Here’s your inside linebacker. He’s Stanford’s Blake Martinez and the Green Bay Packers grabbed him with their first fourth-round compensatory selection.
Martinez (6-2, 237) had plenty of production the past two seasons. As a senior, he had 141 tackles, including 6.5 for loss and an interception. As a junior, he had 102 tackles, seven for loss, 4.5 sacks and three interceptions.
Do you think this is your cover guy?
Well, maybe, maybe not.
Martinez did cover in college and had some success doing so. However, he’s known (and viewed as) more of a run stuffer, which is exactly what the Green Bay Packers’ top two current inside linebackers are known as.
Martinez ran a 4.71 40. That is faster than Sam Barrington’s 4.9 and slower than Jake Ryan’s 4.65.
So what do the Packers have here? Another thumper who probably isn’t fast enough to cover.
In other words, it looks like they drafted a clone of the two guys they are potentially trying to replace. Quite possibly another A.J. Hawk type, the thought of which makes me want to start stabbing myself in the face repeatedly.
Boy, there is going to be mad competition for snaps on first and second down at inside linebacker, but there’s still no one who can play on third down or in obvious passing situations.