ProFootballCentral.com

By PFC Packers Writer Jonathon Zenk
 
Positives: The Green Bay Packers didn’t have many needs, so General Manager Ted Thompson had the luxury of going best player available for the first few rounds, as evidenced by the second round pick of QB Brian Brohm from Louisville. People may think that Aaron Rodgers’ job may be in jeopardy, but it isn’t. For the time being that is. However, it will be a good battle between the two in a few years.

People may think that Rodgers will lose some confidence after the pick of Brohm. But if Rodgers doesn’t like competition, he shouldn’t be in the NFL. When you look at the Packers roster, one of the positions you didn’t expect them to take early is wide receiver. Well, not to brag, but I did. Star WR Donald Driver is getting up there in age and Ruvell Martin is a free agent next off-season. So, they took play-making WR Jordy Nelson from Kansas State with their first pick. With Koren Robinson gone because of the Nelson pick, it gives the Packers an even deadlier core of receivers. After the first two picks of Nelson and Brohm, the Packers filled needs with their next two picks, with two guys that I love. With their third and final pick of the second round, they picked Auburn CB Patrick Lee. Lee will fit right in with the Packers’ physical style that their cornerbacks use.

Then, with their third round pick, the Packers selected perhaps the most athletically gifted tight end in the draft, Texas’ Jermichael Finley. Back in the Packers’ title run in 1996, they used many two tight end sets with Mark Chmura and Keith Jackson. They want to get back to that and Donald Lee and Finley will be a lethal duo. Wake Forest DE Jeremy Thompson was a very good pick and Thompson wanted him so bad, he traded up for the very first time ever. If you include the trade for DE Jared Allen in the Vikings draft, you must include RB Ryan Grant, whom they got in a trade last pre-season from the New York Giants. All Grant did was be one of the best running backs in the league the second half of last season and lead the Packers to a 42-20 victory over the Seahawks with his 201 yard and three touchdown performance.
 
Negatives: Even though the Packers didn’t have very many needs, they still had a few and they ignored them for the first two picks. They needed some offensive line help, but they didn’t draft an offensive linemen until the fouth round. Daryn Colledge just isn’t getting the job done at guard, so they could have used a guard earlier, but they took Central Florida OG Josh Sitton in the fourth round to perhaps develop him into a starter. Sitton reminds Thompson of current Packer tackle Mark Tausher. They also took another offensive linemen in the fifth round, Louisville OT Breno Giacomini. Both Tausher and Chad Clifton, though one of the best offensive tackle tandems in the league, are both on the wrong side of 30, and will eventually need to be replaced.
 
Overall: I think this draft may not have a lot of impact in the 2008 or possibly the 2009 seasons, but down the road, I feel that this draft will be a very good one. I don’t know if Nelson will ever be a starter consistantly for Green Bay with Greg Jennings and James Jones being so young, but he will be a great slot receiver and will pose definite matchup problems for the defense. Patrick Lee will play nickel behind Pro Bowl cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Al Harris and will learn a lot and will play well when thrown into the fire. I think that Donald Lee and Jermichael Finley will be a great tandem at tight end and I think Finley has the talent to be a Pro Bowl player. With the picks of Nelson and Finley, all I have to say is, Aaron Rodgers has plenty of weapons to throw to and I think he will be a solid starter for the Green Bay Packers.
 
Overall Grade: B