The Green Bay Packers must use the 2020 NFL Draft to provide the finishing touches on a team that won 13 regular-season games and got within one game of the Super Bowl during Matt LaFleur’s first season as head coach.
Between now and the draft, Packers Wire will periodically break down one top prospect fitting the Packers’ roster needs.
Up next is Oregon linebacker Troy Dye:
What he can do
– Really good athlete. Displays excellent quickness and range moving in all directions. Has the speed to flow to the football no matter where it is. Movement ability shows up all the time in coverage
– Tall but lean. Doesn’t have normal linebacker mass in arms or legs. Looks like he could put on more weight, might need to survive in the box in the NFL
– Terrific in the passing game. Length disrupts passing windows over the middle of the field. Runs with running backs and tight ends with ease. Played a lot of coverage at Oregon and will arrive at the NFL ready to contribute in the passing game. Three-down player
– Inconsistent tackler. Doesn’t really pack a punch. Needs to get stronger here
– Still a work in progress against the run. Not an overly physical player
– Teams are going to love his effort. Ran all over the field every game and never showed any signs of fatigue. High-energy player
– Occasionally made impact plays against the run. Will diagnose quickly and burst through gaps to blow up plays. Sees the game well
– Easy to tell he’s played a lot of high-level football. Four-year starter who kept adding new and valuable traits to his toolbox
– Can be really good at using his length to stack and shed blocks. Doesn’t just use athleticism to get around blocks. Will keep a blocker at an arm’s length, find the ball and disengage to make the stop
– Oregon blitzed him more in 2019. Effective at times. Pro Football Focus charted 26 total pressures as a rusher
– Big people in the run game are going to give him trouble. Too light at the point of attack
How he fits
Team Dye with Christian Kirksey and Oren Burks and the Packers could have a really intriguing set of inside linebackers. While Dye isn’t a mauler, he’s one of the best coverage linebackers in the draft class and could immediately step into a three-down or situational role at the next level. He’ll have the potential to provide elite play in the passing game, which is hugely valuable for a modern linebacker. While the weight/strength issue is a real one, especially against the run, the NFL is trending toward smaller inside linebackers who can run and cover. Dye fits the bill.
NFL comp
Cory Littleton. Like Littleton, Dye has plus athleticism, range and length and the potential to be a terrific player in coverage, with below-average play strength and some issues against the run.
Where Packers could get him
Day 2. There are some good players at the top of the draft class at inside linebacker, but Dye will really appeal to certain teams. Getting him in the second or third round would make a lot of sense for the Packers, especially if they miss out (or don’t want) Kenneth Murray or Patrick Queen in the first round.
Previous Prospects for the Pack
WR Tee Higgins
LB Kenneth Murray
LB Patrick Queen
WR Jalen Reagor
WR Justin Jefferson
TE Harrison Bryant
WR Denzel Mims
WR Brandon Aiyuk
WR/TE Chase Claypool
LB Zack Baun
LB Akeem Davis-Gaither
OT Josh Jones
WR Laviska Shenault
OT Austin Jackson
S Antoine Winfield Jr.
DL Raekwon Davis
DB Xavier McKinney
WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
DL A.J. Epenesa
TE Hunter Bryant
RB Jonathan Taylor
RB Zack Moss
WR Michael Pittman
WR K.J. Hamler
WR John Hightower
LB Jordyn Brooks