April
According to Hobbes: Packers Offseason Primer on the NFL Combine: Outside Linebackers
Outside Linebackers: Here’s the eighth of a series of articles, looking specifically at the NFL combine and the Packers’ drafting tendencies. (Read here for the rationale for this series, here for quarterbacks, here for running backs, here for wide receivers, here for tight ends, here for offensive tackles, here for offensive interior linemen and here for defensive ends). This article will use the combine numbers from previous players drafted by GM Ted Thompson as a guide for what outside linebackers are likely to fit into the Packers’ scheme.
Again, this is merely an attempt to make a best guess based on statistics at which players the Packers might be interested in, game tape naturally trumps combine numbers, so take all of this with a grain of salt. But I believe it will make for some interesting discussion. Also listed below are also two outside linebackers in this year’s draft who I think fit the Packers scheme the best, based on their combine numbers.
Statistics of outside linebackers linemen drafted by the Packers:
| Name | Height | Weight | 40-Yard | 3-Cone | Shuttle | Vertical | Broad | Bench |
| Brady Poppinga | 6’3” | 259.00 | 4.59 | 7.29 | 4.39 | 35.50 | 110.00 | 26.00 |
| Dave Tollefson | 6’4” | 263.00 | 4.74 | 6.98 | 4.48 | 34.50 | 114.00 | 27.00 |
| Jeremy Thompson | 6’4” | 262.00 | 4.75 | 6.97 | 4.23 | 32.00 | 117.00 | 25.00 |
| Clay Matthews | 6’3” | 246.00 | 4.59 | 6.90 | 4.18 | 35.50 | – | 23.00 |
| Brad Jones | 6’3” | 230.00 | 4.54 | 6.75 | 4.21 | 33.00 | 119.00 | 19.00 |
| Average | 6’3” | 252.00 | 4.64 | 6.98 | 4.30 | 34.10 | 115.00 | 24.00 |
