GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers probably won’t be in position to draft the top pure inside linebacker this year. Mel Kiper Jr. doesn’t think they need him.

Both Kiper and fellow ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay believe Alabama’s Reggie Ragland will be long gone by the time the Packers pick at No. 27. McShay has the Detroit Lions taking Ragland at No. 16 in his latest mock draft, while Kiper has the New York Jets going with him at No. 20 in his latest mock.

The 6-foot-2, 252-pound Ragland appears to be the best fit for teams in need of a pure inside linebacker. Although UCLA’s Myles Jack will be picked much higher, potentially in the top 10, some teams believe he’s more of an outside linebacker or even a safety.

Mel Kiper Jr. believes the Packers got a steal last year in Jake Ryan. AP Photo/John Cordes

The Packers want to move Pro Bowler Clay Matthews back to his natural outside linebacker position next season and many believe in order to do so, they need to draft an immediate starter at inside linebacker.

Kiper isn’t so sure.

“They got a great player in Jake Ryan last year out of Michigan,” Kiper said. “They stole him where they got him [in the fourth round], and he played really well down the stretch. He was all over the field making plays. So you’ve got an excellent young linebacker in Jake Ryan.”

However, Ryan never played all three downs last season. Ryan moved into a starting role late in the season, replacing the inconsistent Nate Palmer in the spot next to Matthews, but he never played in the dime package. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers stuck with Joe Thomas, an undrafted free agent, in that dime (third-down) role because he felt Thomas had better coverage ability despite being undersized. The Packers know they need an upgrade from Thomas in their third-down package.

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Sam Barrington, who opened last season as the starter next to Matthews on the inside, is expected to return following foot surgery that ended his year after one game. A Barrington-Ryan combination on the inside might be enough to move Matthews back outside full time.

If the Packers share Kiper’s thinking that inside linebacker isn’t a pressing need -- and at this point, it’s not clear that they do -- he believes they still could find a linebacker in the later rounds.

“If you want to add another linebacker, an inside guy at a bargain point, Kentrell Brothers from Missouri is a heck of a player,” Kiper said. “[He had] 100-plus tackles. Every game you talk about putting in tape and watching players, he jumps out at you as one of the most impressive players on the field. A sideline to sideline guy. Scooby Wright of Arizona is another guy. Very productive in college. Antonio Morrison, Florida. Dominique Alexander, Oklahoma. Terrance Smith, Florida State with versatility to play inside or outside. Nick Vigil, Utah State, maybe fourth or fifth round. So yeah, they could certainly find an inside linebacker this year, but they’ve got to feel really good about Jake Ryan.”