After releasing De'Vondre Campbell and not signing any external free agent at the position, the Green Bay Packers have an obvious need at off-ball linebacker. Maybe that's a relative need because of positional value, but it's still an important consideration going into the draft.
And there is one specific target that fits exactly what the Packers tend to look for in a prospect — and the interest the Packers have shown is evident: Trevin Wallace, from Kentucky.
Over the last month, Green Bay's decision-makers have met Wallace at least twice. First, a formal interview during the NFL Combine. More recently, during a top 30 visit.
Why is he a Packers type?
Analyzing what Green Bay usually looks for in the draft, and at the linebacker position in particular, there is an obvious trend to get elite athletes. Oren Burks and Quay Walker are examples of that process.
And it's hard to find a better athlete than Trevin Wallace. He has a 9.54 Relative Athletic Score (RAS), including elite explosiveness and speed — even though he's slightly undersized.
According to Travis May, A to Z Sports' College Football Managing Editor, Wallace had a great Senior Bowl week — which also helps when we are talking about Packers' historic trends.
"Trevin Wallace of Kentucky flashed at the Senior Bowl with incredible coverage skills, so when he posted a 96th percentile A to Z Sports Athletic Composite, it wasn't really a surprise. He was considered a projected late day three selection by many coming into this (Combine) week, but his stock is certainly rising now," May wrote.
Style as a player
Beyond the athleticism, Trevin Wallace is seen as a toolsy player. According to NFL Networks' draft analyst Lance Zierlein, the linebacker has "good chase-down gallop to the sideline," plus is a good tackler and has "lateral agility to expand his short-area tackle success."
As it happens frequently with athletic players expected to be taken in the middle rounds, Wallace lacks play recognition and patience, which makes him a target for misdirection plays, for example.
Draft stock
Right now, Trevin Wallace is the 139th player on the NFL Consensus Big Board published by the NFL Mock Draft Database. He is the seventh-best off-ball linebacker prospect, behind Edgerrin Cooper, Payton Wilson, Junior Colson, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Cedric Gray, and Tommy Eichenberg.
That would put him in position to be selected at the end of the fourth or at the beginning of the fifth round, a good area in terms of positional value to select an off-ball linebacker, preserving higher picks to more valuable spots.
Plan
Ideally, the Packers could let him develop behind Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie. That doesn't align perfectly to the team's immediate need, but it's hard to find an immediate contributor on day 3 anyway. Especially for linebackers, even high draft picks tend to play poorly early — Quay Walker and several other recent first-rounds are there as an example.
After opting not to add an external free agent at the position, the Packers can't expect to have a rookie coming in as a day 1 starter with great results. Their decision was to hope that Walker and McDuffie develop, while special teamers Eric Wilson and Kristian Welch give the roster some depth. Trevin Wallace would probably be a backup right away, but he has the profile and upside that the Packers historically tend to like.
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