Green Bay Packers: Making the case for Eric Kendricks

By Keegan Matheson | Apr 21, 2015

The Green Bay Packers hold the 30th selection in the upcoming 2015 NFL Draft, and for the second straight offseason, they could attack a glaring defensive need with their first pick. After hitting with rookie safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in 2014, look for the Green Bay Packers to be aggressive in their quest to replace the departed A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones at inside linebacker. One name that general manager Ted Thompson must have near the top of his list is UCLA’s Eric Kendricks.

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Kendricks took over the starting job at UCLA in his freshman season and would star there for three years following, ending his college career as the Bruins’ all-time leading tackler. His 149 tackles in 2014, including 101 of which were solo, earned him the Butkus Award for the top linebacker in college football. While Kendrick’s physical body of work holds up well in this draft class, it is his brain that sets him apart from the pack as a fit for Green Bay.

The Packers’ decision at inside linebacker must take into consideration Sam Barrington, who has the potential to be a violent force towards the line of scrimmage, but may need an intelligent and steady hand alongside him. Kendricks would bring Green Bay some of the sharpest instincts in this defensive class, which allows him to outperform his size limitations in the running game and shine when pressed into pass coverage.

Modern NFL offenses are evolving at a pace that many linebackers cannot keep up with, which has led to an onslaught of tight end production over the heart of the field and a significant spike in the usage of running backs in the passing game. Look at Matt Forte and Le’Veon Bell, who in 2014 posted an incredible 102 and 83 receptions, respectively.

Green Bay fans can relate to this with the Packers’ usage of Randall Cobb. When Aaron Rodgers and the offense struggled to get the wheels turning, which we saw against the Buffalo Bills, their first adjustment is to motion Cobb into the backfield. The intent of this is to move him away from the smaller cornerbacks, thus causing a linebacker to cover him. It’s an instant mismatch, and can leave a defensive unit stretched extremely thin.

Oct 3, 2013; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; UCLA Bruins lineacker Eric Kendricks (6) intercepts a pass against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. UCLA defeated Utah 34-27. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

This is where Eric Kendricks would shine in the Packers’ defensive front. He was asked to drop back into coverage regularly as a Bruin, and consistently held his own in man coverage. The addition of Kendricks would give the Packers balance across their run and pass defense with he and Barrington, while giving Dom Capers a heady leader who could easily run the unit early in his career.

Green Bay’s potential value at pick No. 30 should line up very nicely. Stephone Anthony, who I profiled here earlier in March, is seen by some as a more natural fit in the 3-4, while Bernardrick McKinney, Denzel Perryman and Paul Dawson round out a group of five prospects that each have the potential to best the others.

The common complaint you’ll see about Kendricks is size, which is understandable. He stands just over 6’0″, weighing in at 232 pounds, but Ted Thompson has not shied away from using smaller players on the inside. Sam Barrington is only marginally larger at 6’1″, 242 pounds, while A.J. Hawk registered at 6’1″, 235 pounds last season.

Kendricks’ top-shelf instincts allow him to maximize the impact of his frame and engage in plays from an advantageous position. This selection would slide Clay Matthews back outside to bookend with Julius Peppers, and the coverage abilities of Kendricks over the heart of the field would provide some much needed solidarity for Green Bay to work around in 2015.

Next: Green Bay Packers: Demetri Goodson a sleeper?

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