Green Bay Packers: Early 7-Round Mock Draft

Round 1: Darron Lee, LB, Ohio State (6-2, 235)

Conventional wisdom says in a 3-4 front you want one inside linebacker to a be a “thumper”–a guy who can bang inside and stop the run between the tackles–and the other inside backer to be a “chaser”–a backer with speed and athleticism to run down ball carriers, make plays in pursuit, and hold his own in pass coverage.

Currently on the Packers roster, it seems Jake Ryan, Sam Barrington (when healthy), and Nate Palmer can all fulfill the “thumper” role. However, outside of Clay Matthews, I don’t see the latter.

In my opinion, the Packers desperately need to find a reliable playmaker at inside linebacker, so they can move Matthews back to outside backer and allow him to get after the quarterback on a more consistent basis.

Lee would be a godsend for a Packers defense that is young and improving, but needs more speed and athleticism at the second level.

Outside of UCLA’s Myles Jack, Lee may be the fastest and most athletic linebacker in the 2016 draft class. He’s projected to run around a 4.5 forty time at the combine, and his ability to change direction and move in the open field makes him an exciting prospect for any defense. At first glance, I see a lot of Bobby Wagner in his game.

On film, he moves like a defensive back when dropping in coverage. The Buckeyes even lined him up wide to cover slot receivers on passing downs, which is incredible for a 235-pound linebacker.

However, don’t get the impression Lee is just an athletic freak at the position. He’s excellent at reading running lanes and slicing through the line to take down the ball carrier, and he’s explosive off the edge when he rushes the quarterback as well.

In his two years at Ohio State, Lee made a lot of plays for the Buckeyes defense–12 sacks, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, and 28 tackles for loss. His affinity for making impact plays on the field might be just what Green Bay needs to take their defense to the next level.

Next: Round 2