First Round:
#32 Derek Sherrod, OT Mississippi St.
Great pick for the Packers. I think this is directly in response to Nick Fairley being drafted by Detroit. The Lions manhandled the Packers up front last year and the Packers offensive line was exposed. The Packers upgraded the position for the future. One idea I heard being tossed around is to move Bulaga to LG and put Sherrod at RT. This would groom him for the future and give the team the best 5 linemen on the field at the same time.
Grade: A
Second Round:
#64 Randall Cobb, WR Kentucky
Cobb has drawn comparisons to Percy Harvin. A dynamic receiver, the Packers offense becomes better because of Cobb. He can be used as a receiver, a wildcat QB, a returner, etc. Cobb helps make the Packers better. Cobb also allows the Packers to get rid of James "Stone Hands" Jones and makes Donald Driver's transition to retirement easier.
Grade: B+
Third Round:
#96 Alex Green, RB Hawaii
Green is a big, hard running back. His downside is that he does not have "second level" speed and is not shifty. It seems like the Packers want Green for his short yardage ability. The Packers did struggle a bit with goal line situations and short yardage runs. John Kuhn did all right, but an upgrade would be nice.
Grade: B+
Forth Round:
#131 Davon House, CB New Mexico State
A project with the physical attributes to become a solid starter in the NFL. The Packers have had solid CBs since Ted Thompson came to town. Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, and Sam Shields were all playing at a high level last year. House has the privilege of learning from this solid group of players. Hopefully, he will be groomed well enough to be an eventual starter.
Grade: C+
Fifth Round
#141 D.J. Williams, TE Arkansas
Williams is an interesting prospect. He is one of Thompson's "value" picks. He has great route running ability, but he lacks blocking ability. The bigger question here is where do the other TEs fit in? Obviously, Finley is a staple. Donald Lee is likely gone. Are Quarless and Crabtree safe? Quarless had a less than stellar season, but he did flash ability. Crabtree's blocking ability may keep him in the mix. So will Quarless be gone? Only time will tell.
Grade: B-
Sixth Round
#179 Caleb Schlauderaff, OG Utah
Not a player who can come in and help right away. Will likely spend time on the practice squad. He is a hard worker, but he will need lots of work to make a serious run at the starting lineup.
Grade: D
#186 D.J. Smith, LB Appalachian State
Another body for camp. Will try and compete for a roster spot, but Zombo, Walden, and Jones will be the front-runners for the starting ROLB spot.
Grade: D
#197 Ricky Elmore, DE Arizona
At 260 pounds, will likely be an OLB in the 34 defense. I think he's also going to be a camp body, but I like him better than Smith.
Grade C-
Round Seven
#218 Ryan Taylor, TE/FB North Carolina
A big TE/FB who will likely see a lot of time on special teams. He was captain for the special teams unit in 2008 and 2010 for NC. Thompson goes for special team help here because the Packers were lacking in this area.
Grade: C-
#233 Lawrence Guy, DT Arizona State
A solid 5-technique DE in a 3-4, Guy has ideal size to help out. He has a learning disability as well as ADD, so the Packers must be patient. If the Packers can harness his potential, this is a steal at pick 233. A developmental guy with tremendous upside.
Grade: B-
