Green Bay Packers: Ted Thompson’s 24th best draft pick
In the run up to the 2017 NFL Draft, Lombardi Ave’s Freddie Boston and Ray Rivard will be counting down Ted Thompson‘s top 30 draft picks as Green Bay Packers general manager.
Right here you’ll be able to follow along with my list. My co-editor Freddie Boston will also be counting down his top 30. We kicked off the series earlier this week, and continue the series today.
We ranked Thompson’s top 30 draft picks of all time last year. You can find that full list here. How will it compare this year with another season to shape it?
As we count down the days to the 2017 NFL Draft, we continue today with the 24th best Ted Thompson draft pick over the past 12 years.
Enjoy …
Aaron Ripkowski: Ted Thompson’s 24th top draft pick
Forget the fumble … for Green Bay Packers fullback Aaron Ripkowski you can’t define his career on one carry.
We all remember what I’m talking about … the NFC Championship Game, first quarter and the Packers are driving inside the Atlanta Falcons’ 10 yard line, thanks to the bruising run by Ripkowski.
However, we all watched in horreor as the Falcons’ defensive back got one hand on the ball and ripped it out as Ripkowski was falling to the ground.
However, that one play was not indicative of Ripkowski’s sophomore season when he took over for the venerable John Kuhn in the Packers backfield.
In his rookie season in 2015, Ripkowski didn’t rush once. However, when running backs Eddie Lacy and James Starks were injured midway through the Packers’ 2016 season, Ripkowski, along with Ty Montgomery, were called on to pick up the running game pieces.
Over the course of the last half of the regular season, Ripkowski carried the ball 34 times for 150 yards (4.4-yard average) and two touchdowns.
While those statistics are nothing to write home about, what Ripkowski brought to the Packers offense was a new dimension and the surprise element.
Whenever Ripkowski carried the ball, the opponents knew it. How many times did we see the second year fullback crunch the pile, much like Lacy, and keep the sticks moving?
In addition to his punishing style of running, Ripkowski also caught the ball well out of the backfield for Aaron Rodgers.
Targeted 11 times, Ripkowski caught 10 of those balls for 64 yards, again making linebackers and defensive backs pay for having to tackle him.
As another fine find for Ted Thompson, Ripkowski was drafted in the sixth round (206th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft. He seemed to be an afterthought for most teams, but it was Thompson, who realized he needed a replacement for the aging Kuhn, and pulled the trigger to bring Ripkowski in.
Next: Green Bay Packers: Top 30 moments in franchise history
Though it took a season to see the benefits of this pick, it appears that Green Bay has its fullback for at least the next two seasons … a fact that head coach Mike McCarthy isn’t about to sleep on in 2017 and ’18.