2017 NFL Mock Draft: Trade Bonanza Causes Titanic League Shift

The pass rush problem became ever present in the NFC championship against Atlanta. Outside of their crafty blitzing, the Packers weren’t able to fluster Matt Ryan hardly at all. Now word is growing that Julius Peppers might be done, and Clay Matthews is a year older too. This teams’ options at outside linebacker are fading fast. Normally Ted Thompson prefers to avoid that position in the 1st round but he may not have a choice. <p>One thing is for sure. He loves players from UCLA. So he’s almost certain to be watching Takkarist McKinley close. The edge rusher really blossomed for the Bruins this past year, generating all kinds of havoc in opposing backfields. The fact he did it without much of an arsenal of moves makes it even more exciting that he’ll get in the hands of Dom Capers. Once he develops that part of his game, it could be all over.</p>. OLB. UCLA. Takkarist McKinley . 29. player. 49