Cheesehead
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- Mar 19, 2019
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Oren Burks was targeted as a future regular when the Packers traded up to draft him in the third round out of Vanderbilt in 2018, but his first two seasons haven't gone as planned. Injuries in training camp both summers delayed his progress and took away opportunities, and while he's become a core special-teams performer, he has yet to make his mark on defense as he enters an important third season.
Another valuable special-teamer, Ty Summers, was a seventh-round pick from TCU a year ago who will look to advance in coordinator Mike Pettine's defense as well.
Oklahoma's Curtis Bolton was in line to possibly start as an undrafted rookie alongside Martinez in 2019 until a season-ending knee injury scuttled those plans.
Unfortunately for all three, and for any potential draft pick added to the mix, the lack of a normal offseason program with their coaches and teammates could impact their level of readiness to line up alongside an established pro like Kirksey. But like all teams, the Packers will just have to do the best they can with their young players.
Outside linebacker is certainly the more stable of the two positions after a major rebuild in 2019.
Signing Za'Darius Smith and Preston Smith in free agency turned into a boon for Pettine's unit, as the pair combined for 25½ sacks. Za'Darius, who went to his first Pro Bowl, had 13½ while Preston had 12, the first duo in team history with a dozen or more each, and they added four more sacks in the playoffs. The two transformed Green Bay's defense practically overnight.