Lombardi Ave
FanSided

Green Bay Packers 2016 draft: Three who could be in Green & Gold

By Raymond Rivard

Dec 5, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jake Coker (14) recovers his own fumble against Florida Gators defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard (90) during the first quarter of the 2015 SEC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome. Coker would recover the fumble. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jake Coker (14) recovers his own fumble against Florida Gators defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard (90) during the first quarter of the 2015 SEC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome. Coker would recover the fumble. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
Jan 30, 2016; Mobile, AL, USA; South squad defensive end Jarran Reed of Alabama (90) tackles North squad quarterback Jeff Driskel of Louisiana Tech (16) for a loss during second half of the Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 30, 2016; Mobile, AL, USA; South squad defensive end Jarran Reed of Alabama (90) tackles North squad quarterback Jeff Driskel of Louisiana Tech (16) for a loss during second half of the Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports /

Nitschke of acmepackingcompany.com projects the Green Bay Packers, with their first round pick, will select …

Jarran Reed, Alabama, defensive tackle

Nitschke’s reasoning:

Reed has climbed draft boards this year from being unranked by some early on to now a projected first-rounder (ranked among the top 5 DTs in the draft class). A great fit for the Packers 3-4 alignment, Reed is 6’3″ and 311 pounds with great strength. He simply eats up blockers and stuffs the run, something Dom Capers seems to prefer in his defensive tackles. Reed could very well be the best run-stopper in this year’s draft. He has great instincts and surprising quickness and athleticism for someone of his size, two things which allow Reed to slide out to defensive end when necessary. Scouts also rave about his instincts and balance, especially at the point of attack. The primary knocks on Reed are less than refined pass-rushing skills and a “motor” that isn’t always revving.

More from Green Bay Packers Draft

As a believer that the front line dictates the quality of a defense, I like Reed as the Packers’ first-round pick. Reed might not be a stand-alone pass-rusher, but his presence will allow Ted Thompson to pass on re-signing the underwhelming B.J. Raji, and allow Capers more freedom in his use of his linebackers, especially if Clay Mathews makes the move back to the outside as an edge rusher.  Reed’s presence would improve the Packers defense, making it more formidable up front.

Lombardiave quick reactions: It’s quite likely the Packers move on from both B.J. Raji and Letroy Guion. Those one-year contracts were put in place as incentives for both those players to prove themselves. Neither were spectacular this past season … but were steady. Ted Thompson may want to invest in younger players along that defensive line, especially in light of the fact that Datone Jones has just one year left on his contract. But then again, Thompson hasn’t been stellar in picking first round defensive linemen. D-line is an important need for the Packers, but does it trump needs at ILB and TE? We’ll see …

Career statistics

Tackles Def Int Fumbles
Year School Conf Class Pos G Solo Ast Tot Loss Sk Int Yds Avg TD PD FR Yds TD FF
*2014 Alabama SEC JR DL 13 22 32 54 6.5 1.0 0 0 0 5 0 0
2015 Alabama SEC SR DL 15 17 40 57 4.5 1.0 0 0 0 2 1 0
Career Alabama 39 72 111 11.0 2.0 0 0 0 7 1 0

Provided by Sports-Reference.com/CFB: View Original Table
Generated 2/6/2016.

Highlight film

Next: Walterfootball.com selects ...

Home/Green Bay Packers Draft