Jake Ryan Gives Packers Long-Term Flexibility for Clay Matthews, ILB Position

The Green Bay Packers drafted former Michigan inside linebacker Jake Ryan—a player the team clearly loves as an answer at the defense's weakest position—but don't bank on head coach Mike McCarthy or defensive coordinator Dom Capers stopping Clay Matthews from taking snaps at a variety of positions next season.

In fact, there's a good chance the Packers' defensive front seven won't look much different to start 2015 than it did to end 2014.

Of course, Ryan could prove such a prediction wrong by stealing the show in training camp and winning a starting job in August. The best players will play, and he's capable.

However, the Packers don't have to rush their newest linebacker into anything.

After passing on many of the top inside linebackers during the first three rounds of the 2015 NFL draft, general manager Ted Thompson pounced on the opportunity to take Ryan with the 129th overall pick.

The Michigan product figures to be Thompson's answer to an already-talent-starved position that saw veterans A.J. Hawk, Brad Jones and Jamari Lattimore depart this offseason.

The decision to take Ryan wasn't a difficult one, according to the Packers general manager.

"I felt like it was a pretty easy pick, quite frankly," Thompson said on Saturday, via the team's official site. "But it wasn't because of the numbers. It was because of his pedigree and what he's done at a big-time place like that."

The numbers are still impressive.

Ryan played in 46 games and made 41 starts for the Wolverines, tallying 267 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 45.5 tackles for loss, seven forced fumbles (second in school history) and three fumble recoveries. He also intercepted one pass and defended seven others.

Michigan lined Ryan up at outside linebacker and defensive end before plugging him in as the defense's middle linebacker in 2014, which produced his best season. As a senior, Ryan made a career-high 112 tackles, including 14 for loss.

The Packers had earlier opportunities to take any of the perceived top players at inside linebacker, including Clemson's Stephone Anthony (who went No. 31 to New Orleans) and TCU's Paul Dawson (taken 99th overall by Cincinnati).

The possibility exists that Green Bay actually targeted Ryan all along, which then provided flexibility on the first two days of the draft to address the secondary.

When Ryan was still on the board at the end of the fourth, the Packers got their guy. Director of player personnel Eliot Wolf explained what the staff liked in the Michigan senior.

"He can get through traffic, he can make plays on the outside, he can penetrate and make plays on the inside run," said Wolf, via Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Pretty good in coverage, kind of an all-around guy that we felt adds really good value to our team...Probably more of a zone guy than man, but good all-around."

Tony Ding/Associated Press

Wolf also called him an "underdog." Ryan might enter the 2015 season as an underdog to start right away, even for a defense that will bring only a handful of true inside linebackers to camp.

Matthews is why.

Without much doubt, the Packers consider Matthews an outside linebacker and pass-rusher first. Matthews almost certainly labels himself the same way.

But there's also no doubting how much better the Packers defense was in 2014 when Matthews was being moved around the defense, from inside linebacker in the base defense to edge-rusher in various sub-packages.

All indications point to Matthews doing the same to start 2015.

McCarthy discussed the situation with reporters:

"

It was very evident after the bye week, moving Clay around, his productivity definitely went up. 

...

Clay's going to both meetings (for inside and outside linebackers). He's getting ready to play wherever he needs to play. The most important thing is creating opportunities for your big-time players to make plays.

"

McCarthy made the radical shift after eight games last season, moving Matthews—his best edge-rusher—to the inside, where Green Bay was struggling. The outside-the-box change paid immediate dividends, as the Packers improved vastly against the run while allowing 21 or fewer points in seven of the final eight games. 

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

	Before (8 games)	After (8 games)
Points per Game	23.9	19.6
Yards per Game	379.3	313.5
Rushing Yards per Game	153.5	86.4
Sacks	18	23
Matthews Sacks	2.5	8.5
W-L	5-3	7-1

Matthews appeared to be rejuvenated by the move. After tallying just 2.5 sacks over the first eight games, Matthews totaled 8.5 over the second half to finish with 11. He had sacks in six of the final eight games.

The shift gave the Packers the best of both worlds. An aggressive and attacking Matthews on the inside in the base defense helped better stop the run. And with the run handled more effectively, Matthews—who shifted back to the edge in sub-packages and on most third downs—was afforded more opportunities to rush the passer.

"I've had people tell me, in studies and so forth, his production probably ranked as one of the highest of the highest inside linebackers," McCarthy said. "Just the way he played the position. That's a big credit to Clay."

The presence of Matthews and the success of the switch last season might have been part of the reason why Thompson waited until the third day of the draft to address inside linebacker. Gone are Hawk, Jones and Lattimore—all starters at one point last season. But Matthews and his versatility as a game-changing player returns.

Sam Barrington is also back.

It's possible—if not likely—that the base four linebackers to open the 2015 season will again be Barrington, Matthews, Nick Perry and Julius Peppers, just as it was during the second half of 2014.

Tom Lynn/Associated Press

But don't count out Ryan, a potential three-down player who clearly won over McCarthy and the Packers staff.

"I think he's an excellent fit for the way we want to play," McCarthy said. "The responsibility for our linebackers, particularly in the base and sub, I think he's a great fit for us."

In a perfect world, Ryan would become the second coming of Luke Kuechly—giving the Packers an immediate rookie starter at inside linebacker while also allowing Matthews to play on the outside full-time. In reality, Ryan will likely need time to adjust to the pro game.

And with Matthews around, the Packers have the luxury of developing him at their own pace. The cross-training of Matthews continues for this very reason.

"There have been no starting positions assigned today," McCarthy said. "We'll get them all here. Compete. The best players will play. I think Jake will do a great job."

Ryan will eventually play. The flexibility of Matthews allows the Packers to play their rookie linebacker on their own terms.

Zach Kruse covers the NFL for Bleacher Report.

Follow @zachkruse2