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Not many undrafted rookies have made a better impression in limited snaps than former Toledo pass rusher Jayrone Elliott.
Elliott, a Cleveland native who signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent after four years with the Rockets, registered three sacks and a forced fumble for Green Bay in an Aug. 16 preseason contest against the St. Louis Rams. More impressive yet, the three sacks of St. Louis third-string quarterback Austin Davis came in a span of just four snaps. It was the type of performance required by an undrafted player facing a thinning depth chart - one that made Elliott's coaches and teammates take notice.
"He's just a young man that's really taken advantage of pretty much every opportunity he's been given," Packers head coach Mike McCarthy told ESPN. "I was excited to see him have success."
The 6-foot-3, 255-pound Elliott, who earned first-team Mid-American Conference honors in his senior year by racking up nine sacks, 14 tackles for loss and 70 tackles, may be battling with another MAC alumnus for a roster spot. As an outside linebacker with pass-rushing duties in Green Bay's 3-4 defense, he is angling to pass second-year Eastern Michigan product Andy Mulumba on the depth chart. While Mulumba played 14 games (including three as a starter) in his rookie season for the Packers in 2013, two NFL scouts think Elliott may have a chance to pass the former Eagle.
"Elliott is a better prospect than Mulumba but not by much," an unnamed scout told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Elliott has more athleticism. He can run. More natural than Mulumba."
Another NFL personnel man added that if Elliott doesn't make the Packers, another team may sign him based off his performance Saturday.
"After people see that (his three-sack game) I don't think the Packers can get that guy through waivers," the other front office member told the Journal Sentinel. "He did a really nice job. He's got a heck of a knack."
The Packers have one more preseason game, August 28 at home against the Kansas City Chiefs. If Elliott is able to continue to impress, he could be with Green Bay when it opens the NFL regular season Sept. 4 on the road against the defending champion Seattle Seahawks. For now, though, it's just one sack (or even three) at a time for the hopeful rookie.