With the 245th overall selection, the third of three picks obtained in a trade with Philadelphia, the Packers selected Albany linebacker Kurt Campbell (6-foot-1, 225 pounds). Green Bay proceeded with the 246th overall pick, obtained from New England, to select mammoth Michigan State guard Will Whitticker.
Campbell, 22, moved from cornerback to “roverback” for Albany during the 2003 season. He played in just five games as a junior before suffering a dislocated shoulder that ended his season.
“He can run and play,” said Packers general manager Ted Thompson about Campbell. “The fact that he played linebacker one year, I think that there is a lot of upside there.”
Whitticker (6-foot-5, 329 pounds) started at right guard for the Spartans after he was relegated to reserve duty in 2003. Determined to get back on the field, he worked long and hard in the weight room prior to 2004 and it showed on the field.
Whittaker, 22, had 139 knockdowns in his first three seasons with the team. His 2004 total was a very impressive team-high 83 knockdown blocks. He is a durable athlete who missed only one game due to injuries during his career (left ankle sprain vs. Notre Dame in 2001). He started 31 games as a Spartan.