The Green Bay Packers 2009 ninth overall pick, B.J. Raji, is reportedly retiring from the game of football. Raji was a free agent, however was expected to re-sign with the Packers as he had been interested in completing a new deal with the franchise.
Raji is walking away largely due to injury issues that have plagued him throughout his entire career including a groin injury that bothered him all throughout the 2015 NFL regular season. During the 2015 season Raji recorded 15 starts, 22 combined tackles, 0.5 sacks, and two pass defenses.
Throughout his career with the Packers he has been wildly inconsistent. He has recorded 151 combined tackles, 11 sacks, and 10 pass defenses throughout his career. He has played in 78 out of 91 games he has been eligible for in the NFL. Raji is only 29, but will turn 30 during the regular season and has played his entire career for the Packers.
Raji has stated that a comeback is not impossible and he could return to the gridiron when his health returns, but he will absolutely miss the 2016 season. The Packers have not done anything during the 2016 NFL Free Agency period except for re-signing outside linebacker Nick Perry to a one-year deal.
The Packers have around $11 million in cap space and could potentially find a replacement for Raji in free agency, but this may be one of those positions the Packers look to fill in the draft. Green Bay will have the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft and that could prove to be very interesting for its selection process.
Currently there are 10 defensive tackles that could go in the first round of the draft and this could be the perfect year for the Packers to replace Raji. Obvious standouts such as A'Shawn Robinson, Sheldon Rankings, Andrew Billings, Jarran Reed and Robert Nkemdiche could all be potential targets for the Pack.
The other five - Vernon Butler, Kenny Clark, Austin Johnson, Adolphus Washington and Chris Jones - will easily go in the second round. The Packers could sign any one of these guys and if they are lucky could see some of them slip even farther to the later rounds. Raji's retirement is a sad day for the Packers, but the hope is that Green Bay can find a more consistent defensive tackle in the draft.
