Packers pick #1---Kenny Clark UCLA DL

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I like Butler more. Clark doesn't have that explosive quickness or desire to get to the ball like Butler and some of the other top DL. He's just kind of there, he's strong and can bull rush but that's it. If they want a guy to absorb linemen that's fine, but I think there were better options.

I think there were several better defensive linemen than Clark available at #27 with Butler being one of them. Hopefully Clark will prove me wrong though.
 

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When we drafted Clark, I thought DE. Opposite Daniels... Clay and Peppers right behind them... Clark is going to be a destructive force. I already know this. State wrestling champ. Said to have great leverage. He will be destructive....

But most said he was a NT.....? I think he could play nose easily. But he is smallish for the position IMO. And he will be swallowed up more times than not....

At DE he is just as big as the OTs blocking him... Similar to Daniels, he will win against the 1 on 1. He will get push, and clean up when the rest of the defense is doing their job....

Guion is a solid veteran who has played NT well in the past. Pennell is a young active , run stopping stump. Solid rotation imo.

So why does everyone think clark is a nt? because he might play nt in the nickel?
 
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When we drafted Clark, I thought DE. Opposite Daniels... Clay and Peppers right behind them... Clark is going to be a destructive force. I already know this. State wrestling champ. Said to have great leverage. He will be destructive....

But most said he was a NT.....? I think he could play nose easily. But he is smallish for the position IMO. And he will be swallowed up more times than not....

At DE he is just as big as the OTs blocking him... Similar to Daniels, he will win against the 1 on 1. He will get push, and clean up when the rest of the defense is doing their job....

Guion is a solid veteran who has played NT well in the past. Pennell is a young active , run stopping stump. Solid rotation imo.

So why does everyone think clark is a nt? because he might play nt in the nickel?

It will be interesting to see if the Packers line up Clark at nose tackle or 5-tech in the base defense. With his limited success rushing the passer from inside in subpackages it´s possible he doesn´t get a lot of playing time on obvious passing downs, especially with the team being able to move Peppers and Datone inside as well.
 

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Clark is 6'-3", 314 lbs. and 20 years old. I've got to imagine that before his 22nd birthday the Packer will have him in the 320's if not more through diet and working out. Until then he's part of the interior line rotation over the center and tackles depending on the situation. Guion is listed at 322 lbs. & Pennel 332 lbs. so Clark isn't much smaller and will fill out over time.

Wherever they play Clark he'll win the 1 on 1 battles and will force a double team or chip block to slow him down. Great addition to the Dline.
 
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Clark is 6'-3", 314 lbs. and 20 years old. I've got to imagine that before his 22nd birthday the Packer will have him in the 320's if not more through diet and working out. Until then he's part of the interior line rotation over the center and tackles depending on the situation. Guion is listed at 322 lbs. & Pennel 332 lbs. so Clark isn't much smaller and will fill out over time.

Wherever they play Clark he'll win the 1 on 1 battles and will force a double team or chip block to slow him down. Great addition to the Dline.

There´s no reason for Clark to gain weight as there are several successful nose tackles playing at 315 pounds or less. He will have to add another pass rush move aside of the bull rush to get significant snaps inside in subpackages though.
 

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You've got to think he'll be the NT. PFF article on the top 20 offseason additions likely to make an immediate impact (only posted today) had this to say (paraphrasing here): Kenny Clark was on the list at 18 and the main reason was that he graded very well when asked to hold his ground against double-teams.

In pass-defense sets I'm not sure he sees the field as much at the beginning of the year since the Packers will have some combo of Daniels, Perry and Jones to rush inside with Matthews and Peppers on the edge. Maybe if he can show his bull rush is REALLY good (and he did have the best bull rush in college football according to PFF) then he could line up inside but he'll probably have to learn some additional moves (as pointed out above).
 

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The thing I hate most is when Bahk gets pushed int Rodgers lap. If Clark can get a push like that on LTs, He will get some sacks. But more importantly, he will open up the rest of the defenders to get many more sacks. Thats more valuable imo
 
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The thing I hate most is when Bahk gets pushed int Rodgers lap. If Clark can get a push like that on LTs, He will get some sacks. But more importantly, he will open up the rest of the defenders to get many more sacks. Thats more valuable imo

With Daniels being the starter at right defensive end Clark won´t get a lot of snaps against left tackles.
 

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Being as we lost Raji I'm assuming he goes inside. I don't like him there, but then again I hate the fact that we're in a 3-4 and TT can't build a front seven to save his life. I just hope he fares well somewhere along the defensive line, we can't have a bunch of duds and then Mike Daniels do everything.
 
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Being as we lost Raji I'm assuming he goes inside. I don't like him there, but then again I hate the fact that we're in a 3-4 and TT can't build a front seven to save his life. I just hope he fares well somewhere along the defensive line, we can't have a bunch of duds and then Mike Daniels do everything.

I would prefer Clark to line up at defensive end as well. Unfortunately Guion is the only other option to start the season and I´m not convinced the coaching staff is prepared to move him back to nose tackle.
 

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I like Guion at NT. If Clark was drafted for his bull rush he needs to be as far to the outside as possible. I know it's a 3-4 but I don't think it's too much to ask Daniels and Clark to get 3-4 sacks a season along with 10-20 TFL apiece.
 
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I like Guion at NT. If Clark was drafted for his bull rush he needs to be as far to the outside as possible. I know it's a 3-4 but I don't think it's too much to ask Daniels and Clark to get 3-4 sacks a season along with 10-20 TFL apiece.

We'll see if the coaching staff decides to move Guion back to nose tackle. I agree that defensive ends in a 3-4 should be expected to get a couple of sacks per peason but the tackle for loss number is unrealistic.
 

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How is that unrealistic? If their main objective is to stop the run by shooting the gaps I don't think 10 TFL per season isn't attainable. If Clark turns out to be elite then that makes Daniels even better and they might be able to look snag 15+ TFL.

3-4 DEs with 10-20 TFL in 2015:

J.J. Watt - 29 (HOU)
Cameron Heyward - 15 (PIT)
Jaye Howard - 12 (KC)
Derek Wolfe - 11 (DEN)
Muhammad Wilkerson - 11 (NYJ)
Fletcher Cox - 11 (PHI -Will switch back to 4-3 in '16)
Chris Baker - 10 (WAS)
Kendall Langford - 10 (IND)


Mike Daniels had 8 TFL in 2015. If Clark can find success, it should translate throughout the entire DL. To say with improved production from the other side of the line can't help Daniels get at least 2-5 more TFL isn't farfetched at all.
 
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We have other option at 5 Tech. There has also been much discussion of his strength over other graded Tackles at being one of the most effective at double teams at the Collegiate level.
Hes BJs replacement and our future at NT.
And I agree with Whimm in that 320 isn't light at the position. It's more about Technique and Strength, which he possesses both for a potential to disrupt the middle lanes
 
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D

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How is that unrealistic? If their main objective is to stop the run by shooting the gaps I don't think 10 TFL per season isn't attainable. If Clark turns out to be elite then that makes Daniels even better and they might be able to look snag 15+ TFL.

3-4 DEs with 10-20 TFL in 2015:

J.J. Watt - 29 (HOU)
Cameron Heyward - 15 (PIT)
Jaye Howard - 12 (KC)
Derek Wolfe - 11 (DEN)
Muhammad Wilkerson - 11 (NYJ)
Fletcher Cox - 11 (PHI -Will switch back to 4-3 in '16)
Chris Baker - 10 (WAS)
Kendall Langford - 10 (IND)


Mike Daniels had 8 TFL in 2015. If Clark can find success, it should translate throughout the entire DL. To say with improved production from the other side of the line can't help Daniels get at least 2-5 more TFL isn't farfetched at all.

Well, that's a pretty small list of only eight players with one of them having more than 15 tackles for loss. While it's possible to register a total of TFL in the low 10s expecting 20 is unrealistic as none of the Packers defensive ends are even close as talented as Watt.

We have other option at 5 Tech. There has also been much discussion of his strength over other graded Tackles at being one of the most effective at double teams at the Collegiate level.
Hes BJs replacement and our future at NT.
And I agree with Whimm in that 320 isn't light at the position. It's more about Technique and Strength, which he possesses both for a potential to disrupt the middle lanes

Actually Clark gets too easily moved off the spot by double teams. He should benefit from the Packers using a one- gap scheme if the team decides to line him up at nose tackle though.
 

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Well, that's a pretty small list of only eight players with one of them having more than 15 tackles for loss. While it's possible to register a total of TFL in the low 10s expecting 20 is unrealistic as none of the Packers defensive ends are even close as talented as Watt.

Fair enough, granted I wasn't really expecting anything similar to Watt but until we see some NFL tape of Clark, I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt with a somewhat high ceiling. I'll pretend that TT actually knows what he's doing for a change. The 3-4 really only allows truly elite DEs to be statsheet stuffers, hence the small number of high achievers on that list.
 

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WHY isn't Clark signed yet? Anyone?

With the contract slotting system it shouldn't be difficult. From other contracts before him it appears 9% increase over last year's 1st round contracts, so why hasn't he signed his 4 yr. $9.375Mil contract with $4.9Mil guaranteed?
 
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WHY isn't Clark signed yet? Anyone?

With the contract slotting system it shouldn't be difficult. From other contracts before him it appears 9% increase over last year's 1st round contracts, so why hasn't he signed his 4 yr. $9.375Mil contract with $4.9Mil guaranteed?

Most likely because he had to finish college and was away from the team after rookie camp. With him practicing at minicamp I don't think there's an issue and he will get signed before training camp.
 

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UCLA's semester ended 5/13/16. Would think both sides would want it done, not sure what, if any benefits there are to waiting?
 
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UCLA's semester ended 5/13/16. Would think both sides would want it done, not sure what, if any benefits there are to waiting?

UCLA's spring quarter concluded June 10 and Clark wasn't allowed to participate in OTAs because of it.
 

Pkrjones

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From other contracts before him it appears 9% increase over last year's 1st round contracts, so why hasn't he signed his 4 yr. $9.375Mil contract with $4.9Mil guaranteed?
Clark ended-up signing a 4 yr/$9.361Mil contract... but he did VERY well for himself (IMHO) with guaranteed $$. $5.008Mil SB and $7.185Mil guaranteed. Apparently took slightly less overall but 76.7% of it is guaranteed.
 

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