Green Bay Packers 2017 Draft: Red and black dot players on defense
By Dan Dahlke
Our “Red Dot” Inside Linebackers
Kyle — Haason Reddick, Temple
Reddick’s biggest knocks are that he plays for Temple and that he’s not big or long enough to play the edge in the NFL. I don’t care. I want Hassan Reddick on my team because he’s going to win wherever he plays. He’s a former safety (and has the athleticism you’d expect), but has spent his time at Temple rushing the passer off the edge. I would want to play him inside and let him tackle, cover, and blitz. He’s a wonderful chess piece to possess and I’d take him in the top-20 picks of this draft.
Dan — Vince Biegel, Wisconsin
While Biegel’s primary position is 3-4 outside linebacker because of his pass rushing ability, he does have the instincts and athleticism in space to make the move to inside linebacker in the NFL. He also plays with a non-stop motor, and his ability to swarm to the ball would fit well inside in a 3-4 system. Biegel is definitely an effective pass rusher off the edge, but he may have the most impact in the middle of the defense where he can roam free and make plays on the second level. Regardless of where he lines up though, he’s a guy I would want on my team.
Our “Black Dot” Inside Linebackers
Kyle — Kendall Beckwith, LSU
Beckwith has the look of a throwback linebacker, but the stiffness and his recent injury have me pretty uninterested. Stiff tacklers are a dime-a-dozen. Today’s NFL needs speed and athleticism at LB. Plus, watching Beckwith’s teammate, Duke Riley, just highlights Beckwith’s shortcomings.
Dan — Ben Boulware, Clemson
Boulware was a good college player, but he’s a bad pro prospect. Despite the tenacity he plays with on the field, he’s an undersized linebacker (6-0, 235) with poor speed (4.85) and limited athleticism. The modern NFL game requires its linebackers to cover and play in space. Boulware severely struggles in this area of the game. While he made a living at the collegiate level being a tough interior run defender, his lack of speed and athleticism could get severely exploited in the NFL. At most, he’s a two-down player at the next level.