The Green Bay Packers struck gold when they selected a Southern Cal linebacker Clay Matthews in the first round three years ago. GM Ted Thompson is hoping for a bit of déjà vu with Nick Perry, another extremely athletic ex-Trojan who was picked 28th overall in Thursday’s draft. Perry will be expected to start opposite Matthews in 2012 and provide the second edge rusher that Dom Capers’ defense so desperately lacked last season. The Detroit native led the Pac-12 conference with 9.5 sacks a year ago.
Alabama’s Courtney Upshaw was a more productive player in college, but I can understand why Thompson preferred Perry. He has more potential as a pass rusher. While Upshaw is tougher against the run and more experienced with his hand off the ground, Perry is far more athletic. In fact, he’s about as athletic as any 270-pound front seven player I’ve seen in the past few years. His first step is lightning quick and he flashes the hustle, quick hands and closing speed to cause problems for even the best offensive tackles. Just ask Stanford’s Jonathan Martin, who’s expected to be drafted early in round two. Perry dominated him in a triple overtime game last October.
So why was a player this talented still available at the end of the first round? Because Perry ran hot and cold in college. He would look like a top-10 pick one week and a fifth-rounder the next. That type of inconsistency scares the heck out of general managers, but Thompson obviously isn’t overly concerned. He probably figures that playing alongside veteran leaders Matthews, Ryan Pickett and Charles Woodson and playing for gung-ho assistant coach Kevin Green will be all the motivation Perry needs to fulfill his enormous potential. We’ll soon find out if he’s right.
Will he play OLB or DE?
He’ll play ROLB.
Playing as a down lineman on this tape, you don’t see any eye-popping plays. CMIII types don’t grow in trees and I doubt this guy will ever be that kind of impact player. Will be interesting to see what he looks like playing standing up and in space. He seemed to be able to redirect well and he also seemed to take good angles when he saw a path to the QB. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Houston taking Mercilus was a bit of a surprise. Thought maybe they’d go WR. Had Mercilus been there at 28, I wonder if perry would have still been the pick. One thing about Perry, he was productive from the beginning of his college career. That seems to be a big plus more often than not in terms of how the player does in the pros.
Let’s face it, Packer Nation has to feel better today knowing that a legit OLB is coming to town to balance CMIII. It’s just hard to envision a guy this big getting underneath an OT and turning the corner to get to the QB. That’s something CMIII excels at. Will Perry be a dynamic and explosive pass rusher as a stand-up OLB? I can’t see it in his style of play but only time will tell. Will he be able to cover in space? Again, only time will tell. Given the good job TT & Co., did in finding CMIII, they deserve the benefit of the doubt for the first year or two. The other defensive players they could have selected included several good DT that projected to 5 technique DE, Courtney Upshaw, Andre Branch, and Janoris Jenkins. Obviously TT liked Perry better than Upshaw or Branch. I wonder if it was a close call for TT?
“…Packer Nation has to feel better today knowing that a legit OLB is coming to town…Will Perry be a dynamic and explosive pass rusher as a stand-up OLB? I can’t see it in his style of play but only time will tell. Will he be able to cover in space? Again, only time will tell.”
Archie, you contradict yourself. You call him a legit OLB and then admit you have questions re his ability to transition to OLB. I’m skeptical he can be a complete OLB in Capers scheme. The saving grace are Dom Capers and Kevin Greene’s abilities and playing the same elephant back CM3 did at USC before moving to DE and adding weight.
More than anything else….he doesn’t seem to quit, always pursuing.
True. Who knows, maybe OLB really is his natural position. After all, somebody recruited him at USC with that in mind. It will be interesting to watch him play as an OLB. Hopefully lightning strikes twice. And even if it doesn’t, the guy figures to have a floor that = at least a competent starter.
Also sounds like GB may be thinking of using him as an inside pass rusher in the 2 man fronts. That might mean they are thinking of drafting another OLB i.e., a pure pass rush guy, to take Perry’s OLB spot in that package. For now that guy is probably Walden.
I want the hat trick now. Top 3 picks = OLB, DL, CB and I’m ok with using whatever picks necessary to trade up to get the guys they want. Whatever is left over can be used to take flyers on RB, QB and OL (or more defensive players).
Even w/o a trade-up it looks like a good player will be available at 60. TT’s job is to find a way to get BOTH a DL and a CB in R2.
I think what we needed most from our 1st round pick was a pass rusher and Perry can definitely do that. Im not 100% sure he can be a complete OLB but I have to assume Capers will find a way to get the most out of him even if that means letting him rush with his hand down in a kind of Hybrid 3-4 look from time to time.
At OLB hes got a great intial burst that will allow him to eat up the space between him and his blocker and has an array of pass rush moves to defeat the block to the inside or the outside once he gets there.
Hes does lack some of the short area quickness and the bend around the edge that Clay has but I believe the angle of attack that he will have at OLB is beneficial to his straight line speed.
Overall im happy with the Pick and can’t wait to see what he can do in a Packer uniform.
dont like it. stiff hips, not a great bender, have yet to see him play standing up, no inside move, saw him set up an outside spin once which was ok but other than that it is straight up the field and try to win with the speed move. and if you watch more tape you will absoluteky see him take plays off. he has great straightlibe speed, but other than that i am completely unimpressed. i hope i am really wrong on this kid.
I think the Packer’s coaching staff are excellent teachers. If Kevin Green can use marginal talent like Walden, Jones and Zombo to win a Super Bowl, what can he do with exceedingly talented Perry? I’m excited at the prospect.
One thing that everyone, including myself, has to remember. Drafting at the butt end of the first round means that you aren’t going to get that (projected) elite player that you will get in the top ten of the draft. All you can hope for is someone who may not have performed up to the elite level in college that kicks it up a bunch. Maybe someone who took some plays off, who now takes it more seriously when millions of dollars are on the line.
I’m not saying that Perry will be a second CMIII or a pro bowler or won’t be a bust at OLB, but at least on paper he is a whole lot better than we had last year along side CMIII. Worst case he’s a bust. He could also be average or just a little better than average at the OLB position and takes some pressure off CMIII, if that’s the case then the whole defense is much better than in 2011! I’m hoping that he’ll be a solid contributor. That’s all you can hope for at 28.
7 mins per pick — R2
5 mins per pick — R3
Sounds like a trade brewing to make Colt McCoy a Packer. If it’s a R6 or 7 I’m down with it.