The Green Bay Packers are holding an open competition at inside linebacker between at least four different players, but don’t count out the lone rookie.
Kamal Martin, the Packers’ fifth-round pick, has impressed the coaches early on at training camp with his athleticism and intelligence.
“The first thing that jumps out is he is a long, athletic guy. He is very intelligent. I think he works really hard at it,” coach Matt LaFleur said on Saturday. “It’s going to come down to getting those reps and feeling comfortable in there and knowing what to do so he can go showcase that athleticism on Sundays.”
Martin is 6-3 and 240 pounds, with 34″ arms and terrific speed. Although he wasn’t able to run officially before the draft, the Packers estimated he could complete the 40-yard dash in 4.5 or 4.6 seconds. GM Brian Gutekunst called him a “dynamic” player, especially before he suffered a knee injury during his final season at Minnesota.
Having a big linebacker with some length and speed could be what the Packers need to help plug gaps against the run and disrupt passing lanes in the middle of the field.
The Packers are also getting a chance to see how quickly Martin can pick everything up on defense.
“Kamal is a guy who really worked at it with all the Zoom stuff. When he got in here, he was mentally in a really good place, especially for a rookie,” Olivadotti said.
Knowing where to be is always one of the first hurdles to getting on the field for a young player. As Olivadotti said, “making plays” can help keep a linebacker on the field.
So far this summer, Martin has done a little of both.
Now, Martin must show he can be trustworthy within the framework of the defense while also creating consistent disruption as he battles for a role for coordinator Mike Pettine, who said he’s hoping the competition at linebacker pushes each player to greater heights.
“That’s the thing, Matt always talks about it, how important it is, is competition,” Pettine said. “We’re hoping competition brings out the best in those guys.”
Like all of the team’s first-year players, Martin didn’t get a traditional offseason workout program, robbing the rookie of valuable on-field reps before the start of training camp. He’s had to both absorb information through virtual meetings and then transfer everything he’s learned away from the facility to the practice field to start camp, all without the important opportunities rookies usually get at OTAs and minicamp.
“He had to take it from the computer screen to the field, and he did a nice job with that,” Olivadotti said.
Martin is competing with Oren Burks, Ty Summers and Curtis Bolton, who remains on the PUP list, for a starting spot next to Christian Kirksey, the established veteran who will start at one of the linebacker spots.
Last year’s No. 2 inside linebacker, B.J. Goodson, played 254 snaps on defense, mostly in a run-stopping role. He left in free agency. Although Pettine likes to use many different players at linebacker, including hybrid safeties in the dime package, the role could expand if the right player – like Martin – can prove capable of handling assignments against both the run and pass.
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