how long this infamous “read-option” will be around? Mr. Aaron Rodgers was quoted a few months back as saying it’s more of a passing trend than anything. Maybe, maybe not. But after being beaten as soundly as the Packers were, I am curious as to whether or not this will have any bearing on the draft.

Isolate and attack. That’s really what it came down to as Colin Kaepernick isolated outside linebackers Eric Walden and Clay Matthews, waiting for their first misstep to run the opposite way en route to 181 rushing yards. The finger can be pointed every-which-way for such a loss as many fans were even calling for Dom Capers’ head after this blowout.

In the end it simply comes down to execution and Kaepernick executed far better than the Packers defense did. We do need to give credit where credit is due as Kaepernick is an outstanding all-around athlete. In the same light, he almost seems to be spearheading this new wave of quarterback, paving the way for other all-around athletic quarterbacks such as Geno Smith.

Will Kevin Sumlin help Dom Capers’ defense stop the read-option?

For a defensive unit to be dealt such a blow, Mike McCarthy wasted little time in getting his defensive staff up to speed, sending them to College Station to learn from Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin about defending the read-option. While probably not a bad move, it’s safe to say this one definitely caught many of the Packers Nation by surprise.

So what bearing (if any) will this have on the draft? Ted Thompson’s strategy and philosophy have both been well documented as he has always stuck to his guns. But has Thompson encountered a hurdle such as this before a draft?

This is truly a unique scenario as McCarthy went so far as sending his staff back to college. I can’t help but wonder if it will be enough to sway draft strategy one way or another. The majority of the projections out there seem to emphasize filling the void left by Charles Woodson more so than not. Overall speed would probably be the one trait to look for to defend a read-option.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) hands the ball off to running back Frank Gore (21) during the second quarter of the NFC divisional round playoff game against the Green Bay Packers at Candlestick Park.
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The read-option was called the flavor of the month this week by Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin.

But we remind him of these numbers; 579 total yards; 181 yards rushing by the quarterback.

Those numbers will be stamped into the memories of every Green Bay Packers coach, fan and cheerleader for years to come. They will become synonymous with 4th and 26.

Mike McCarthy expects to see a lot of the read-option in 2013.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

That’s why Packers head coach Mike McCarthy talked this week about his defense and what they are doing to rectify a situation that will surely confront them again in 2013.

New Bears coach Mark Trestman has already said the Chicago Bears will run a semblance of the read-option (though one wonders about the effectiveness given that their quarterback, Jay Cutler, isn’t known as a running QB). Others on the Packers schedule in 2013 – the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins and yes, the San Francisco 49ers, all run the offensive scheme that appeared to be a complete mystery to the Packers in their NFC Divisional Playoff Game last January.

To combat that fact, McCarthy sent his entire defensive coaching staff for a one-day workshop with Texas A&Am coach Kevin Sumlin who coaches Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel.

We won’t have any idea what Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers and his staff will have taken away from that session until next September when the Packers open their 2013 season, but at least the team is making strident efforts to be sure the debacle in San Francisco doesn’t happen again.

Stopping Colin Kaepernick wasn’t easy for the Green Bay Packrs.
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

McCarthy said this week that his team simply couldn’t stop Colin Kaepernick, especially on third down, and that as the game wore on the confidence factor eroded as the Niners took over. Even franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers, soon to be the highest paid quarterback in the league, couldn’t save the Packers and keep them in the game.

Look for Ted Thompson to address the defense in the draft with players whose skill sets are more in tune with solid tackling and speed. Whether that comes in the early rounds or later rounds, it doesn’t matter. The Packers need to adjust their scheme and their personnel toward stopping the offense. It’s been done by other teams. The Packers just need to continue to study it and find solutions that match their personnel.

And as a side note, we certainly don’t want to forget about what Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson did to the Packers defense in a traditional offensive scheme. The Packers could stop him either.

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Jan 12, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) is pursued by Green Bay Packers linebacker Erik Walden (93) on a 56-yard touchdown run in the NFC divisional round playoff game at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Packers fans know all too well why Colin Kaepernick is the newest, most exciting player on the NFL scene and the reason he’s made it to the Super Bowl. He ripped apart the Packers defense in the Divisional round of the Playoffs and then did just enough damage against the Falcons to help the San Francisco 49ers win the NFC Championship.

It’s the uncertainty that Kaepernick brings to the game. Defenses have not had enough time to figure out exactly how to contain this guy and the pistol offense. While his legs scare the heck out of defensive coordinators, it’s his arm that can really do damage if defenses pen him in. If the defensive backfield lets the Niner receivers get open, Kaepernick will find them.

While defenses will catch up with this offense by plugging in the right defensive players in the right spots, it has not happened yet – just ask Dom Capers. It won’t happen in Sunday’s Super Bowl either.

Jan 20, 2013; Foxboro, MA, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) during the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The Ravens defeated the Patriots 28-13. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

I think Ravens’ QB Joe Flacco will show his pedestrian side against the hard-charging 49ers pass rush, while Kaepernick gets enough attempts to throw the Ravens’ defense into a spin.

In the end, it will be the Niners’ combination of run and pass that will be the difference and it will be Kaepernick’s smarts and physical abilities that will outshine Flacco.

The Ravens keep it close, but the Niners have at least one more big play in their bag of tricks than does Baltimore.

Niners 26 Ravens 23