Simon Stepaniak was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the NFL draft on Saturday and will get a chance to realize his dream of playing in the NFL.
It took almost three days and six rounds for Simon Stepaniak to hear his name called during the NFL draft. But with the 30th pick of the sixth round the Green Bay Packers took the Hoosiers offensive lineman.
🚨 THE PICK IS IN 🚨
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) April 25, 2020
With the 209th pick in the 2020 #NFLDraft, the #Packers select Indiana OL Simon Stepaniak!#PackersDraft | #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/aV6cESJdEK
A torn ACL in December hurt Stepaniak’s draft stock, but the Packers liked him enough to take a shot on him in the sixth round. A lack of OTA”s may hurt his ability to get out and show Green Bay that his knee is in good shape and he could end up on the IR his first year.
When Stepaniak’s is completely healthy he will get his opportunity to try and be one of the big guys protecting franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but he is not expected to play a lot right away. The Packers, though, have had trouble protecting Rodgers in that past so he could get his opportunity if he plays well early.
Stepaniak was a team captain for the Hoosiers and from all accounts a great teammate and guy you want on your side. He doesn’t back down and is known to have a fighter’s mentality on the line.
He will have a long road to find playing time for the Packers, but with his work ethic, it is not out of the realm of possibility. With the importance of the offensive line and the unfortunate injuries that happen to the line, Stepaniak could find himself getting playing time sooner than later.
This should be a great fit for Stepaniak, going to a stable organization with a great quarterback. Green Bay loves the big guys who work hard and that fits the bill for Stepaniak. It may take him a while to get some time, but he has the ability to make an impact and be a steal for the sixth round.