Green Bay Packers not worried about Inside Linebacker

Sam Barrington. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports photograph

We are now a few weeks removed from the 2015 NFL Draft and it’s time to take a close look at how the Green Bay Packers roster is shaping up for the upcoming season.

The draft is always exciting because it brings in a new class of players to replenish each team’s roster; however, the draft also provides us with some insight in what our team’s already think about the players they have.

After months of speculation, we finally got to see how the Packers honestly felt about their roster, which doesn’t always align with what the fans’ perceive the teams greatest needs and strengths are.

So what does the Packers 2015 NFL Draft class reveal about how they see their roster?

The first thing that comes to mind is the Packers are not worried about the inside linebacker position, and that is pretty evident in the way they drafted this spring.

Michigan Wolverines linebacker Jake Ryan (47). Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

What was seemingly the most dire need on their team going into the draft wasn’t addressed until the team selected Michigan linebacker Jake Ryan in the fourth round.

This tells us a few things about the Packers draft philosophy. First, they felt confident they could get a starting-caliber inside linebacker with one of their middle round picks. And secondly, they may have not been all that concerned with the position in the first place.

The Packers passed on the top ILBs in the draft with their first round pick and ignored talented backers like Paul Dawson and Jordan Hicks with their next two selections.

Come draft day, Green Bay did not hit the panic button, despite letting go of their three most experienced inside linebackers this offseason in A.J. Hawk, Brad Jones, and Jamari Lattimore.

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It’s hard to believe the Packers would clean out the position and then only rely on a fourth-rounder to fill the void. If Green Bay believed inside linebacker was as big of a need as many of us fans thought going into this spring then they would have addressed the position much earlier in the draft.

However, the Packers invested their early-round picks at other positions, which tells us they may already like what they have at inside linebacker–or in the very least, felt they could have gotten by at the position if they didn’t like the linebackers available in the draft.

Sam Barrington developed into a solid player in the second half of last season, and he’s a player that brings a physical presence to the middle of the Packers defense. He could really emerge as a key player for them.

If the Packers run defense takes a step forward next season, it’s going to be because Barrington took his game to the next level.

Even though Ryan is expected to start opposite Barrington this season, look out for some of the other young players to push for playing time at the position.

Green Bay Packer tight end

Ryan Taylor

(82) runs past linebacker

Carl Bradford

(54) during training camp. Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Last year’s fourth round pick Carl Bradford showed enough promise in his one preseason game at inside linebacker for the team to keep him around, despite not playing any defensive snaps last year. He’s a stout 6-foot-1, 251 pounds and moves well for his size. The Packers seem to like him, and he could compete for a starting job in camp if he puts it all together in camp.

Joe Thomas was an undrafted rookie last year and looked really impressive in camp before going down with an injury and then not making the 53-man roster. He was brought back to compete for playing time this year.

At 6-foot-1 and 227 pounds, he lacks some size, but he moves well in space and his aggressive playing style allows him to swarm to the ball and make plays. He could make a big jump this year and be a surprise player at the position.

Third-year man Nate Palmer could also factor in as well after transitioning from outside linebacker, while undrafted rookies James Vaughters and Tavarus Dantzler may also surprise some in camp.

Vaughters is a very underrated player coming out of Stanford, who was probably miscast at outside linebacker in the Cardinals defense. He’s a physical 6-foot-2, 254-pound wrecking ball in the front seven.

If all else fails, the Packers could also go back to playing Clay Matthews at inside backer, which they will probably do in certain packages anyway, even if a young player like Ryan or Bradford emerge.