GRADE: C+
With a new defensive coordinator implementing a new scheme, Green Bay churned the roster on that side of the ball via free agency/trade in March. And the Jonathan Gannon-inspired refurbishment continued in April, with the Packers spending four of their six picks on defense, including all three top-120 selections. Gannon has reputation for liking size — frankly, who doesn’t? — especially on the defensive front. And the Pack added a pair of big bodies in defensive tackle Chris McClellan and edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton. Gannon also likes versatility on the D-line — again, who doesn’t? — which drew the team to McClellan in particular.
“He’s got a really good first step, and he’s got a disruptive way about him that when he presses an edge, he’s hard to handle,” Packers director of football operations Milt Hendrickson said, via the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “So, I think schematically, he’s just one of those guys, whether you’re a true odd front or you want to play an even front, you’re a multiple front, he can fit in a variety of different ways.”
Jeff Hafley did a fine job reinvigorating Green Bay’s defense over the past couple seasons. It will be fascinating to see what the reimagined unit looks like under Gannon in the fall.
FAVORITE PICK
Brandon Cisse, cornerback. Cisse is more known for his traits than his polish at this point, but he brings the kind of twitchy athleticism that Green Bay’s secondary could use. There’s plenty of room for refinement, but the Packers had to be elated getting this kind of high-ceiling cover man in the back half of Round 2.
SLEEPER
Dani Dennis-Sutton, outside linebacker. The former five-star recruit didn’t quite live up to the expectation that he’d become Penn State’s next big thing off the edge, but he still produced 8.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons. And he put on a show at the combine, rekindling interest in his prototypical package of size and athleticism.
