Michigan Football: Why Carlo Kemp could make it with the Packers

Michigan football’s Carlo Kemp didn’t get picked in the 2021 NFL draft as some people expected, but he found a good home with the Green Bay Packers. 

Every football player has dreams of getting picked in the NFL draft and former Michigan football player Carlo Kemp was no different.

It had to be disappointing when he didn’t hear his name called on Saturday in the final rounds of the NFL draft, however, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing.

While there can be a big financial difference between getting picked and not picked in the NFL draft, especially when it comes to guaranteed money (signing bonus), there are some advantages to not getting drafted instead of getting picked in say the late seventh round.

Carlo Kemp could stick in Green Bay

Most drafted players get six figures in terms of salary bonus, while rookie free agents get a fraction of that. The best undrafted players can get around thousands in bonus money and guarantees but those deals are few and far between.

Kemp signed with the Packers shortly after the draft but I haven’t seen anyone report the signing bonus. The number is smaller but it’s still a sign of how many other teams might have been in the mix and how much the teams like a certain player. Even among rookie free agents, there is a hierarchy.

It wouldn’t be surprising at all if Kemp was given some money from the Packers because many mock drafts had him going in the 6th or 7th round.

The good thing for Kemp about not getting picked was that he was able to choose his destination, at least more so than someone drafted. He gets to choose a team with a more favorable depth chart and he certainly did that in the Packers, a team in need of defensive line help.

Green Bay added a nose tackle in the fifth round of the draft, but the Packers, who run a 3-4 defense are always going to look for 3-4 end types and Kemp fits the bill.

Kemp isn’t a 4-3 defensive end. Yet, a 3-4 scheme fits him perfectly and Green Bay has a history of taking rookie free agents, keeping Tyler Lancaster, a former rookie free agent D-lineman from Northwestern who has already played three seasons with the team.

Listed at 6-foot-2, 280 pounds, Kemp finished his Michigan football career with 83 tackles, five sacks, and 10.5 tackles for loss.

Kemp isn’t a great pass rusher, however, he’s a solid run defender and that’s probably the thing the Packers need as much as anything. Kemp is at least going to have a chance to make the 53-man roster or at the very least, the practice squad, which is a good paying gig.

At the very least, Kemp did himself a favor by picking the Packers, who need a player just like him and if Kemp can impress during camp, as well as the preseason, he has a shot to stick.