Even though the pass rush remains a concern with Micah Parsons expected to miss time this season, the Green Bay Packers did a good job of bolstering the interior defensive line, signing Javon Hargrave in free agency and later drafting Chris McClellan in Round 3.
Whereas Hargrave is a grizzled veteran who should give the defensive line an immediate boost, McClellan has his work cut out before he becomes a fixture up front.
The good news is that he's trending in the right direction. This, in turn, has led an NFL analyst to argue that the former Mizzou Tiger could turn into an impact contributor as a rookie.
Chris McClellan could give the Packers a tough depth chart decision
Justin Melo of Sports Illustrated drew up a list of rookies who are already giving their respective teams a tough decision. He included McClellan, pointing out that he has physical tools to make an impact for the Packers from the get-go.
"Missouri's Chris McClellan was among the more pro-ready interior defensive linemen in the NFL Draft," Melo wrote. "He features 34-inch arms and 11-inch hands on his frame, and those natural physical traits routinely pop on tape. McClellan should be a quick contributor for the Green Bay Packers."
To back up his claim that McClellan could make an impact right away, Melo cites the fact that he got first-team reps at the Packers OTAs.
Leaving aside his third-round status, McClellan may have a path to the starting lineup, given the lack of depth they had at the start of the offseason.
Keep in mind that there's still a long way to go before the regular season. As encouraging as McClellan has been, he will still have to clear a handful of hurdles. For starters, it's hard to truly assess defensive linemen at OTAs and minicamp because they're not wearing pads and contact is prohibited.
Making a strong impression has undoubtedly strengthened McClullen's bid to be a starter or have a prominent role come Week 1, but he'll truly need to show out when the pads come on in training camp. And even then, the Packers will probably temper expectations next season. After all, the North Tulsa, Oklahoma, native will deal with the growing pains that every rookie experiences.
For the sake of the argument, let's say McClellan is a Day 1 starter. That doesn't mean that he's a game-changer, but rather that he was either the Packers' best option or has bigger upside.
On the other hand, the Packers drafted McClellan for a reason. The fact that he's already turning heads at this stage of the offseason bodes well for his odds to make an immediate impact as a rookie.
Add us as a preferred source on Google