Once considered a possible-top 10 pick, former Michigan State defensive tackle Jerel Worthy slid all the way into the middle of the second round of the NFL Draft.
He was finally selected by Green Bay with the 51st pick overall Friday night. The Packers made a trade with Philadelphia to move up eight spots so they could secure Worthy.
Worthy left school with one year of college eligibility remaining. He said he would have returned to MSU if the Spartans hadn’t won the Outback Bowl, an overtime victory over Georgia. He also cited his father's 2010 stroke as a strong factor in his decision decision to leave school early.
At the time he announced he was leaving, many draft analysts believed Worthy was still a probable first-round pick.
“The Green Bay Packers are getting a young man who wants to please people, so he’s going to be an extremely hard worker,” head coach Mark Dantonio said in a statement. “Jerel possesses all the tangible skills: explosiveness, first-step quickness and power. So he has the ability to make big plays in the offensive backfield.
"Jerel is a very intelligent player, who understands concepts and what offenses are trying to do against him. He also understands the difference between playing for a successful team, finishing out his career with back-to-back 11-win seasons, or an average team, like we had in 2009. Jerel definitely has the athletic ability to play this game at the highest level, so we look forward to watching him play in this league for quite a while.”
The Packers are in need of defensive help. They were last in the NFL in both total defense and pass defense last season.
"Today is definitely an exciting day, for myself as well as my friends and my family," Worthy said. "We’ve come a long way. There’s no better organization than the Green Bay Packers to be affiliated with, just to be able to go out and play for.
"The wait yesterday was a little frustrating. It humbled me and allowed me to really take in why I’m playing this game.
"I have that fire, that chip on my shoulder. I’ll roll with it, and I’m ready to make an impact right away."
