The Packers went back to the same place they got Clay Matthews to add some pass rush to their defense.
With the 28th pick of the first round, the Packers selected USC defensive end/linebacker Nick Perry. Perry showed speed, strength and explosiveness at the combine, something that went very nicely with the 9.5 sacks he picked up as a Trojan last season. He picked those sacks up playing the same position as Matthews, so it would seem the Packers are hoping lightning strikes twice.
Perry’s addition addresses a problem that really hampered the Packers in their playoff loss to the Giants. They couldn’t put any pressure on Eli Manning, leaving their secondary exposed for big gains down the field. Perry is a good piece to bring in to help rectify the issue as he can play across from Matthews and keep blockers from training all of their focus on one side of the field.
The big question will be if Perry, who weighed 270 last season, will be able to play outside linebacker. If he can’t, he could be limited to situational pass rushing duty.