Hoosier State of Mind
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Jason Spriggs Drafted with the 48th Pick By the Green Bay Packers

By Edward Koton

Nov 28, 2015; West Lafayette, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers center Jake Reed (50) and offensive tackle Jason Spriggs (78) walk off the field carrying the Old Oaken Bucket after the victory against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross Ade Stadium. Indiana defeats Purdue 54-36. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2015; West Lafayette, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers center Jake Reed (50) and offensive tackle Jason Spriggs (78) walk off the field carrying the Old Oaken Bucket after the victory against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross Ade Stadium. Indiana defeats Purdue 54-36. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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The staple of Indiana’s offensive line this past season, will be making his impact felt for the Green Bay Packers.

Jason Spriggs embodies everything that this Indiana Football program is doing right in regards to player development. Spriggs entered college as a tight end just looking to make his mark, and thanks to the efforts of offensive line coach Greg Frey, Spriggs will be leaving school and entering the NFL as one of the most heralded offensive lineman this program has even seen.

With that said, what stands out with Spriggs is that tight-end-like athleticism.  Spriggs ran a 4.87 second 40-yard dash,  a 7.57 second 3-cone drill, and had a 35 inch vertical.  These workout performances are a huge reason behind him jumping up draft boards to get taken by Green Bay.

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The Packers will be getting an elite level anchor for their offensive line with incredible lower body strength. Throughout his career at IU, Spriggs has shown an elite ability to come out of his stance quickly and move laterally. His ability to be patient in space and adjust on the fly truly helped this Indiana offense be so prolific on the ground and through the air.

With all that said, Spriggs brought in a long list of accolades because of his leadership and exemplary play on the field.  In his senior season, Spriggs allowed just two sacks on 475 pass attempts.  He finished his season with a team-high 79 knockdowns and because of his efforts, Indiana finished first in the Big Ten in total offense, passing offense and scoring offense, while placing second in rushing offense.

Jan 26, 2016; Mobile, AL, USA; North squad offensive tackle Joe Haeg of North Dakota State (right) works with offensive tackle Jason Spriggs of Indiana (78) on a drill during Senior Bowl practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 26, 2016; Mobile, AL, USA; North squad offensive tackle Joe Haeg of North Dakota State (right) works with offensive tackle Jason Spriggs of Indiana (78) on a drill during Senior Bowl practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports /

Spriggs was a first team All-American according to multiple college football media outlets including the Football Writers Association of America, Phil Steele, Sporting News, the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Associated Press and Sports Illustrated. Spriggs was also the first Outland Trophy semifinalist in school history and received Indiana’s Chris Dal Sasso Award for being an “Outstanding Lineman.”

Moving forward with the Packers, Spriggs truly has the potential to be a great starting left tackle. In order to do so however, Spriggs is going to have to continue to build strength and work on some of the technical aspects of the game. Spriggs is still raw, which makes his selection so intriguing.  There is going to be a little bit of a learning curve in the NFL, but if he gets it down, he can truly be great.

With the developments he made with Greg Frey, it shouldn’t be any surprise if this former tight-end becomes a pro-bowl level talent in the NFL.

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