Pretty much everyone, including us, has pointed out that the Green Bay Packers’ fourth-round pick, linebacker Jake Ryan, has a better chance to start this season than any other rookie in the team’s 2015 draft class.
That has to do as much with the Packers lack of depth at inside linebacker as it does with Ryan’s talent. Probably even more so.
What does Jake Ryan think about all of that?
Not much, it turns out.
While most guys are quick to say, yeah, I want to start and that’s what I plan on doing, Ryan took a different approach. The, we’ll see what happens one.
“Who knows?,” Ryan said. “Let’s see how practice goes and how this offseason goes.”
“I’m just trying to get my head in the playbook, compete and get out there and show what I can do.”
We suppose that’s okay. Ryan isn’t buying into the hype, which is a plus.
On the other hand, we’ve seen guys that were good college players, who’ve entered the league with their confidence sapped. Those guys don’t last long and Ryan’s statements don’t exactly show that he’s brimming with confidence.
Why might he fall into that category?
Ryan was a standout at Michigan. By all accounts we’ve heard, the best player and leader on the Wolverines defense.
But for some reason, he didn’t get picked until the third day of the draft. That right there could do it.
Ryan is right about one thing. We’ll find out in training camp whether he’s the real deal or our wild and crazy speculation was just that.