Green Bay Packers need signs of life from Khyri Thornton

When the Green Bay Packers reached for Southern Mississippi defensive lineman Khyri Thornton in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft, the pick was met with cautious trust. General manager Ted Thompson has earned the benefit of the doubt over his strong tenure with the Green Bay Packers, but one year in to the Thornton experiment, the Packers are still waiting for something. Anything.

A lull in the offseason news cycle always brings about discussion regarding potential breakout players in the coming season, or dark-horse contributors near the bottom of the roster. While I’ve heard Thornton quietly mentioned in both forums, he’ll need to worry about cracking the 53-man roster before impacting games in September.

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The 6’3″, 316 pound Thornton put up some impressive workouts, including 29 bench reps at the 2014 Combine, leading to the Packers selecting him well before his consensus grade which sat around the fifth round. Questions regarding his weight and conditioning plagued him early as a rookie, however, causing me to worry that he peaked in time for pre-draft workouts, then regressed into a style that had several scouts questioning his late-game motor at the NCAA level.

Thornton’s 2014 stat line reads all zeroes after landing on the I.R. on August 30th with a hamstring injury, and although it’s far too early to write off the career of a young and gifted athlete like Thornton, he wouldn’t be Thompson’s first whiff along the defensive line. In 2012, Thompson selected Jerel Worthy with the 51st overall pick in round two, who amounted to very little in Green Bay. In 2007, Thompson used the 16th overall pick on Justin Harrell, who I’m sure we’d all prefer not to discuss.

As a player, Thornton’s positive plays show a lineman with bullish strength that threw around smaller blockers in Conference USA. On his negative plays, you’ll see him struggle to disengage from blocks and penetrate the backfield with enough consistency. In my opinion, Thornton’s potential is hiding in his legs. He does not fully utilize his strong lower body on a play-to-play basis, but with churning legs, he could enable his raw strength to play at a higher level.

Aug 9, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Charlie Whitehurst (12) passes against Green Bay Packers defensive end Khyri Thornton (94) during the first half at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

To question the roster spot of a sophomore third-rounder is rare, but it’s important to look at the names around him on the depth chart. If the Packers choose to keep six defensive linemen on the 53-man roster, the first four will surely be B.J. Raji, Letroy Guion, Mike Daniels and Datone Jones. Past that, Josh Boyd has seen his share of playing time while rookie Christian Ringo will compete. When you factor in the fractional chances of the other camp bodies, can Thornton win enough of those battles?

Green Bay’s OTA’s and minicamps will be a critical first step for Thornton, but it will have little to do with his actual play. He’ll need to show that he truly has turned a corner physically, and that his body is in NFL shape. A full season spent in a professional weight room with the Packers staff gave him ample opportunity to do so.

Any level of judgement on Thornton needs to wait until late August at the absolute earliest, but in the meantime, I’m extremely hesitant to name him in any conversation surrounding 2015 breakout players. A surprise burst from Thornton would be a fantastic addition to this team, but you need to walk before you run. So far, Thornton is still sitting down.

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