(Getty)
The Green Bay Packers are known for building a roster from within, and the NFL Draft is where that happens. The Packers select 27th overall in this year’s draft, and are projected to select Alabama LB Reggie Ragland. It’s familiar territory for Green Bay, who haven’t picked in the top half of the first round since taking BJ Raji ninth overall in 2009.
Ragland would be a solid fit for Green Bay, who have been lacking in the middle since A.J Hawk departed for Cincinnati. The Packers are one of the bottom teams in the NFL in terms of rushing defense, and have surrendered over at least 115 rush yards/game every year since 2011.
Last year, the Pack grabbed Damarious Randall near the end of Day One. Randall proved to be a natural ballhawk, picking off four pass in addition to 51 tackles last year.
Anyone who follows the Packers know that round one is not where their roster is built. The Packers are masters of the draft’s later rounds, snagging key players after round two in each of the last three season. TE Richard Rogers was a third round pick in 2014, and they grabbed DB Micah Hyde in the fifth round in 2013.
The Pick: Kenny Clark, DT, UCLA
With the 27th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the #Packers select UCLA DT Kenny Clark! #PackersDraft
Packers First-Round Pick History
2015: Damarious Randal, FS, Arizona State
2014: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, CB, Alabama
2013: Datone Jones, DE, UCLA
2012: Nick Perry, DE, USC
2011: Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State