2015 NFL Mock Draft: Melvin Gordon is a Colt

Miami. Denzel Perryman. 30. player. 49. <p>The Packers will be disappointed to narrowly miss out on Jordan Phillips here, but make a significant move in their quest to stop the running game. Perryman is an absolute tackling machine to plug into the heart of their defense, and could be an impact player from day one.</p> <p>In Perryman, the Packers will be getting an old-school thumper at linebacker who is one of the more fiery and aggressive players in this class. He was the heart and soul of the defense at Miami and plays with a downhill style, often looking like a mirror image of the bruising running back coming towards him from the other side.</p> <p>While some are quick to knock Perryman as being one-dimensional, I think that’s an opinion based on his 2013 performance. He didn’t morph into a coverage linebacker in 2014 by any means, but he did a much better job at moving in space and showed greater awareness. I’m confident that he will be able to develop enough of a coverage game to make it a non-liability, which would allow his work in the trenches to truly shine.</p> <p>Brad Jones has recently been released after an ugly season, and longtime inside linebacker A.J. Hawk may soon be following behind. Regardless, Sam Barrington needs a running mate on the inside and the Packers need to turn around a rush defense that was among the worst in football last season. Perryman fills an immediate need, and does it with a bang.</p>. ILB