As forecasted/predicted/hoped by one of our own, Badger of Honor’s Taylor Johnson, Vince Biegel was the first selection of the 4th round going to the Green Bay Packers. The Wisconsin Rapids native was a 4-star recruit and decorated athlete at Lincoln High School. He stayed close to home as a leader on a stingy Wisconsin defense earning numerous personal accolades along the way.
"Matched school record by playing in 54 games, including 40 starts … part of winningest senior class in school history, posting a record of 41-13 (.759), including a 26-7 (.788) mark in Big Ten play and three consecutive bowl wins … part of defense that allowed just 16.6 points per game and 292.5 total yards per game over four years from 2013-16, the No. 2 marks in the FBS over that span.2016: Second-team All-Big Ten (coaches), third-team All-Big Ten (media), Academic All-Big Ten, William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist2015: Third-team All-Big Ten (consensus), Academic All-Big Ten2014: Second-team All-Big Ten (media), Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Nov. 10), Academic All-Big Ten2013: Academic All-Big Ten"
Biegel was of course pretty pumped to not have to learn an alternative word for a bubbler (drinking fountain btw) or struggle with cheese curd availability.
Wisconsin I can't wait to stay home!!!! #HomeGrown
— Vince Biegel (@VinceBiegel) April 29, 2017
Next: Will Green Bay Packers Select State LB (SPOILER: yes)?
The draft grades were fairly consistent and modestly positive.
"A coach’s dream with high character, leadership and off the chart intangibles. Fills a need for the Packers at LB with loss of Datone Jones and Julius Peppers."
"Vince Biegel seems like a nice pick for the Packers. They’ve needed inside linebacker help seemingly forever, and he could finally fill that void. He could also rush the passer in a pinch. I had Biegel going around this range, so Green Bay deserves a good grade."
"On Day 3, Green Bay continued to improve the defense. Vince Biegel is a solid inside/outside linebacker, which they needed."
Bleacher Report: C (note: I’m not convinced the author here has watched Biegel’s game)
"Biegel is your central-casting, old-school Big Ten linebacker. He has the tools to be a run-thumping NFL inside linebacker, but a long history of foot injuries cloud his potential, and he needs to become better at converting his size and his effort into block-shedding and gap-plugging. Also, old-school thumpers just aren’t as useful as they used to be."
So how does Biegel factor in for the Green Bay Packers? Well for starters, this marks the fourth consecutive draft the Packers have picked a LB in the 4th round.
- Vince Biegel (2017)
- Blake Martinez (2016)
- Jake Ryan (2015)
- Carl Bradford (2014)
Wisconsin Badgers Football
Carl Bradford was cut in December and the Packers smartly let Julius Peppers and Datone Jones walk in free agency. The full Packers Undrafted Free Agent (UFA) signings have not been finalized so the total number of LBs in camp could change. But at present, GB has 10 LBs on its roster. Blake Martinez and Jake Ryan will start as the incumbents at ILB while Clay Matthews and the resigned Nick Perry as OLB starters.
The 2016 3rd rounder Kyler Fackrell and special teams ace Jayrone Elliott will be competing for pass rushing snaps this year. 2016 UFA Reggie Gilbert spent the past season on the practice squad but is a name to watch in GB who could make a leap to the active roster this season. All told, four Green Bay LB will enter some form of free agency after the 2017-18 season and two more in 2019. Shampoo and beef jerky enthusiast Clay Matthews is one of the unrestricted free agent in 2019 but GB could cut him in 2018 with no dead cap figure, saving $11.4M total.
All this adds up to a lot of competition for Biegel to get pass rushing snaps. If healthy, Perry and Matthews figure to take the largest share of pass rushing snaps. Fackrell will certainly be expected to contribute more in year two. Elliott and Gilbert will be hungry to make a mark on the active roster beyond special teams. One big advantage for Biegel is that he can rush as an OLB or from the ILB spot. Ryan has not recorded a sack in two seasons in Green bay and Martinez had one sack in his inaugural season coming in week 17.
Biegel should have an opportunity to show he can rush from ILB spot which is critical in the GB defense as the high priced OLB force the QB to step up in the pocket. In sum, there are plenty of snaps available for somebody in the Packer LB corps beyond Perry and Matthews to make their mark.