Most fans are thinking inside linebacker should be the position that is addressed in the first round, Let me explain why I stated in my last post the reason it is not as crucial as most people think.

To start with, let’s take a look at the returning players from last year:

AJ Hawk

Aj Hawk came clean at the end of the season about playing with ankle spurs that required surgery. This would explain his less than par performance last year and if this surgery can give him back the speed he needs then his experience alone is a big factor for the teams success.

Sam Barrington

Sam Barrington has proven he can be the starter this year.

Now lets look at the rookies that could be involved this year that did not play last year:

Carl Bradford et al…

Carl Bradford was moved from the OLB to ILB and was kept on the active roster all year for a reason. Even though he never had a start they had to see something in this kid to keep him available. Joe Thomas who in my opinion had a great preseason and looked like he would make a case to be on the active roster himself until he got injured was released with a settlement then brought back to stay on the practice squad, Now if they did not like what they saw in this kid why would they bring him back and sign him right after the season was over just so no one else could snag him up? Another one that they signed right away that was on the PS all year is Adrian Hubbard, this youngman is a tweener as I like to call him with his size and athletic abilities he can play OLB/ILB or put his hand in the dirt as a DE. Then they have Mulumba coming back who was on IR all year and we all saw his explosiveness at ILB before getting injured. Nate Palmer did not get a chance to show us much but they did not settle with him after he got injured and they kept him on IR for a reason. Then last but not least they could sign Lattimore at a fair price and bring him back as well so if you look at the players that were rookies and did not play or were on IR all year the Packers are not in as much need of an ILB as commonly thought.

Now I am not saying don’t draft one this year. As I stated in my last post there really is no ILB’s worthy of a first round pick is all so maybe Thompson trades down and picks up a ILB in the second or third round. By trading down he can acquire more picks either in the later rounds or early ones next year.

Okay I hope I explained my reasons a little better so you understand why I said in my last post we should go after a big body in the first round or trade down instead of taking a ILB.

Go Pack Go!

Thanks, Jeff