Selecting an inside linebacker in the first two days of the NFL Draft has been rare for the Green Bay Packers since the Ted Thompson regime began in 2005. Until last year when they picked Oren Burks in the third round, the Packers had not chosen an off-ball linebacker within the first three rounds since pouncing on A.J. Hawk with the fifth overall choice of the 2006 NFL Draft (when the team still ran a 4-3 defense). And while Green Bay did also select Nick Barnett in the first round in 2003, inside linebacker has not been a position Green Bay has invested a marquee draft pick in with frequency.
Why a first-round ILB could make an instant impact for the Packers’ defense
