Analysis (Matt Bove) : Ted Thompson may have been content giving the special teams coordinator role to Ron Zook, which was very underwhelming in my opinion, but he certainly has made a concentrated effort to improve it through this draft. All three of his top picks should be instant special teams players.

Stanford wide receiver Ty Montgomery will be an instant upgrade at kick returner where DuJuan Harris was abysmal last season. Montgomery has much work to do as a receiver, but he can be an instant contributor as a returner. He’s Stanford all-time leading kick returner and an All-American there.

As you would imagine, Montgomery is at his bets with the ball in his hands. He’s not an elite speed burner, but has enough to hit the home run play. His ball skills are what he needs to improve on the most. He displayed terrible hands at Stanford last season and is not really a strong route runner.

The value is questionable to me, as I think Montgomery could have been had at least a round later. However, if Mike McCarthy can find some creative ways to use him offensively, and he can have some big returns on special teams the he can make an impact right away.

Team fit (Ross Uglem): Perfect.  This is the kind of pick that you make when you’re trying to win the Super Bowl.  I know that sounds weird but while Randall and Rollins might be picks for the future Montgomery is a pick for now.  While he does add depth to the receiving corps, Montgomery’s biggest contribution to the Packers will undoubtedly be on special teams.

In my opinion, Montgomery will be one of the best 6 or 7 returners in the league right away.  He was fantastic in that role at Stanford.  Not only does he immediately improve the Packers abysmal kick return game, but he also removes key players like Randall Cobb and Micah Hyde from return duties and therefore limits their propensity for injury.

The other way that the Packers can use Montgomery is in the backfield.  He’s actually an exceptional runner.  He averaged 12.8 YPC on wide receiver runs and 4.8 YPC on standard runs.  He and Randal Cobb’s versatility could make them very dangerous if they were used on the field together.

 

---------------------

Ross Uglem is a writer at PackersTalk.com. You can follow Ross on twitter at RossUglem

---------------------