Five things to know about B.J. Goodson

[Cheesehead]

GREEN BAY – The Packers have added a new inside linebacker following a trade with the New York Giants for fourth-year veteran B.J. Goodson.


The 6-foot-1, 242-pound linebacker had 115 tackles, six passes defensed, two interceptions and two forced fumbles in 37 career games played with the Giants.


General Manager Brian Gutekunst said Green Bay would weigh all options at inside linebacker after presumptive starter Oren Burks suffered a chest injury in the Packers’ preseason opener against the Houston Texans.


While Gutekunst said on Sunday the team hopes to have Burks “back here soon,” the addition of Goodson gives Green Bay a veteran presence to complement a relatively young positional group behind starter Blake Martinez.


Here are five things to know about Goodson:


1. Goodson was Clemson’s leading tackler in 2015.


As a redshirt senior in 2015, Goodson stepped into the Tigers’ starting lineup on a full-time basis during their first run to the NCAA National Championship Game. A third-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection, he had a team-high 160 tackles (14½ for a loss), 17 pressures and 5½ sacks that year. A team captain, Goodson led Clemson with 14 tackles in a 45-40 loss to Alabama in the title game.


2. He was drafted in the same round as Blake Martinez.


The Giants selected Goodson in the fourth round (109th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft, twenty-two spots ahead of where the Packers took Martinez. In the pre-draft process, Goodson was lauded by scouts for his leadership, aggression and a particularly strong performance against Notre Dame offensive lineman Nick Martin, an eventual second-round pick. He ran a 4.69-second time in the 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine and was among the top performers at his position in bench reps (30) and the three-cone drill (7.05).