They also selected Stanford inside linebacker Blake Martinez with the first of their two fourth-round picks on Saturday. The Packers are masters of the draft’s later rounds, snagging key players after round two in each of the last three season.
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I was a bit shocked at first because Clark wasn’t the best available defensive tackle, but the more I think about it the fit makes sense.
Talking to the media after being picked by the Packers, excitement could be felt from Clark.
“They never talked to me, they never talked to Kenny”, Stanley said. Since becoming general manager of the Packers in 2005, Thompson has selected a total of five Bruins players, which is the most of any school for Green Bay over the past 11 years.
Green Bay had many options with the selection, but Ted Thompson obviously feels very good about Clark. That’s the highest for a Hoosier since offensive tackle Rodger Saffold was the first pick of the second round by St. Louis in 2010.
The Packers turned to defense in the third round by taking Utah State outside linebacker Kyler Fackrell with the 88th overall selection.
The Packers have a big need at middle linebacker to keep Clay Matthews on the outside. This is where Thompson does his best work.
In their scouting report on Clark, the guys over at NFLDraftScout.com describe his as a “stout run defender who comes off the ball low and hard, consistently winning the leverage battle”.
“She was always telling me throughout the process, she was like, ‘I believe you’re going to end up at the Packers, ‘” Martinez said. “God just only made so many of them and he only made so many of them that can move”. Scouts raved about Spriggs’s athleticism and footwork, and project him as a really solid starter for years to come. But unlike Clark, who could start in the season opener, the Packers hope they won’t need Spriggs until his second season.
“He nearly completed 68 percent of his passes”, Jackson said when talking about Kessler after the pick was made.
Green Bay has three starting offensive linemen heading into the final year of their contracts: left tackle David Bakhtiari, right guard T.J. Lang and Pro Bowl left guard Josh Sitton. After anchoring IU’s line for the last few seasons, one of the biggest challenges for this year’s team will be to replace him.
The 6-foot-7, 301-pounder from San Clemente, California was particularly great in pass protection in both of his seasons as a starter against some of the best edge rushers in the Pac-12.
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Murphy had incredible longevity in his time at Stanford, playing in 54 of his 55 games on The Farm over a four-year career. Speaking after the third round, Thompson indicated he considers Spriggs a tackle, so something will have to give eventually.
