Surprise 3rd-Round Pick WR Ty Montgomery Could Be Packers' Secret Weapon in 2015

The Green Bay Packers were on the clock with the 94th overall pick in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft. 

With defensive needs including, but not limited to, defensive line and inside linebacker, general manager Ted Thompson could have gone with a defensive end—perhaps Arkansas' Trey Flowers or TCU inside linebacker Paul Dawson, who wasn't expected to be available at No. 94 by NFL.com's projections. 

If Thompson was thinking offense, multiple impact tight ends were still on the board, as well.

However, the name eventually announced for Green Bay's 94th pick came as somewhat of a surprise: Stanford wide receiver Ty Montgomery, a player at what is arguably Green Bay's strongest position heading into training camp. 

Height	Weight	Hands	40-yard dash	Vert jump
6'0"	221 lbs	10 1/8"	4.55 sec	40.5 in

As the surprise wears off, however, Montgomery looks more and more like a savvy pick by Thompson.

Even given the fact that there are at least three receivers ahead of him on the roster in Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams—and up to five depending on how 2014 rookies Jeff Janis and Jared Abbrederis come along in training camp—Montgomery could still prove to be a secret weapon for Green Bay in 2015. 

There's a lot to like about the Stanford product. Measuring 6'0" and 221 pounds at the combine, Montgomery is like "a bigger Randall [Cobb]," Packers area scout Sam Seale said, per ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky. 

Not only does that mean that Montgomery can be another weapon in the slot, but a way for Green Bay to get him some snaps without taking them away from their current receiving corps is to use him as a pass-catcher out of the backfield.

A pass-catching running back was on the Packers' radar heading into the draft, and Montgomery is built to play that role. 

In fact, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller compares Montgomery's playing style not with an NFL receiver, but with Titans running back Dexter McCluster.

Montgomery's "body type resembles that of a running back with well-defined, muscular legs," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote. 

Montgomery led Stanford with 61 receptions for 604 yards in 2014, averaging 54.9 yards per game.

However, where Montgomery could really make a difference for the Packers—and, indeed, possibly change the face of an entire aspect of their game—is on special teams. 

Montgomery earned consensus All-American honors as a kick returner in 2013, averaging 30.3 yards per return and two touchdowns. That average was good for second-most in the nation.

With 1,091 yards total on kick returns in 2013, Montgomery became the second player in Stanford history with more than 1,000 kickoff-return yards in single season.

Playing 11 games with six starts in 2014, Montgomery led the team with 12 punt returns for 238 yards (averaging 19.8 yards per return) and two touchdowns. It was his first year returning punts. In kick returns, he had 17 for 429 yards, 25.2 yards per return on average. 

Compare that to Green Bay's total production in returns in 2014. Granted, college-level special teams play is not comparable to the NFL, but these stats are eye-opening. 

	GP	KRs	KR Yds	Avg.	KR TDs	PRs	PR Yds	Avg.	PR TDs
Packers	16	29	555	19.1	0	29	333	11.5	2
Ty Montgomery	11	17	429	25.2	o	12	238	19.8	2

The Packers ranked 29th in the league in total kick return yards in 2014, with 555. That's an average of 34.7 yards gained on kick returns per game. They had no kick-return touchdowns. 

In punt returns, Green Bay fared better, at No. 7 with 333 total punt return yards. However, 75 of those yards—23 percent—came on one Micah Hyde punt return against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 16. 

"I thought Micah's punt return was one of the bigger plays in the game," head coach Mike McCarthy said at the time, per Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "I thought it gave us a chance to jump out there in front and play with the kind of lead you definitely like the play with, especially at home. That was a big-time play."

But what if the Packers could have those kinds of big-time special teams plays every game?

Montgomery may give them the chance to do just that. 

In certain offensive packages, Montgomery may see the field on offense. As previously mentioned, he's an obvious candidate to catch passes out of the backfield. Given their strength at the position, the Packers may also run more of the five-wide receiver sets that they featured in their Super Bowl championship 2010 season.

When he's not making an impact in Green Bay's return game, it shouldn't take Montgomery long to earn snaps on offense. Neither Abbrederis nor Janis has locked down the No. 4 receiver spot. Montgomery had nearly 1,000 receiving yards in 2013 and proved he can use his speed and size to gain yards after the catch. 

But improving Green Bay's special teams unit has been a mission of McCarthy's since he relinquished play-calling duties to associate head coach Tom Clements in order to have a bigger hand in the big picture of Green Bay's preparation and in-game management.

And while the Packers would never draft a player solely expected to play special teams in Round 3, it's clear why Montgomery was an attractive choice for Green Bay.  

"I really do believe he can come in here with special teams and really help us, really elevate our special teams his first year and push the people that's in front of him," Seale said, per Demovksy. 

Per Packers.com's Mike Spofford, special teams considerations weren't the overriding factor for Thompson when selecting Montgomery, but it did play a role. "He’s a very strong runner, very instinctive, good quickness, all the things you look for," Thompson said. He also said Montgomery has "return cred."

Lined up inside, outside, out of the backfield or on special teams, Montgomery has a lot to offer the Packers, and despite the talented group of receivers he joins, he should have opportunities to showcase his skills immediately.