Neo Workxx » As the Green Bay Packers look toward the 2019 NFL Draft

https://www.thepackersfanshop.com/Marwin-Evans-Jersey , they do so with a little more excitement than usual. With three picks in the top 45 selections and several positions of need, Green Bay has an opportunity to land instant contributors and long-term cornerstones next April. While the Packers figure to improve their depth at edge rusher with at least one of those picks, their need to improve the safety position truly revealed itself as the 2018 season wore on. And because of that, the name Johnathan Abram should be on Packers fans’ radars heading into pre-draft festivities.The 6’0, 215-pound Abram entered his senior season at Mississippi State as a potential mid-round draft pick. After a stellar year, he finds himself hovering in the area of rounds one and two depending on his athletic testing at the NFL Combine. The former junior college safety began his college career with the Georgia Bulldogs before finishing his final two years of eligibility with Mississippi’s version of the bulldogs. He brings that bulldog trait to the playing field.Described as a “throwback” safety, Abram’s game is passionate and relentless, attributes the Packers’ defense could benefit from. He brings a thump to any and all ballcarriers and learned to harness that physicality enough to better avoid personal foul penalties as a senior. Although his aggressiveness has led to blown coverages on occasion, notably a long touchdown pass against Iowa in the Outback Bowl, Abram improved greatly with experience. A major issue of the Packers’ deep half of the secondary was tackling this past season and Abram would shore up that area of weakness immediately as one of the draft’s best tacklers from the safety position.On top of his intensity, Abram has been a playmaker, totaling 14 tackles for a loss, five sacks, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions over his two seasons in Starkville. He was in position for several more interceptions in 2018, coming up just shy on a few occasions. But when the Bulldogs needed a third down stop or a sure tackle on a screen pass Jermaine Whitehead Jersey , Abram usually came through and showed the ability to shed through blockers on the outside. For a team like Green Bay, which tied for 29th in the NFL in takeaways in 2018, Abram’s ability to find the ball would be a welcome addition.Abram’s versatility may be of most significant interest to Green Bay. In recent seasons, the Packers have employed safeties at inside linebacker on passing downs to gain an advantage in coverage. His physicality would be a great fit in the box for the Packers, especially against tight ends. Green Bay could also line Abram up in the slot, where he has been a dangerous blitzer as a senior and held his own against top receivers. Against Alabama, Misssissippi State used Abram in the slot against Jerry Jeudy and he held the Crimson Tide’s standout to just six catches for 45 yards, his second-lowest output of the season. Abram’s ability to line up in man coverage in the slot and outside when needed, in addition to safety and potentially linebacker, would give the Packers the tremendous versatility they covet.Abram’s play in 2018 has made him a surefire pick in the draft’s first two days and many are beginning to take notice.While Abram still has coverage skills he needs to work on, a good showing at the Combine could vault him into late first-round consideration and the territory of Green Bay’s second pick of the round. A very vocal team player with leadership skills and experience in the SEC, Abram would bring a swagger to the game that the Packers need now more than ever. While he may not be the free roamer that the Packers must also address at safety, he is the kind of in-the-box safety that they hoped Josh Jones and Kentrell Brice would become.Green Bay could look many directions with its first-round selections, but Abram could fill several schematic positions as soon as next year and provide much-needed stability at safety for years to come. Over a two week span, Acme Packing Company takes a look at each position group on the Green Bay Packers and provides grades and insight on how they performed in the 2018 season. Tuesday’s analysis looks at the outside linebacker group.The Packers opened the season with two former Pro Bowlers at the outside linebacker position, as Nick Perry and Clay Matthews were the two highest paid defensive players on the roster. At the end of the day Aaron Ripkowski Color Rush Jersey , it was Kyler Fackrell who put up the best numbers over the course of the season, but other younger players did not see much playing time and the veterans did not play up to their usual abilities.It was not a strong showing from the group as a whole, and it hurt the pass defense all season.StartersClay Matthews2018 Stats: 29 solo tackles, 7 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 1 FFThis was just the third time that Matthews has started all 16 games in a season.Despite the relative health, he managed to have his worst statistical season.This was the first time he had single-digit tackles for loss in a season with 16 starts.Yes, he had one or two sacks taken away on frustrating penalties, but he was less of a pass rushing force.Matthews was slower and was not able to bend the corner on his pass rush.He still believed greatly in his athleticism and tried to run around blocks, undercutting them rather than taking on the block and holding the edge.He did not do himself any favors entering his free agency.Nick Perry2018 Stats: 15 solo tackles, 2 TFL, 1.5 sacksPerry had trouble staying on the field this year.He was only available for nine games this season, the fewest since his rookie season.Even when he was on the field, he did not provide much of a pass rush.This was his worst statistical season.Perry managed well at being able to hold the edge in the run game.He was still valuable in taking on blocks and keeping contain.That said, he did not provide edge rush in the passing game.BackupsKyler Fackrell2018 Stats: 29 solo tackles, 12 TFL https://www.thepackersfanshop.com/Demetri-Goodson-Jersey , 10.5 sacksFackrell stepped in frequently this season. He filled in for the seven starts that Nick Perry missed.Fackrell was not a consistent pass rusher, but he found the quarterback more than all the other OLBs combined.Fackrell also finished second to Matthews in total snaps.While Perry got more starts, Fackrell played 58.5% of the defensive snaps this season.Fackrell was not consistently effective and earned six of his sacks in just two games (including the now infamous phantom sack where he never touched Josh Allen). But while he was not a game breaker every week, he was still the most effective pass rusher on the team this year. Reggie Gilbert2018 stats: 27 solo tackles, 4 TFL, 2.5 sacksReggie Gilbert finished 2017 with several big games and made fans very excited about his potential.He never did find that success on the field this year.Gilbert was available in all 16 games, but did not manage to beat out Kyler Fackrell for a start during the season.Still, Gilbert is the youngest of the outside linebackers on the active roster this season and should continue to grow into the position.Kendall Donnerson2018 stats: no statisticsDonnerson did not make the 53-man roster until week 14.He spent most of the season on the practice squad after joining the team as a seventh-round draft pick out of Southeast Missouri State.He has incredible measurable athleticism, but he did not see the field at all this year.Overall Grade: C-The starters in this unit lacked burst and athleticism.Whether due to injury or age, Perry and Matthews did not get consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks.There was not much depth behind the starters to make up the difference.In a position where teams routinely rotate speed rushers, the Packers only had four outside linebackers for most of the year.The Packers ended the season with 44 sacks, but only 18 of those came from this position group.Consider that Dean Lowry, Mike Daniels and Kenny Clark combined for 11 sacks.It was not a good year for the outside kinebackers.Fackrell’s double-digit sack season was the lone shining light statistically.