Green Bay Packers dark horse: Carl Bradford

By Keegan Matheson | Mar 14, 2015

The Green Bay Packers have kicked off free agency with some well-executed internal business, re-signing wide receiver Randall Cobb and right tackle Bryan Bulaga. Their focus will now shift to the defensive side of the ball, where the positions of cornerback, nose tackle and inside linebacker will need to be addressed. At inside linebacker, a free agent or draft day addition is likely for the Green Bay Packers, but second-year man Carl Bradford could emerge from the shadows to provide some much-needed depth.

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Bradford was drafted in the 4th round, 121st overall, out of Arizona State in the 2014 draft. While he excelled as an edge rusher in college and produced 20 sacks over his past two seasons, the Packers chose to stand him up as an outside linebacker early in camp. This seemed like a logical first move, especially considering his physical makeup. Bradford stands at 6’1″ and 250 pounds, with relatively short arms and a 4.76-seconds time in the 40-yard dash.

He quickly became blocked by greater athletic talent at the outside linebacker position, however, and was finally shifted to inside linebacker. Given the amount of movement with this transition and the necessity for Bradford to re-wire a lifetime of football instincts, 2014 acted as a red shirt season for him as he was not activated for a single game.

To push Bradford into the conversation for any real playing time this coming season would be far to great a stretch, but he does have an opportunity to develop into a nice depth piece towards the bottom of this Packers roster. His talent coming out of Arizona State was tantalizing, with some scouts ranking him higher than the late fourth round where Green Bay scooped him up. He flashed a nose for the football in college with a playing style that was all downhill, all the time.

Nov 30, 2013; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils linebacker Carl Bradford celebrates a first quarter sack against the Arizona Wildcats in the 87th annual Territorial Cup at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Special teams will be imperative for Bradford’s career, as well, with the Packers looking to revamp those units completely. He has the skills and tackling abilities necessary to excel on the kickoff and punt coverage teams, but those roles are notoriously difficult to predict until you see the player live. One thing is for sure, right now: the door to a roster spot at inside linebacker is wide open.

Working against Bradford’s shot at seeing much defensive playing time will be his ability to shed blocks from NFL guards. He succeeded as an edge rusher in college largely due to his quick-twitch abilities and pass-rush moves, but there is serious development required in his run defense. Attacking the heart of an offensive line from the inside linebacker position is still foreign for Bradford. He’s an example of a frame that works in college, but can get swallowed up in the NFL.

The departures of A.J. Hawk to the Bengals and Brad Jones to the Eagles guarantee a new face at inside linebacker in 2015, though. While Bradford’s short-term potential is that of a complimentary and special teams role, his non-existent 2014 season has wrongly erased him from the minds of many Green Bay fans. He may not be the answer at the position, but Bradford is a dark horse to make a real impact on this team in 2015.

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