"Expert" Analysis of Packers' Day One Picks

[Mags FTW]

Post all draft evaluations here:

Sportingnews
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/vi ... p?t=404958
Vinnie Iyer

Packers take Jordy Nelson at No. 36. Some people might see this is a reach, but I like Nelson's versatility as a wide receiver and explosive return man. Green Bay didn't have any glaring weaknesses as your NFC runner-up, so it could a little off the reservation to get a luxury pick. I loved watching Nelson at K-State.

Packers take Brian Brohm at No. 56. Again, another pick for which the Pack will get criticized, but another one I like. Great value here for a quarterback who might end up being the best one in this class. This should light a fire under Aaron Rodgers and also gives Green Bay someone to develop if Rodgers can't quite be the successor to Brett Favre.

Packers take Patrick Lee at No. 60. After going a bit of the luxury route with both Nelson and Brohm, Green Bay grabs its cornerback of the near future to replace either Charles Woodson or Al Harris down the line. Lee is a good fit because of his physical playing style.

[crkone]

CBS Sportsline

5. Green Bay (from N.Y. Jets) select: Jordy Nelson, WR, Kansas State
Comment: Nelson is a surprise pick here considering their WR corps as it stands. He'll not only help on offense thanks to his good set of hands, but he'll also contribute on special teams.

25. Green Bay Packers select: Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville
Comment: I didn't think that the Packers would pull the trigger on Brohm, but it makes sense for a number of reasons. For starters, he's a great fit for the West-Coast Offense. He's a nice playmaker who could probably do a nice job in a pinch. Exactly what you want from your backup QB. And, he could carry some trade value in a couple of years.

29. Green Bay Packers select: Patrick Lee, CB, Auburn
Comment: Patrick Lee has decent size and speed to go with an aggressive, physical nature. Will need to be coached up some after minimal college experience. Might be a dimeback in Green Bay this season, but at least the Packers have injected a little youth into their CB corps.

[crkone]

Rivals

Green Bay Packers
(from New York Jets) Jordy Nelson WR Kansas State
The buzz: The Packers opt to give new quarterback Aaron Rodgers another formidable threat in Nelson. He's a surprise choice because of the other more highly publicized receivers still available. Nelson brings the type of work ethic and character the team prefers. He will also be great on special teams.

Green Bay Packers
(from Cleveland) Brian Brohm QB Louisville
The buzz: Brohm fits well in the Packers' West Coast-style offense. He should also receive plenty of time to develop because Aaron Rodgers is the clear-cut No. 1 right now.

Green Bay Packers Pat Lee CB Auburn
The buzz: Lee fits the bill of the type of corner the Packers wanted. They thought about taking Brandon Flowers much earlier, but get the same type of aggressive defender here - and with better size, too.

[Mags FTW]

Sporting News' Clifton Brown

A-

Packers. Brian Brohm gives the Packers insurance at quarterback if Aaron Rodgers falters. Jordy Nelson is a deep-threat receiver who also returns kicks. They got great value for a team picking near the bottom.

Mel Kiper Jr.

Green Bay Packers: GRADE: B-
The Packers took a QB on both days of the draft: Brian Brohm in the second round and Matt Flynn in the seventh. Brohm is cerebral and accurate, but can he stay healthy? Flynn is big, has good arm strength and can run for a first down if he has to. Flynn has intangibles, something you must have to lead a team to a national title. Second-round pick Jordy Nelson is a great athlete, and will be a faster version of former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark. Patrick Lee is a very good cover corner and a solid second-round pick. Tight end Jermichael Finley has a ton of talent, he just has to make strides in terms of catching the ball and blocking. Defensive end Jeremy Thompson has a similar attitude and motor to current Packer Aaron Kampman.

[DigitalFool]

I heard on ESPN radio several times positive remarks about the Packers draft. They did tend to focus on the QB end, but didn't knock them for doing it.

I loved it when DP was totally knocking the Bears about their QB situation. I think it's been three years since they even DRAFTED a QB.

[DigitalFool]

USA Today

B-. Green Bay Packers: Skipped out of the first round in deal with New York Jets. Grabbed WR Jordy Nelson in second round and this could be a steal though a bit mystifying since the Packers aren't short of talent at this position. The kid can fly, runs 4.5 40-yard dash. Filled needs later with CB Patrick Lee and TE Jemichael Finley. Stole DE Jeremy Thompson in fourth round. QB Brian Brohm could have gone higher.

[DelaneyRudd]

I am on Jordy's bandwagon now.

[AJD]

Delaney are you a Packers fan? I see you on the Jazz forums. Packers/Jazz fans must be pretty rare. Those are my teams. Either way, cheers.

[MikeIsGood]

Scott Wright (NFLDC):

You have to give Ted Thompson a lot of credit for the job he has done of building the Green Bay Packers into the contender they are today. While most teams use free agency and trades to improve their team the Packers have by and large relied almost solely on the draft, and so far the plan is working to perfection. Green Bay has preferred to go with the quantity over quality approach, making an average of 11.3 picks from 2005-2007, and this year was no different as they sent cards to the podium nine times. With the retirement of Brett Favre the Packers organization is treading into uncharted waters and a new era is beginning. Will this draft class help them overcome the loss of their Hall of Fame icon and take that next step towards the Super Bowl or will they fall back a step or two in 2008?

After trading out of the first round Green Bay used their top pick in the '08 Draft on Kansas St. wide receiver Jordy Nelson, which came as a bit of a surprise because they always seem to be bragging about how they already have five or six starting-caliber wideouts. Nelson, who really burst onto the prospect scene with a big senior campaign, has sneaky speed to go along with excellent hands and appears to be a prototypical possession receiver. As a rookie Nelson will have his work cut out for him and playing time won't be easy to come by, with Donald Driver and Greg Jennings already entrenched as the starters. Look for Nelson to compete with James Jones and Ruvell Martin early on and depending on how that battle plays out he could land anywhere from third to fifth on the depth chart. With their next pick the Packers made one of the most controversial, and in my opinion worst, picks of the draft when they chose Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm. Don't get me wrong, I like Brohm and think he was a terrific value late in round two but he was not the right pick for Green Bay. By selecting a signal caller so early the Packers showed a complete and utter lack of confidence in Aaron Rodgers and essentially killed any chance he had of succeeding. Sure they needed to bring in a backup quarterback and an insurance policy but the right move would have been to add in a veteran who posed no legitimate threat to Rodgers, not a high-profile rookie. Rodgers will begin the year as the starter but it's only a matter of time until Brohm is under center in Green Bay and after using a #1 pick on a signal caller and spending three years developing him in their system they will be starting all over at the position, which is not an ideal situation for a team that hopes to contend for a Super Bowl in the very near future. To me both Nelson and Brohm were self-indulgent luxury picks and a classic case of a team thinking they are better than they are and ignoring need. That is one of my pet peeves when it comes to the NFL Draft.

With their third pick, also in round two, Green Bay made perhaps their best pick of the draft when they chose Auburn cornerback Patrick Lee. Even though Al Harris and Charles Woodson are one of the best starting duos in the league there was little or no depth behind them and corner was arguably Green Bay's greatest need. Look for Lee, who was only a one-year starter in college but has all the physical tools you look for, to compete for the nickel job right away and play a major role as a rookie. In round three Green Bay brought in some depth at tight end and possibly a future starter when they selected Jermichael Finley of Texas. There is always a surprise or two when it comes to underclassmen declaring and Finley was probably this year's biggest shocker, opting to come out after his redshirt sophomore season. A good athlete with the ability to stretch the field, Finley still has a ton of upside and had he stayed in school for a couple more years he might have come off the board much earlier. With Bubba Franks now gone Finley has an opportunity to step in as Donald Lee's backup as a rookie and with some development he has the potential to start and maybe even be an impact player down the road, although it will take a while.

With the first of two fourth round picks the Packers may have gotten a steal with Wake Forest defensive end Jeremy Thompson. After underachieving early in his college career Thompson really came on as a senior and that, combined with his intriguing blend of athleticism and physical tools, led some to speculate that he could come off the board as early as round two. Thompson isn't necessarily an elite pass rusher but he is a good all-around base end who will add depth behind Aaron Kampman and Cullen Jenkins. With their next pick the Packers made one of the drafts biggest reaches when they selected Central Florida offensive lineman Josh Sitton. A college tackle who will move inside to guard at the next level, Sitton wasn't rated as a draftable prospect by most teams and could have been had much later. Sitton will compete for a backup job as a rookie but there is a chance he could wind up as a third-stringer.

In round five Green Bay opted for another offensive lineman in Louisville's Breno Giacomini, who unlike Sitton was a good pick. An impressive physical specimen at 6-7 and over 300 lbs., Giacomini is still a bit raw but he has starting potential and should at least be a solid backup. For the time being Giacomini will provide depth behind Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher but with those two getting older he could be groomed as a future starter on either the left or right side. In round seven the Packers brought in yet another quarterback, this time Matt Flynn of L.S.U. Now this is the type of guy Green Bay should have drafted because it gives them a developmental signal caller but won't put any undue pressure on Aaron Rodgers. A one-year starter who bided his time behind JaMarcus Russell for most of his career, Flynn is a good athlete and led his team to a National Championship as a senior but is still a work in progress. Flynn is a candidate for the #3 job but if a veteran signal caller is brought in he might have to battle for a roster spot. With their final pick of this draft the Packers chose San Diego St. wide receiver Brett Swain, who has okay size (6-0, 200) but sub par speed (4.63). Swain could wind up being a candidate for Green Bay's practice squad in 2008 since the Packers are already at least five deep at his position.

There was one or two bright spots in this draft for Green Bay but overall this effort leaves a lot to be desired. The selection of Brohm, which could set the franchise backs years, is enough to earn this class a poor grade on it's own but then when you factor in things like using their top pick on a #4 or #5 wideout and reaching for Sitton it just keeps dropping. Long-term Green Bay might end up getting a few starters out of this draft but outside of Patrick Lee it's hard to envision any of their other rookies making a big immediate impact.

GRADE: C-

[TheGhostDog]

[T]he Packers made one of the most controversial, and in my opinion worst, picks of the draft when they chose Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm. Don't get me wrong, I like Brohm and think he was a terrific value late in round two but he was not the right pick for Green Bay. By selecting a signal caller so early the Packers showed a complete and utter lack of confidence in Aaron Rodgers and essentially killed any chance he had of succeeding.

I've never heard of Scott Wright before, but boy did he nail it. TT has single-handedly destroyed Aaron Rodgers' career, the same way his mentor Ron Wolf crippled the young, fragile psyche of long-forgotten QB Brett Favre by drafting Ty Detmer in 1992, Mark Brunell '93, Jay Barker '95, Kyle Wachholtz '96, Ronnie McAda '97, Matt Hasselbeck '98, and Aaron Brooks in '99. It's almost as if Wolf was deliberately tormenting Favre every single year, trying to drive him out of town, but foolish Favre never took the hint.

[Neusch23]

I love how then he says that Lee was a great pick because we have no depth behind starters harris and woodson...

What depth did we have behind Rodgers????????

[ReasonablySober]

Don't get me wrong, I like Brohm and think he was a terrific value late in round two but he was not the right pick for Green Bay.

Wow.

Universally called an outstanding pick based on value, this idiot fails to realize two things:

1: Injuries happen in the NFL.
2: If Rodgers is the type to fold under competition, he isn't going to be an NFL QB.

I'm as high on Aaron as anyone around here and have spent three years defending Thompson when the subject of Rodgers has come up. I loved what I saw last season out of him and think he's going to be the best QB in the division the second he takes his first snap of the season.

But even I loved the Brohm pick. How could you not? Grab a talented, NFL ready QB in the middle of the second round? A guy that could have been a top ten pick had he come out as a junior?

Hopefully Brohm never sees the field unless it's in garbage time and they can trade him in three seasons. But he's one hell of an insurance policy.

As for Nelson, again, injuries happen. But that was a nice pick with an eye towards the future. Martin will play out this season (tendered) and the next (RFA). At that point, in the summer of '10, he'll likely walk as a Free Agent and Donald Driver will be 35 and probably retire. Despite the fact that the Packers have been blessed with WRs that have been able to come in and contribute right off the bat, most need three seasons before they're ready to be impact players. Green Bay goes into '10 with Nelson, Jennings and Jones as a young, talented trio.

[El Duderino]

Hopefully Brohm never sees the field unless it's in garbage time and they can trade him in three seasons. But he's one hell of an insurance policy.

I wouldn't state it that way

For me, if Brohm at some point say next year takes Rodgers job either via Rodgers not staying healthy or performing that great and Brohm ends up proving to be a really good QB, i'll be plenty fine with that.

One reason i really liked the pick was it gives the Packers a two chances at coming up with an upper tier player at easily the most important position in the NFL.

I like Rodgers and think he has a pretty good chance to be a solid or better QB if he can stay healthy. That's far from a given though as history has shown in the NFL that until a QB actually steps on the field week after week and is productive.

By adding Brohm, i'm pretty damn confident that between him and Rodgers, at least one of the two will end up becoming a productive longish term QB for the Packers. Even better would be that both look good enough that one plays well for us and the other looks good enough to draw a trade at some point.

[Ayt]

"Rodgers will begin the year as the starter but it's only a matter of time until Brohm is under center in Green Bay and after using a #1 pick on a signal caller and spending three years developing him in their system they will be starting all over at the position, which is not an ideal situation for a team that hopes to contend for a Super Bowl in the very near future."

Ummm, how is that a foregone conclusion, jackwhore?

I'm in a similar position to the one DB stated. I've defended Rodgers since we picked him. I couldn't believe our luck when he fell to us. I had the exact same feeling when Brohm fell to us.

How do you replace a legend at QB? Have a talented former 1st rounder with 3 years under his belt waiting in the wings, and another top notch talent developing behind him. The teams that neglect the most important position in football for years on end aren't the teams you want to be emulating.

AR isn't going to lose his job unless he completely stinks it up, and if he does, I'd much rather have a Brohm waiting and developing behind him than a washed up vet that you'd want to replace as soon as possible.

Its baffling the logic people can come up with in criticizing a team for having two high level prospects at the most important position in football. Don't they pay attention to all the shitpail teams that don't have a good QB, or even a decent QB prospect, for years on end? Think how much better off the Bears would have been if they had another high level young guy to push or replace Grossman? Or the Lions with Harrington all those years. Or Minny now.

[MickeyDavis]

We've been spoiled with 17 years of durabilty. QB's get hurt all the time. You absolutely have to have two quality guys. I hope Rodgers comes in, does well, and has a long Pro Bowl career. But if he doesn't, I sure hope we have a capable guy ready to step in.

[eagle13]

We are replacing a legend the best way possible - ala 49ers replacing Montana.

I am happy that Rod had to wait 3 years to get his shot b/c now I believe he is ready to rise to the occassion.

I predicted and supported that Pack would take Brohm with their 1st if he was there but figured he'd be gone . I was wrong about him not being there and the Pack taking him with 1st but right the Pack took him and am very glad for all the reasons others stated.

I can't believe so many teams let him fall even passing with their 2nd rd picks - incredible! The Bears and Vikings did not take him with their 2nds? Amazing.