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Packers expect big things from Hawk this season

Dennis Punzel  —  6/19/2008 5:16 pm

GREEN BAY -- When the Green Bay Packers made A.J. Hawk the fifth pick in the 2006 NFL draft, the expectation was that he would become an elite player. Not just a solid, productive player, but a spectacular one. A playmaker.

After all, he was the first linebacker taken that high in the draft since the Washington Redskins took LaVar Arrington with the No. 2 overall pick in 2000. And since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, just 26 linebackers had been among the top five picks -- a list that includes such luminaries as Lawrence Taylor (1981), Derrick Thomas (1989) and Junior Seau (1990).

And while Hawk has established himself as a staple in the Green Bay defense over his first two seasons -- starting all 34 games and playing almost every down -- he has yet to become a dominant force.

All in due time.

"I'm not worried about A.J. Hawk," said Winston Moss, Green Bay's assistant head coach and linebacker coach. "He's a great talent. It's extremely important to him. I don't think there's a need to be patient. I don't think there's any reason to even have a concern. When it's all said and done, A.J. is going to be an outstanding player for us."

If not yet outstanding, Hawk has certainly been valuable. As a rookie he led the team with 155 total tackles and was named to the All-Rookie team. He also had three sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. Last year those numbers were down pretty much across the board as he had 129 tackles, just one sack and one interception. He forced one fumble and recovered another.

But that doesn't mean he didn't play as well as the year before. And if his numbers go down again this year, that won't necessarily be a bad thing.

"I don't go into a season putting any personal goals up as far as numbers go," Hawk said. "As a defensive guy, if my tackles went down this year I'd be happy because that means our defense is playing better and we're on the field less.

"I just want to be consistent week in and week out. That's the hardest thing to do in this league, is to step in and let your teammates know you're accountable every single day, every play, that you never take a play off. Guys in the league don't last for long because if you can't stay consistent, they're going to find someone to take your job. So I'm trying to stay consistent, make big plays and help us be a dominant defense."

Moss said that the numbers do not reflect the improvement in Hawk's play.

"Last year his production probably dropped off, but his execution and understanding of the defense actually elevated," said Moss, a former NFL linebacker for 11 years. "His consistency was far better. He had a much better year, and a very good year, from the standpoint of learning our schemes, executing our schemes, lining up and doing the things he's supposed to do."

New things might be added this year to those Hawk is supposed to do. Among the topics at the Packers' mini-camp this week has been making the defense even more aggressive. And part of that might put Hawk in position to make more big plays.

"The talent, want-to, desire, competitive spirit -- all that stuff is there," Moss said. "So it's got to be something where the coaching staff has to put him in the position to make some more plays. I think everything will take care of itself.

"When you talk about his ceiling or his potential, I think from a talent standpoint he's already there. There's not much that needs to be developed. We've just got to get him in position to make more plays."

That sounds good to Hawk, who was known for making big plays while earning All-American honors at Ohio State.

"That would be great to be a guy who makes big plays and gets turnovers," Hawk said. "But I'm not going to press and do anything different. I'll take what comes to me, do my job and try to be a solid part of this defense.

"I think any linebacker will tell you he wants to blitz, he wants to make the big play, he wants to make interceptions and get some (tackles for losses). I think we've always been pretty aggressive, just in different ways, whether it's the bump-and-run coverage or blitzing on third down or whatever.

"That's why with all the guys we have on this defense, it's going to be fun to see what the coaches come up with. When training camp rolls around, I'm going to be pretty excited to be out on the field with this defense."

Middle linebacker Nick Barnett has watched Hawk's progress over two seasons and is looking for even bigger things from him this year.

"The biggest improvement I've seen has been the knowledge he's gained, knowing what to do and communicating with everybody," Barnett said. "That's 90 percent of the battle as an NFL player. He's a lot smarter, which makes him more efficient on the field.

"He's always been gifted with athletic ability and a hard-working mentality. Now the other part of his game is knowing the defense inside and out. As he continues to grow and become an ultimate pro, I definitely see him continuing to be a marquee player."

Dennis Punzel  —  6/19/2008 5:16 pm