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Entering the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers weren’t in major need of taking a wide receiver. They were expected to pursue a linebacker to help out the defense next year, but they chose to go with Stanford Cardinal receiver Ty Montgomery. Many Packers fans are scratching their heads about this selection, but looking deeper into the pick it is a crucial move for the Packers’ depth.
Montgomery ran a 4.55 40-yard dash, and has an impressive 40.5 inch vertical as well. He is a physical wide receiver who has the speed and quickness in the open field to make big plays. NFL.com compared Montgomery to Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson during their pre-draft analysis, which is a dangerous thought for opposing defenses.
Aaron Rodgers already has three extremely talented wide receivers in Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams. Those three guys are going to be the main receivers for Green Bay, but Montgomery is going to see some playing time in 2015, and he is a huge pick for insurance behind any of those three players.
Green Bay has always made sure to take care of their superstar quarterback first and foremost, and this is just another move to do just that by Ted Thompson.
During his senior season at Stanford, Montgomery ended up catching 61 passes for 604 yards and three touchdowns. It was a bit of a down season for him, and his numbers were much more impressive during his junior year. He caught 61 passes for 958 yards and 10 touchdowns during his junior season, and was a jack-of-all-trades that year.
Fans have a tendency to freak out about a pick in the NFL Draft that may not be a huge need. Thompson had Montgomery high on his draft board, and the fact that he fell to them in the third round makes him a steal.
Depth is such a crucial thing for a football team to have, especially at the wide receiver position. Thinking back just two seasons ago, the Packers saw Cobb go down with a broken leg and also lost tight end Jermichael Finley. That left them in a tough situation, but they had enough depth to survive.
This move is all about making sure that Rodgers will have talent at the wide receiver position no matter what happens on the injury front. Montgomery and Adams are also going to grow into stars in the future if they reach their full potential, and they are hard working players. Quite simply, they fit the mold that the Packers are trying to build moving forward.
It is understandable to be confused by the pick, but being short-sighted is never a smart idea during the draft. Montgomery is going to be around for quite some time, and he is exactly the type of pick the Packers needed to shore up their depth.
Evan Massey is the Green Bay Packers beat writer for www.RantSports.com, and also contributes across the NFL, MLB and NBA portions of the site. Follow him on Twitter at @Massey_Evan.
