FOX Sports Wisconsin's Paul Imig provides complete coverage of the Packers and the 2015 NFL Draft in his 14-part preview. You can find the entire series here.
TODAY'S POSITION: Linebackers
Importance of drafting a linebacker (1-to-10 scale): 9
On the roster
Clay Matthews showed during the 2014 season that he's a great player, regardless of position. The Packers reached a point of such desperation at inside linebacker that a move for Matthews became necessary, and the five-time Pro Bowl player thrived. One of the biggest questions for Green Bay this offseason is whether Matthews should switch back to outside linebacker on a full-time basis, stay at inside linebacker for the benefit of the defense or split his time between the two spots. If the Packers envision Matthews remaining at inside linebacker for the majority of his snaps in 2015, drafting an inside linebacker in the early rounds becomes less of a need. Otherwise, there's no question that Green Bay has to address inside linebacker in the first couple rounds.
Sam Barrington had a much-improved Year 2, just as Mike McCarthy always hopes to see from his young players. A seventh-round pick in 2013, Barrington has already provided more value than teams usually get from a 232nd overall selection. Unless the Packers use two of their first three picks on inside linebackers, Barrington will almost certainly start in Green Bay's 3-4 defense this upcoming season.
The Packers have to hope that 2014 fourth-round pick Carl Bradford learned from what was essentially a redshirt season in the NFL. Outside linebacker didn't work out well for Bradford, but he got to spend the entire year studying how to play inside linebacker. Bradford has to give Green Bay something in 2015 or he'll find himself released and labeled as a bust.
Outside linebacker is a much more secure position for the Packers. Matthews can always go back to his natural spot and can be joined by a very good group that includes Julius Peppers, Mike Neal, Nick Perry, Jayrone Elliott, Nate Palmer and Andy Mulumba. There's almost too many quality outside linebackers on the roster, and there's no way for Green Bay to keep all of them once the regular season begins. Will this be the season Peppers slows down, or will he continue his superhuman-like ways at age 35? This is a last chance for Perry -- a free agent next offseason -- to show the Packers that he's worth keeping around long-term. Neal is in the last year of his contract, too. Elliott did everything possible as a rookie to earn more playing time in 2015. He has the talent to one day be considered among Green Bay's best undrafted finds under general manager Ted Thompson.
Last five linebackers drafted
Philosophy at the position
Thompson is clearly ready for a fresh start at inside linebacker. The three players who began the 2014 season atop the depth chart are all gone. A.J. Hawk is a Bengal, Brad Jones is an Eagle and Jamari Lattimore is a Jet.
Thompson added a tweener linebacker in Bradford last year in the fourth round, but that hasn't come close to solving the team's glaring need on the inside.
The safety problem was fixed with the addition of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in the first round last year, and inside linebacker is as big of a need now as safety was then. Thompson was hesitant to draft a true inside linebacker in 2014, but he can't afford to be hesitant again this time around.
Day 1 name to remember (Round 1)
Eric Kendricks, fifth-year senior, UCLA (6-0, 232 pounds; age 23)
Kendricks is the top-rated inside linebacker from both NFLDraftScout.com and Joel Klatt of FOX Sports. However, Kendricks is not a surefire first-round talent. It wouldn't be a significant reach for the Packers to grab him at No. 30, but it'd represent better value if Green Bay was able to get him 10 spots later. Thompson made it very clear in his pre-draft press conference that he's "adamant" about selecting the best player available every time and not overly worrying about perceived need. Kendricks is the most solid, all-around inside linebacker in this class, but he doesn't jump off the screen. Kendricks flashes great instincts, which is a key trait for the position. He would be a great locker room guy, too, and would seem to fit in very well with the culture that Thompson and McCarthy have helped establish.
Kendricks said during the Scouting Combine: "Where I would like to improve my game is from a blitzing standpoint. I never really blitzed a lot from a set formation or a set blitz. I don't have a lot of experience in that area. So that's something I'd like to improve on."
Day 2 name to remember (Rounds 2-3)
Paul Dawson, fourth-year senior, TCU (6-0, 235 pounds; age 22)
Character concerns will likely drop Dawson 10-to-20 spots lower than his talent would have otherwise had him. NFLDraftScout.com and Klatt both have Dawson as the fourth-best inside linebacker in this year's class. Academic struggles forced Dawson to spend his freshman year at a community college, and he barely played as a sophomore after transferring to TCU. More recently, though, Dawson had 20 tackles for loss, six sacks and four interceptions as a senior, earning him Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors. Dawson is also a ProFootballFocus darling, finishing with the best run-stop percentage in the country (even better than Chris Borland had as a senior) and the second-best pass-rushing productivity.
Day 3 name to remember (Rounds 4-7)
Stephone Anthony, fourth-year senior, Clemson (6-2, 243 pounds; age 22)
Opinions have been somewhat split on Anthony. At one point there was talk among draft experts that he could be one of the first few inside linebackers selected. However, Klatt and NFLDraftScout.com agree that Anthony is not even one of the six best inside linebackers in this class. In terms of value, Anthony would be a good pick for the Packers at No. 94. He's unlikely to still be on the board by the time Green Bay is up again at No. 129.
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