The Green Bay Packers improved their team the only way they know how this weekend and Packers’ fans know that is through the draft. General manager Ted Thompson wheeled and dealed is way to 11 picks in a draft that might make or break his career.
I do like the first pick of Datone Jones. After initially thinking he could be another Jamal Reynolds I do think if Jones can get a little bigger without losing his speed, which among defensive lineman at the combine, was amazing, he could be a player for the Packers for years to come. Thompson has missed on his last two first round picks, so this pick has to come through.
The Packers ended up stuck with running back Eddie Lacy in the second round and if there is one pick among the the 11 players the Packers took that I think is a bust it would be Lacy. He reminds me of Brent Fullwood. I hope I am wrong but I doubt Lacy ever runs for a thousand yards in a season for the Packers. My guess is DuJuan Harris is the Packers’ opening day starter at running back.
I do like the offensive lineman the Packers took in round four. I would rather take guys like that than the bozos the Bears have been signing in free agency, guys who have been cut ten times already. Both of the Packers picks are extremely young with David Bakhtiari being only 21 and J.C. Tretter only 22. Neither will probably play this year but hopefully they raise the level of competition.
By picking Johnathan Franklin in the fourth round the Packers are pretty much saying goodbye to guys like Cedric Benson, James Starks and Alex Green. Benson is too old and Starks and Green have failed miserably when given their opportunity to be the man. The Packers’ running back position will be dramatically different this year, but whether they can use it to protect the NFL’s highest paid player in Aaron Rodgers remains to be seen. But that definitely seems to be the objective.
Other than Micah Hyde’s apparent alcohol problem I kind of like the rest of the Packers’ picks. I think Josh Boyd has a chance for significant playing time as a rookie. Taking Nate Palmer addresses a position of need as do the two wide receivers in round seven. I kind of like the big guy from Grand Valley State.
For picking as late as the Packers do every year I think Thompson did a good job of moving back and forth and accumulating quantity without sacrificing quality. This draft is going to be a turing point in Packers’ history I think. A flop and Thompson is gone and Ron Wolf’s kid is probably in. Hit big and Thompson sticks around for a while.
My grade is a B.
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