The Green Bay Packers are hoping they’ll get the dynamic, pre-injury version of Minnesota linebacker Kamal Martin, the team’s fifth-round pick.
Martin played in eight games during the 2019 season but dealt with a knee injury throughout the year. He had surgery to repair the issue and eventually missed the combine. Martin’s draft stock plummeted, but the Packers think they might have unearthed a diamond in the rough, at least based on his 2018 tape.
In a conference call with reporters, GM Brian Gutekunst said Martin was “more dynamic” as a player before the injury, especially as a junior. The Packers see Martin as a 240-pound linebacker with great length (34″ arms) and potentially 4.5 or low 4.6 speed.
College scout Brandian Ross had no issues projecting Martin’s ability to cover at the next level. Pre-injury, they saw him handle several different positions in the passing game with both size and athleticism.
“He can cover tight ends down the field. He has some length and size to him that allows him to be physical with tight ends down the seam,” Ross said. “He’s going to be a guy that will give you a versatile piece when dealing with bigger, faster tight ends because of his ability to run downfield and play out in space and cover backs and tight ends.”
Martin told reporters he believes his knee is close to 100 percent and has no worries about participating at training camp.
The Packers weren’t the only team excited about Martin’s 2018 season.
Jim Nagy is a former NFL scout who now runs the Senior Bowl. He believed Martin was a top-3 linebacker candidate for the Senior Bowl before his injury and now a potential draft steal, describing Martin as an “athletic space linebacker” with “prototypical” length for the position.
Between 2017 and 2018, Martin produced 10 tackles for losses, two sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. He picked off two passes while fighting the injury in 2019.
The Packers have a need at inside linebacker. Gutekunst signed Christian Kirksey to replace Blake Martinez, but the rest of the inside linebackers – Oren Burks, Ty Summers and Curtis Bolton – are mostly unknowns, opening the door for a player like Martin to make an impact, potentially even early in his career.
First, Martin has to prove his knee is healthy. Then, he must show his dynamic abilities are back. If he checks both boxes, and the Packers can get more of his playmaking athleticism out in the open, they’ll have a potential option to play next to Kirksey in 2020.
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