PHOENIX — Mike McCarthy isn't necessarily expecting his 2015 draft class to have the same impact last year's class had.
Not that the Green Bay Packers head coach wouldn't be delighted if the April 30-May 2 three-day NFL Draft yields four instant contributors like center Corey Linsley, safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, tight end Richard Rodgers and wide receiver Davante Adams were last season.
"We relied on young players a lot early in the season," McCarthy said Sunday afternoon during an informal session with reporters at the annual NFL Meetings at the Arizona Biltmore resort. "It paid off for us later in the season."
But as is the case every year, McCarthy is counting on the young guys already on the roster to deliver the most improvement-from-within help. That means greater contributions from the aforementioned foursome, and significant improvement from wide receiver Jeff Janis, who saw action in only three games; cornerback Demetri Goodson, who saw action in six games but only on special teams; wide receiver Jared Abbrederis, who missed the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee; and defensive tackle Khyri Thornton, who was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury after an inauspicious training camp.
"I think when we look at the body of work of the rookies, [we] have to feel good about particularly the 4⃣ guys and what they accomplished in their first year," McCarthy said. "[But] you still have to keep growing from within. I think the biggest improvement a team needs to make from the personnel is the first-year players to the second year — or if a guy has an injury or something, that second to third year.
"That one-to-three years [window] to me, that's where the biggest improvement comes. You'll have the influx of young talent. I know that's exciting when you get a high draft pick, a guy you're excited about. [But] everyone goes through transition; it takes some time."
McCarthy said that Thornton, a third-round pick from Southern Mississippi who did not impress in camp before suffering the hamstring injury, and Abbrederis, a fifth-round pick from Wisconsin who caught quarterback Aaron Rodgers' eye before his knee injury, are making strides despite not getting to play last season.
"I think Thornton has really turned the corner in the weight and conditioning part of it," McCarthy said. "And Jared is [at Lambeau Field] every day. So, he just has to get stronger, a little bigger. Everybody felt great about the way he showed in spring and the training camp he was having. So, yeah, definitely. It won't be lack of work ethic, that's for sure."
Jason Wilde wrote: