Christian Ringo to Green Bay Packers: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

Christian Ringo is a 3-technique prospect from Louisiana-Lafayette. Unless you were actively searching out Sun Belt games on Saturdays, or in some case weekday evenings on ESPN alternates, you probably haven't had a chance to see this defensive lineman.

With the second of the Green Bay Packers' three sixth-round picks, general manager Ted Thompson took Ringo, who is an odd fit for the roster. Thompson drafts for how the team is structured, and under defensive coordinator Dom Capers, they're a one-gap team.

This is odd for a 3-4 team, because an odd front usually means defensive linemen are run-first players, while even fronts, like the typical 4-3, are pass-first pressure athletes. Capers one-gaps with the nose tackle, but everyone else is pinning their ears to get after the passer, as he uses complex blitzes in an attempt to force turnovers and sacks, rather than worrying about giving up short-yardage plays on a consistent basis.

A 3-technique player in a 4-3 defense is usually called an undertackle and is the smaller of the two defensive tackles. He lines up between the guard and tackle, trying to get into the backfield with burst and violence. The Packers already have two fairly solid 3-technique players, listed by the squad as defensive ends, in Mike Daniels and Datone Jones.

Daniels might be one of the most underrated players in the league and hasn't made a Pro Bowl despite performing on par with the Geno Atkinses of the world. He, like Ringo, was a Day 3 selection by Thompson coming out of college.

Jones, on the other hand, wasn't such a quiet prospect. He is a former first-round pick from UCLA and can get after quarterbacks, but he hasn't totally developed as a run-stopper.

With those two already on the roster, how will Ringo get to see the field, considering defensive linemen usually can't play on special teams? One theory is this: He's a safety net option for Daniels.

Daniels is heading into the last year of his contract and will be in shape for a giant raise. Can the Packers give him a deal he feels is fair? The team is known for its stiff wallet. Stars like Greg Jennings have left Green Bay after not seeing eye-to-eye on contract value.

This past offseason alone, the team allowed Tramon Williams and Davon House to walk from the team, signing onto the rosters of Cleveland and Jacksonville, respectively. The Packers then had a huge hole at boundary cornerback, but they stick to their principles: They're not going to overpay anyone.

At just under 6'1" and 300 pounds, Ringo isn't a big defensive lineman, but he's an explosive one. He managed to total 20.5 tackles in the backfield last season and 11.5 sacks. His production numbers are amazing, but they were against mid-major talent.

Ringo should have at least one season on the bench as a rotational player before the Packers even have to entertain the idea of giving him significant snaps. Overall, he's an interesting prospect, but not one who is NFL-ready on day one. This looks to be more of a play on the future contracts of the players already in his role on the roster.