Signing draft picks early is officially the NFL’s new “in” thing.
The Packers officially got in on the act Friday, announcing the signings of 5-of-8 draft picks: Michigan linebacker Jake Ryan (Round Four), UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley (Round Five), Oklahoma fullback Aaron Ripkowski (Round Six), Louisiana-Lafayette defensive end Christian Ringo (Round Six) and UAB tight end Kennard Backman (Round Six). The agreements with Ryan and Hundley had been previously reported.
Ripkowski will compete with veteran John Kuhn at fullback, while Ringo and Backman will try to stick as backups. The Packers aren’t particularly deep at tight end, which could give Backman a shot. Ringo faces a little more competition to make it along the defensive line.
The good news for all of the drafted Packers? Green Bay prefers to build from within, and the team has a knack for molding young talent.
The Packers have three unsigned draft picks: Arizona State defensive back Damarious Randall (Round One), Miami (Ohio) defensive back Quinten Rollins (Round Two) and Stanford wide receiver Ty Montgomery (Round Three).