So, what do you say we get to a few more right now? Does that sound good to you?

Yeah – that’s what we thought.

The [...]]]> We’ve covered three of the top backs in the 2010 draft already. But in a running back-heavy draft such as this one, there are obviously many more to get to.

So, what do you say we get to a few more right now? Does that sound good to you?

Yeah – that’s what we thought.

• Ryan Matthews, Fresno State

The numbers: 5-feet, 11-inches, 220 pounds…turns 23 years old in May…forfeited his senior season to enter the draft…4.37 40-yard dash time at the combine (4.46 at his pro day this month)…second team All American and first team All WAC in 2009…1,808 yards rushing (6.6 average) and 19 rushing touchdowns last season.

What he does that could work for the Packers: Matthews is neither C.J. Spiller (i.e., extremely fast) nor Jonathan Dwyer (i.e., extremely powerful). Instead, he’s in that nice middle ground where he’s a little of both (i.e., he can either go around you or through you). He’s a tough runner who’s also blessed with good vision. And he knows how to excel against the best, rushing for over 100 yards in consecutive games against Wisconsin, Boise State and Cincinnati last season.

What he doesn’t do that could hurt the Packers: Before he’s even played a snap as a pro, Matthews already has injury issues (he has yet to play a full season’s worth of games, for example). He might be in that nice middle ground, but that also means he’s not likely to bust many big gains. Not much experience as a pass-catcher, either, as he hauled in just 11 passes last season.

Final thoughts: It’s never good when a runner struggles with injuries throughout his collegiate career, as Matthews did. His lack of gamebreaking abilities/pass catching skills once again eliminates him from “change of pace” back status, as well. Essentially, Matthews would be able to do many of the same things Ryan Grant already does (and doesn’t do). Maybe it’s just me, but one Ryan Grant is all Green Bay needs. Still, he’d be there in the first round if the Packers want him.

• Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss

The numbers: 5-feet, 8-inches, 165 pounds…turns 22 years old in August…4.53 40-yard dash time at the combine (4.44 at his pro day this month)…second team All SEC and third team All American in 2009…1,169 rushing yards (6.5 average) and 520 receiving yards last season…11 total touchdowns last season.

What he does that could work for the Packers: Some people list McCluster as a running back/wide receiver and, in many ways, that’s accurate. McCluster is a do-it-all type of player who can pretty much line up anywhere on the field. Like Spiller and Best, McCluster can also hit the long ball from anywhere on the field (don’t let those 40 times fool you – this guy can get it to “Ludicrous Speed”). He’s a very good pass catcher with instinctive route-running abilities and he’s tougher than your average 5-8 cat.

What he doesn’t do that could hurt the Packers: Of course, 5-8 is still 5-8, meaning McCluster will only be able to withstand so much punishment at the next level. For him to succeed, teams will likely have to create a separate set of packages designed around his skills.

Final thoughts: Remember what Percy Harvin provided for Minnesota last season? McCluster could do those exact same things for the Packers (oh yeah, he returns punts and kicks, too). An already dangerous Green Bay offense could become lethal with him in the fold. Plus, I think Mike McCarthy is smart enough to create some special packages for him. Greg Jennings, Jermichael Finley and McCluster for the next five-plus years? Sounds reeeeaaalllyy good to me. He’ll be there in round two and the Pack should absolutely jump at him.

• Joe McKnight, USC

The numbers: 6-feet, 190 pounds…turns 22 in April…forfeited his senior season to enter the draft…4.47 40-yard dash time at the combine (did not run the 40 at his pro day this week)…1,014 rushing yards (6.2 average) and eight touchdowns last season…voted Co-Player of the Year by Parade magazine as a high school senior in 2006.

What he does that could work for the Packers: The raw skills that made McKnight so highly regarded coming out of high school are still there, despite a disappointing career at USC. He’s lightening fast (again, don’t focus too much on his 40 time). He’s got fantastic vision and knows how to get to the open patches. Once he does, you’re not likely to catch him. As a pass catcher, he brings many of the same things to the table that McCluster does.

What he doesn’t do that could hurt the Packers: He’s not the toughest runner around and has struggled with injuries. He’s also had trouble in pass protection. While many of the top backs in the class have experience carrying the load, such is not the case with McKnight (his 20 carries against Cal last season was the most he had in any game last year, for example). Was supposed to be the next Reggie Bush, but it never happened.

Final thoughts: Like Matthews before him, you always have to worry about backs that couldn’t stay healthy in college. The fact that he pretty much busted at USC is also cause for concern. It’s hard to blame his coaches there, for example, as those guys have produced about a million NFL players over the past few years. Still, his raw talent is hard to ignore and if he can ever maximize on it, he could be a very good pro. He’ll probably still be on the board in round three and might be worth the gamble if the Packers think they can be the ones to light a fire under him.

That’s all for part two. Check back later today for part three.

-Chris Lempesis

(Plus, as you likely know, we LOVE doing mock drafts.)

Most of the “big fish” free agents have signed their respective deals and, as a result, some teams’ draft plans have changed. Our new mock has [...]]]> Now that we are roughly 12 days into free agency, it seemed like the perfect time to run an updated mock draft.

(Plus, as you likely know, we LOVE doing mock drafts.)

Most of the “big fish” free agents have signed their respective deals and, as a result, some teams’ draft plans have changed. Our new mock has certainly taken those moves into account as there are some major changes from our first mock.

What are those changes? Well, let’s find out, shall we?

1. St. Louis Rams -  Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma. The biggest jump in this current mock belongs to Bradford (whom I previously had going to Buffalo at No. 9). Why the sudden rise? Well, from everything I’ve read, it just sounds like the St. Louis brass rather likes Bradford. Plus, it’s a lot easier to sell the selection of a quarterback No. 1 overall than it is a defensive tackle. I have my doubts about Bradford, but from a business standpoint, I can see where St. Louis is coming from.

2. Detroit Lions – Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska. By signing Kyle Vanden Bosch and trading for Corey Williams, Detroit is definitely putting an emphasis on getting to the quarterback more. Those were both decent moves, but neither of those guys is a game-changer. Suh, on the other hand, surely could be. He’ll be NFL-ready from day one and could be head coach Jim Schwartz’s Haynesworth 2.0.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Eric Berry, S, Tennessee. While there is change with the top two picks, this song remains the same. In five years, Berry could very well end up the best defensive player to come out of this draft. Athletic, fast and rangy, he’s the type of do-it-all player who could make an impact on Tampa Bay’s defense right away. His playmaking numbers dipped a bit last season (just two picks as opposed to 12 combined in the two years previous), but don’t let that fool you. This kid’s for real.

4. Washington Redskins – Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State. Many analysts seem to think the ‘Skins will jump at Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen if he’s here. I disagree. New head coach Mike Shanahan has already said he wants Jason Campbell back. He’ll use 2010 to evaluate Campbell and see if he is, in fact, the future at quarterback. He’ll also give Campbell some added protection. Enter Okung, the most complete – and best – lineman in the draft.

5. Kansas City Chiefs – Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma. My previous mock had the Chiefs going with Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain as Okung, McCoy and Suh were all already gone. This time around, McCoy is available and I can’t see how Kansas City passes on him. He’s not overly big (just 295 pounds), but has explosive pass rushing abilities. Sure, the Chiefs whiffed on Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson didn’t do much as a rookie, but if they just keep taking d-tackles, one of them will hit, right? Maybe?

6. Seattle Seahawks – Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa. A replacement must be found for 35-year old Walter Jones. Originally, I had Rutgers’ Anthony Davis as that guy. But Davis’ weight issues and shaky combine (his character has come into question) make Bulaga the pick now. Some questions exist as to how high Bulaga’s ceiling really is. But the 6-feet, 6-inch, 312 pound Bulaga was also voted Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year last season. A couple of recent winners of that award, Jake Long and Joe Thomas, have done pretty well in the pros and Bulaga should follow suit.

7. Cleveland Browns – Joe Haden, CB, Florida. Another pick that has not changed since our first mock. The Brownies still need secondary help in a major way as they finished 29th in passing yards allowed per game (a whopping 244.7). Haden is, hands down, the best corner in the draft. He’s physical, aggressive and extremely fast and the Browns will jump at him here. Mike Holmgren will find his future quarterback later in the draft.

8. Oakland Raiders – Jason Pierre-Paul, OLB, South Florida. Yet another pick that has not changed, although this one is for different reasons, the biggest being I just do not want to climb into Al Davis’ head and try to figure out what he’s going to do. I’m just not man enough for that mission. I know he loves measureables and Pierre-Paul has those in abundance (6-feet, 6-inches, 265 pounds and lightening fast). Pierre-Paul could team with Kameron Wimbley, recently acquired from Cleveland, at OLB for the Raiders.

9. Buffalo Bills – Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame. As they can no longer get Bradford here, the Bills will jump at Clausen. Why? Brian Brohm, Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick, that’s why. That’s the quarterback group for the Bills as of now. None of those three bring any hope for the future, if you’re a Bills fan. And, as I said previously, that’s what Buffalo needs to give its fans here – some hope. Quite frankly, I have major doubts about Clausen as a pro, but I don’t doubt he’ll be the pick.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars – Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State. Everyone had the Jags going defensive end here before they signed Aaron Kampman. I always thought they’d go with Bryant and, well, I still do. Simply put, Jacksonville hasn’t had a gamebreaking receiving threat since the days of Jimmy Smith. Well, those days are long gone. Bryant is an athletic, tough wideout with very good hands who could loosen the strain on Maurice Jones-Drew.

11. Denver Broncos – Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama. Previously, I had Clausen going here. But, by acquiring Brady Quinn from Cleveland last weekend, Denver is no longer in the market for a quarterback (which is good because if things play out like I think, it couldn’t get one here anyways). The Jamal Williams signing beefs up the Broncos’ d-line, but they still have holes in the second level. McClain can remedy that as he is an absolute beast, particularly in stuffing the run.

12. Miami Dolphins – Brian Price, DT, UCLA. Nose tackle was a position of need for the Dolphins before 35-year old Jason Ferguson was suspended for the first eight games of the season (performance-enhancing drugs). Now, of course, it’s even more so, and I still think Price is the guy here. Price is similar in size – Ferguson’s 310 pounds and Price is 300 – and the Pac 10 Defensive Player of the Year also has the explosion to get into the backfield on passing downs. He’ll open things up for newly acquired ILB Karlos Dansby.

13. San Francisco 49ers – Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers. Yes, the issues surrounding Davis aren’t necessarily good. But he’s also a 6-feet, 6-inch, 325 pound monster who is looked at by many as the best pass protecting lineman in the draft. In other words, his equally large upside will prevent him from falling as far as some analysts think. Plus, something tells me Mike Singletary can keep this guy in line. Just a hunch. 

14. Seattle Seahawks (from Broncos) – C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson. With the combine Spiller had, Pete Carroll and Co. will be doing backflips if he’s still available here. A dual threat back, Spiller could be Pete’s new Reggie Bush (hopefully, minus the whole Kardashian thing). By nabbing Bulaga and Spiller, the Seahawks will have cleared up two of their biggest issues (offensive line and a lack of gamebreakers).

15. New York Giants – Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee. After chatting with my good friend (and huge Giants fan) Matt Anderson, I’m convinced New York will attempt to move up if it feels it’s in danger of losing McClain. But, since I’m not going to predict any trades here, I’ll stick with Big Blue selecting Williams. New York’s d-line wasn’t as good as many (myself included) thought it would be before last season. At 325 pounds and strong as a bull, Williams could go a long way towards fixing that.

16. Tennessee Titans – Derrick Morgan, DE/OLB, Georgia Tech. Originally, I had the Titans addressing some of their needs along the o-line with Idaho’s Mike Iupati. But after losing Vanden Bosch, I now think Tennessee turns to the defensive front, where it struggled last season without Fat Albert. At 275 pounds, Morgan is right on the fence as far as where he can play in the pros (depending on whether or not he adds weight). With 12 sacks and two forced fumbles last season, Morgan could replace Vanden Bosch in a major way.

17. San Francisco 49ers (from Panthers) – Earl Thomas, S, Texas. Having already upgraded at o-line with Davis, the Niners now turn their focus to finding a big-time playmaking safety in the secondary. Thomas’ size (5-feet, 10-inches, just under 200 pounds) isn’t exactly what you’d like at that position. But his numbers (63 tackles, eight interceptions last season) and speed definitely are. By taking Davis and Thomas, the Niners would walk away with a very nice first round haul.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers – Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho. Previously, Maryland’s Bruce Campbell was the pick here. But there are some fairly significant question marks on Campbell – like, if he’s so good, why did he receive no votes for All ACC-First Team last season? - and I think he’ll drop a good deal as a result. Still, the Steelers need o-line help badly. The 6-feet, 5-inch, 330 pound Iupati has the strength to be able to play, and flourish, right away. He could end up being very. very good. A typical Steeler pick.

19. Atlanta Falcons – Sergio Kindle, DE/OLB, Texas. With Morgan – the player I previously had them taking – off the board, the Falcons will turn to Kindle. At 255 pounds, he’ll play outside linebacker in Atlanta’s 4-3 scheme and he should be very good at that spot. He’s got great athleticism, knows how to get to the quarterback and could be for the Falcons what Brian Orakpo was for the ‘Skins last season.

20. Houston Texans – Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State. I’m not sensing much change at this spot for Houston. As usual, the Texans are set, offensively. Again, as usual, their defense still needs more work if they are to finally get over the top and into the playoffs. Last year’s first rounder, linebacker Brian Cushing, was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, but the team still needs one or two more pieces. Odrick (306 pounds with seven sacks last year) could very well be the nose tackle to open things up for Mario Williams and Amobi Okoye.

21. Cincinnati Bengals – Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida. Believe it or not, I actually left the Bengals off my first mock draft. I’m not sure how that happened, but if you’re a Bengals fan reading this, I am very sorry. Anyways, Cincinnati has major needs on the offensive line, particularly at center and guard. Lucky for them, Pouncey can play either of those spots in the pros. He’s also intelligent and plays with a mean streak that the Bengals’ offense sorely lacks.

22. New England Patriots – Brandon Graham, DE/OLB, Michigan. The Pats did not, as some expected, end up with Julius Peppers. They also cut Adalius Thomas, making outside linebacker a huge priority. Truth be told, I think Kindle will be a better pro, but Graham is not a bad consolation prize at all. Over his last three seasons at Michigan, Graham averaged over nine sacks a season, with ever-improving tackle numbers. He’s got short arms, yes, but he’s also a hard-worker who comes at you on every play. The Hoodie will love this guy.

23. Green Bay Packers – Charles Brown, OT, USC. Since this is a Packers’ blog, I’ll go a little more in-depth here. The re-signings of Chad Clifton/Mark Tauscher, at first, had me thinking Ted Thompson might go in a different direction with this pick (i.e., defense). But when I thought about it more, I still think the team has to nab a left tackle of the future. Clifton could break down at any minute and, while we all love T.J. Lang, I’m beginning to think he’s strictly a right tackle. The Packers need someone who can step in if Clifton goes down (which you know he will, if only for a game or two at a time). At just 290 pounds, Brown must bulk up a bit before he’s game ready. But his athleticism and NFL-ready pass protection skills would cover him if forced to play right away. He’s got a ton of upside and could protect Aaron Rodgers’ blindside for the next decade. At some point, this move has to be made. Why not here?

24. Philadelphia Eagles – Everson Griffen, DE, USC. Having whiffed on Kampman and Julius Peppers, the Eagles look to the draft to find their pass rushing end of the future. Previously, I had them going to Graham, but since he’s no longer available, they’ll go with Griffen. Not always the most motivated player, Griffen is still blessed with great athleticism and pass rushing skills. If the Eagles can keep a fire under his butt, he should be a productive player.

25. Baltimore Ravens – Carlos Dunlap, DT, Florida. Baltimore’s trade for wide receiver Anquan Boldin took care of its need for a big-time playmaker not named Ray Rice. That being the case, the Ravens will focus on d-line with this pick. Kelly Gregg is still very good, but will turn 34 during the season and the team needs to find a player to team up with Haloti Ngata for the future. There are some questions surrounding Dunlap (lack of motivation and a DUI arrest in particular). But he’s also had nine sacks in each of the past two seasons.

26. Arizona Cardinals – Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB, TCU. Having lost Dansby, you could argue that the Cards should go inside linebacker here. But since there are no real ILBs worth taking at this spot, they’ll stick with Hughes (whom I had them taking in our original mock). Clark Haggans and Chike Okeafor are both aging and merely decent and, with 26 sacks over his final two years at TCU, Hughes has shown a knack for getting to the quarterback.

27. Dallas Cowboys – Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma. Again, I’m sticking with what worked the first time here. Flozell Adams, for all the hype and money, just isn’t very consistent in pass protection. Plus, he’s getting older, so the team needs to upgrade there for the future. Williams would have gone much higher if not for his subpar 2009 season, but he still has a lot of tools and could be a good pro, if he regains his 2008 form.

28. San Diego Chargers – Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama. In our first mock, I said this pick “could be surprising” considering the Bolts, at that point, still had Jamal Williams. Seeing as though Williams got cut (and signed with Denver), this pick is no longer a shock. In fact, it makes a lot of sense. San Diego needs its next Williams and “Mount Cody” could be just that, provided he stays motivated and keeps his weight down. Remember, Cody dominated for long stretches in the toughest conference in the country.

29. New York Jets – Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri. The names change (previously I had Clemson’s Ricky Sapp here), but the position remains the same. Like I said before, it’s time for New York to just suck it up and admit that Vernon Gholston is a bust and find someone else to go opposite Calvin Pace at OLB. Weatherspoon is not the biggest linebacker, at just 245 pounds, but like his good buddy Clay Matthews, he’s an intense, non-stop player who is good in mulitple facets. He was a leader for Mizzou’s defense and you can never have too many of those.

30. Minnesota Vikings – Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State. With the Williams sisters still on trial (and possible facing four-game suspensions), Minnesota could very well look d-tackle here. But with all of the first-round tackles already gone, the Vikings turn their attention to cornerback. Good idea as Antoine Winfield is getting older and Cedric Griffin could miss the first six weeks due to his torn ACL. Wilson is a bit small at 5-feet, 9-inches, but is an aggressive, playmaking corner.

31. Indianapolis Colts – Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland. Charlie Johnson was serviceable at left tackle last season, but is far from the long-term solution there. As I previously mentioned, there are some big questions surrounding Campbell. But he is also a freak, physically (6-feet, 7-inches, 310 pounds, with a sub-4.8 40 time). In fact, some think he’s got the most upside of any lineman in the draft. After a year of learning, he could protect Peyton Manning’s blindside for the rest of Manning’s career.

32. New Orleans Saints – Taylor Mays, S, USC. Darren Sharper’s knee injury/contract demands place his future in New Orleans in doubt. The team needs someone who can play right away in the event Sharper walks and that player could be Mays. Before last season, it would have been unthinkable to have him this low. But a bad 2009 season (just one interception) and doubts about his ceiling land him here. Still, Mays brings great value at this spot.

-Chris Lempesis

With the NFL scouting combine in full swing and free agency set to begin Friday at 12:01 a.m. EST, we at OBOD figured it would be a good idea to pull together an early mock draft. Like we said in our first mock last year, this baby is likely to change a ton [...]]]> Well, it’s time.

With the NFL scouting combine in full swing and free agency set to begin Friday at 12:01 a.m. EST, we at OBOD figured it would be a good idea to pull together an early mock draft. Like we said in our first mock last year, this baby is likely to change a ton between now and the NFL Draft (April 22-24). I will be handling the duties for this first mock; Adam and Gene will be weighing in with their thoughts in the weeks ahead.

You might be asking: Why don’t you guys just wait a little bit longer to write one then?

Answer: These things are just too damn fun to do. We can’t wait any longer.

Besides, we’ll be rolling out a least a few more of these between now and draft day, again, because mock drafts are just the best. And if you’re wondering why we haven’t yet ripped into the NFL for having the draft Thursday-Saturday this year? Don’t worry – we’re going to – very soon.

With that brief introduction out of the way, let’s tee this thing up, shall we?

As always, enjoy.

1. St. Louis Rams -  Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska. The Rams have a defensive-minded head coach who loves to get pressure on the quarterback, particularly from the defensive linemen. It must have killed Steve Spagnuolo, then, to see his team finish with just 25 sacks, third worst in the league. Suh will be NFL-ready from day one and should instantly help remedy St. Louis’ blues (hey, did I just make a hockey reference by accident?).

2. Detroit Lions – Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma. Sort of a similar story here. Jim Schwartz is a defensive guy and likely hated the fact that Detroit went offense with both its first round picks last season. He wants – and needs – to find his Haynesworth 2.0 (i.e., a game-changing d-lineman). McCoy isn’t nearly as big as Fat Albert – just 295 pounds – but is a very good two-way lineman with explosive pass rushing ability.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Eric Berry, S, Tennessee. Everyone’s talking about Suh and McCoy right now. In five years, though, Berry could very well end up the best defensive player to come out of this draft. Athletic, fast and rangy, he’s the type of do-it-all player who could make an impact on Tampa Bay’s defense right away. His playmaking numbers dipped a bit last season (just two picks as opposed to 12 combined in the two years previous), but don’t let that fool you. This kid’s for real.

4. Washington Redskins – Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State. Originally, I had the ‘Skins going with Sam Bradford. Then I read that new head coach Mike Shanahan wants Jason Campbell back. Good decision as Campbell, for all the dogging he takes from ‘Skins fans and the media, could be a good quarterback if given some actual protection. Enter Okung, the most complete – and best – lineman in the draft.

5. Kansas City Chiefs – Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama. Consider this curveball No. 1 of the mock as McClain is looked at by many as a mid-first rounder. The Chiefs would likely love to land one of the top two tackles or Okung. But with those three off the board, they turn their attention to finding an impact inside ‘backer, something they desperately need. McClain is an absolute beast, particularly in stuffing the run. And, really, is it a reach if you grab an impact player who fills a need?

6. Seattle Seahawks – Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers. It’s been a great, potentially Hall of Fame-type run for Walter Jones. But he’s 35 now and breaking down, physically. A replacement must be found. Davis could be that guy, a 6-feet, 6-inch, 325 pound monster who is looked at by many as the best pass protecting lineman in the draft. Some wonder about his weight issues and love for the game, but his upside is too much for Pete Carroll and Co. to pass up here.

7. Cleveland Browns – Joe Haden, CB, Florida. The Brownies need secondary help in a major way as they finished 29th in passing yards allowed per game (a whopping 244.7). Eric Wright is and up-and-comer on one side, but Cleveland has nothing on the other. Haden is, hands down, the best corner in the draft. He’s physical, aggressive and extremely fast and the Browns will jump at him here.

8. Oakland Raiders – Jason Pierre-Paul, OLB, South Florida. JP-P only played one year at South Florida and didn’t really record major numbers (42 tackles, six sacks and one interception). But what JP-P lacks in numbers, he makes up for in measureables (6-feet, 6-inches, 265 pounds and lightening fast). Well, we all know Crazy Al loves measurables. I’d say more, but really, to do so would be to try and crawl inside Davis’ head. Yeah, no thanks.

9. Buffalo Bills – Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma. Brian Brohm, Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Yep – that’s the quarterback group for the Bills as of now. None of those three bring any hope for the future, if you’re a Bills fan. And, really, that’s what Buffalo needs to give its fans here – some hope. I have my doubts about Bradford (coming off a shoulder injury and played in a spread-style offense), but he will provide optimism.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars – Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State. Jacksonville hasn’t had a gamebreaking receiving threat since the days of Jimmy Smith. Well, those days were a looooooong time ago. Bryant is an athletic, tough wideout with very good hands who could loosen the strain on Maurice Jones-Drew. He’s got some character concers, but Jack Del Rio doesn’t strike me as a coach who would be swayed by that stuff.

11. Denver Broncos (from Bears) - Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame. Curveball No. 2 right here. While it’s true that Kyle Orton did a very solid job in his time as starter last season, he’s likely never going to be the type of quarterback who can get on a long playoff run. Who was Clausen’s coach in college? Charlie Weis, who previously was in New England with who? That’s right – Josh McDaniels. Clausen would know this offense and could spend a year or two being groomed behind Orton.

12. Miami Dolphins – Brian Price, DT, UCLA. The Dolphins need some help at nose tackle, where Jason Ferguson is now 35 years old. Price is similar in size – Ferguson’s 310 pounds and Price is 300 – and the Pac 10 Defensive Player of the Year also has the explosion to get into the backfield on passing downs. A meat-and-potatoes, Bill Parcells-type of pick right here.

13. San Francisco 49ers – Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa. The Niners are definitely a team on the up, but they could still use some help at o-line. Some questions exist as to how high Bulaga’s ceiling really is. But the 6-feet, 6-inch, 312 pound Bulaga was also voted Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year last season. A couple of recent winners of that award, Jake Long and Joe Thomas, have done pretty well in the pros and Bulaga should follow suit.

14. Seattle Seahawks (from Broncos) – C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson. Filling the offensive line void was key, but it didn’t help the fact that the Seahawks have a major lack of gamebreakers at the skill positions, offensively. Spiller, on the other hand, would help that very much. A dual threat back, Spiller could be Pete’s new Reggie Bush.

15. New York Giants – Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee. Heading into last season, the defensive line was looked at as perhaps the biggest strength for the Giants. Turns out it wasn’t. At 325 pounds and strong as a freakin’ bull, Williams is the type of player who can command double teams and open things up for players like Justin Tuck.

16. Tennessee Titans – Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho. The Titans have some needs, defensively, but also have some holes along the offensive line. And since their best player is running back Chris Johnson, they need to ensure he has the best five guys in front of him in order to fully succeed. The 6-feet, 5-inch, 330 pound Iupati has the strength to be able to play, and flourish, right away. He could end up being very, very good.

17. San Francisco 49ers (from Panthers) – Earl Thomas, S, Texas. In addition to o-line, the Niners could use a big-time playmaking safety in the secondary. His size (5-feet, 10-inches, just under 200 pounds) isn’t exactly what you’d like at that position. But his numbers (63 tackles, eight interceptions last season) and speed definitely are. He’s also a very hard worker – something you know head coach Mike Singletary will love.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers – Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland. I’m still shocked the Steelers won the Super Bowl two seasons ago with that offensive line. Their current left tackle, Max Starks, is decent but not great. Campbell is a freak, physically (6-feet, 7-inches, 310 pounds, with a sub-4.8 40 time). In fact, some think he’s got the most upside of any lineman in the draft. He might not be NFL ready just yet, but he could sit behind Starks for a year if need be.

19. Atlanta Falcons – Derrick Morgan, DE/OLB, Georgia Tech. At 275 pounds, Morgan is right on the fence as far as where he can play in the pros (depending on whether or not he adds weight). Either way, Atlanta needs help at both these spots (particularly at defensive end, where Jamaal Anderson has been a major bust). With 12 sacks and two forced fumbles for a team that plays in Atlanta’s backyard, Morgan could help bolster the Falcons’ defense in a major way.

20. Houston Texans – Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State. As usual, the Texans are set, offensively. Again, as usual, their defense still needs more work if they are to finally get over the top and into the playoffs. Last year’s first rounder, linebacker Brian Cushing, was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, but the team still needs one or two more pieces. Odrick (306 pounds with seven sacks last year) could very well be the nose tackle to open things up for Mario Williams and Amobi Okoye.

22. New England Patriots – Sergio Kindle, DE/OLB, Texas. This pick changes if the Pats, as some expect, end up with Julius Peppers. If they don’t, though, Kindle could be the guy here. At 255 pounds, he’s an OLB in the pros. He’s got great athleticism, knows how to get to the quarterback and could be for the Pats what Brian Orakpo was for the ‘Skins last season.

23. Green Bay Packers – Charles Brown, OT, USC. Since this is a Packers’ blog, I’ll go a little more in-depth here. While the team could go in a few different directions (corner, outside linebacker and even safety) in this spot, finding a left tackle of the future is paramount of importance, even if Chad Clifton comes back for one more year. At just 290 pounds, Brown must bulk up a bit before he’s game ready. But his athleticism and NFL-ready pass protection skills would cover him if forced to play right away. He’s got a ton of upside and could protect Aaron Rodgers’ blindside for the next decade. It’s a smart, safe choice, one that would pay off both now and in the long term.

24. Philadelphia Eagles – Brandon Graham, DE/OLB, Michigan. The Eagles’ linebacking corps, as a whole, took a step back last season. Injuries played a part in that, of course, but still, Philly needs to reinforce the position. Over his last three seasons at Michigan, Graham averaged over nine sacks a season, with ever-improving tackle numbers. He’s got short arms, yes, but he’s also a hard-worker who comes at you on every play. Philly fans will love this guy.

25. Baltimore Ravens – Damian Williams, WR, USC. One thing struck me, more than anything, about the Ravens during last season’s Monday night game with the Pack: Their near total lack of playmakers on offense, outside of Ray Rice. That needs to change if they are ever going to make a serious run at a Super Bowl. Williams isn’t the biggest receiver at just 6-feet, 1-inch, but has very good speed and recorded over 1,000 yards receiving for the Trojans last year.

26. Arizona Cardinals – Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB, TCU. If Karlos Dansby is re-signed (and he should be), the Cards are fine at inside linebacker. They still need help on the outside, though, where Clark Haggans and Chike Okeafor are merely decent. Hughes played defensive end in college, but at 257 pounds, he’ll be moved to OLB in the pros. With 26 sacks over his final two years at TCU, he’s shown a knack for getting to the quarterback.

27. Dallas Cowboys – Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma. In their playoff loss to Minnesota, the Cowboys showed their weaknesses along the o-line. Flozell Adams, for all the hype and money, just isn’t very consistent in pass protection. Plus, he’s getting older, so the team needs to upgrade there, at least for the future. Williams would have gone much higher if not for his subpar 2009 season, but he still has a lot of tools and could be a good pro, if he regains his 2008 form.

28. San Diego Chargers – Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama. At first glance, this pick could be surprising. After all, the Chargers have Jamal Williams at nose tackle and he is one of the best in the league. However, Williams turns 33 in April and is coming off a torn triceps injury that caused him to miss most of last season. They need a future and “Mount Cody” could be just that, provided he stays motivated and keeps his weight down.

29. New York Jets – Ricky Sapp, DE/OLB, Clemson. It’s time for New York to just suck it up and admit that Vernon Gholston is a bust. That being the case, the J-E-T-S need someone to go opposite Calvin Pace at OLB. Sapp was never 100 percent, health-wise, last year, yet he still finished with five sacks. Once back at 100 percent, he could become the pass rushing threat New York’s defense needs to become great.

30. Minnesota Vikings – Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State. Antoine Winfield is still very good, but also getting up there in age. Cedric Griffin is steadily improving, but could miss the first six weeks due to his torn ACL suffered in the NFC Championship Game. Wilson is a bit small at 5-feet, 9-inches, but is an aggressive, playmaking corner. He wouldn’t be forced to matchup against great players right away, allowing him to learn the game. In time, he could be very, very good.

31. Indianapolis Colts – Carlos Dunlap, DT, Florida. I said before last year’s draft and I’ll say it again now: Yes, the Colts have two great ends in Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. Between them? Not much. Indy needs to upgrade at tackle and it must do so this season to lessen the strain on the two outstanding ends. There are some questions surrounding Dunlap (lack of motivation and a DUI arrest in particular). But he’s also had nine sacks in each of the past two seasons and can play tackle or end (in the event Freeney or Mathis gets hurt)

32. New Orleans Saints – Taylor Mays, S, USC. Before last season, it would have been unthinkable to have Mays this low. But a bad 2009 season (just one interception) and doubts about his ceiling land him here. With Darren Sharper getting older, the Saints need future insurance and Mays brings great value at this spot.

-Chris Lempesis

And the final score will be 34-24.

And the Super Bowl MVP will be not Peyton Manning, but Dallas Clark.

And he will have 9 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns.

It’s to no one’s surprise that I picked the Colt’s after I admitted to the world my man crush on Peyton Manning.  I am [...]]]> The Indianapolis Colts.

And the final score will be 34-24.

And the Super Bowl MVP will be not Peyton Manning, but Dallas Clark.

And he will have 9 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns.

It’s to no one’s surprise that I picked the Colt’s after I admitted to the world my man crush on Peyton Manning.  I am actually a little surprised that Chris didn’t try to make up his Nostradamus-like pick of his Tennessee Titans by going with the Saints and hoping for the best.  To have the record show, prior to the year in a small circle amongst friends, including Chris, I picked the Colts to win the Super Bowl and the Titans to miss the playoffs entirely.  Being the unified voice that OBOD is, we went the Titans and I am still shaking my head to this moment.

After reading the Super Bowl previews from both Chris and Gene, there really isn’t anything left for me to say that they didn’t cover.  Both did bang-up jobs of breaking down the game (eat your heart out Peter King), so I am going to try to pick up a couple table scraps and explain why I think the Colts win by two scores that doesn’t involve Manning.

First, who is going to cover Dallas Clark?  If Visanthe Shiancoe gave the Saints problems last week, Clark could be an absolute nightmare tonight.  Reggie Wayne steals a lot of the attention, but it is basically Clark, not Wayne, who has replaced Marvin Harrison.  Check out these identical stats.

Wayne: 100 rec, 1264 yards, 12.6 avg, 10 TD

Clark:  100 rec, 1106 yards, 11.1 avg, 10 TD

Jabari Greer can probably hold his own against Wayne, but it is Clark who will present a tremendous matchup problem for Gregg Williams.  The X-factor is Darren Sharper.  He may be the best Clark-kryptonite the Saints have, but he will then be forced to leave his ball-hawking centerfield position in game where turnovers will be critical for a Saints upset.

My second point why the Colts will win is the running game.  A lot of Manning’s success comes from playaction.  I expect the Colts to coming out running, not passing early.  Looking beyond his fumbles, Adrian “All Thumbs” Peterson ripped up the Saints run defense pretty good a couple weeks ago.  Joseph Addai is not Peterson, but Manning is not Brett Favre.  The Colts don’t need a 140 yards from Addai, but more like 75 yards, enough to get the playaction going.  If they are successful with that the Saints secondary will be on their heels the whole game.

On the flip side, Pierre Thomas could be the key for a Saints upset.  The Colts defense is predicated on speed, which in my opinion will make Reggie Bush a non-factor.  But what if the Saints come out and pound the ball with Thomas right at Dwight Freeney and Raheem Brock?  The Colts are not great against the run (24th in the NFL), but have righted the ship some in the playoffs.  However, the Colts have to respect Drew Brees, unlike Joe Flacco or Mark Sanchez.  The Saints cannot go conservative like they did against the Vikings, but if they success running the ball, it could give Brees enough time to exploit any mismatches down field.

I do believe the Saints can win and as it should, the game will rest of the shoulders of their best player, Brees.  However, actually winning is a different story.  Brees will play well, but I think Manning plays better.  Either an early turnover or the Saints inability to get Manning off the field will lead to an early hole for the Saints, which will feel like the abyss against Manning.  Chris is right saying that if the Saints force a shootout they have a chance because they are best-equipped team in the league in playing from behind.  However, on the other side ol’ corral is Manning, who will have just one more round in the chamber than Brees.

-Adam Somers

Soon, there will be no more hype. No more injury reports. No more analysis. No more rumors of some band claiming to call themselves The Who playing the halftime show.

Seriously, fellas, you need to stop. You’re killing all of us.

Soon, Super Bowl XLIV will be upon us, with the Indianapolis Colts [...]]]> At last, it’s almost here.

Soon, there will be no more hype. No more injury reports. No more analysis. No more rumors of some band claiming to call themselves The Who playing the halftime show.

Seriously, fellas, you need to stop. You’re killing all of us.

Soon, Super Bowl XLIV will be upon us, with the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints battling it out to determine the world champions. But, since it’s not quite time yet, I figured I’d weigh in with my thoughts on the game. There’s a good chance Adam and Gene will give their respective thoughts and predictions rather shortly, so make sure to check back for those.

(Quick aside: You might have noticed that I stopped doing the weekly “Breaking down…” posts right after the week of the Cowboys game, way back in mid-November. The reason for that was simple: The Packers were on a winning streak. And you don’t you-know-what with a winning streak. Like I’ve said before, I’m superstitious to an astounding degree.)

Since pretty much everyone on the planet is picking the Colts – currently a five-point favorite the last time I checked – I’m going to use this post to try and answer a simple question: How do the Saints go about winning Sunday?

When I really looked at it, I came up with the following five things (my prediction for the game will follow):

1. Blitz Peyton Manning sparingly, if at all. Yes, yes – I know this goes against the standard football logic that says you have to pressure a great quarterback if you want to throw him off his game. But with the way Manning’s playing, you have to throw that logic out the window. Instead, the Saints need to take a page out of – brace yourselves – Bob Sanders’ playbook. Shocking, I know, but remember what Sanders did against Manning last season while he was still defensive coordinator of the Packers? He did what he always did: Swept four and dropped seven into coverage (with very little blitzing). It worked perfectly as Manning was never quite comfortable with all those defenders roaming in the secondary. Manning finished just 21-of-42 for 229 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions as Green Bay romped to a 34-14 win. With his lightening-fast delivery and knowledge of every blitz possible, Manning leaves you almost no chance to sack him, anyways. So you have to play the odds and throw as many bodies into coverage as you can and just hope someone makes a play. With players like Darren Sharper in their secondary, the Saints could do it.
2. Get physical with the receivers – very physical. Obviously, the Colts have a very good offense. But theirs is a finesse offense (as is the case with almost every dome team). This is especially true with regards to their receivers. Again, they’re very good, but I don’t see much physicality in that group. So you jam them, you press them – hell, you flat-out grab them off-the-snap if you have to. You might draw a penalty, yes, but you will also begin to frustrate them. That, in tune, will frustrate Manning (believe it or not, I still think that’s possible). The Colts are not necessarily a vertical offense; they rely heavily on short-and-intermediate stuff. Being physical with the pass-catchers cuts down on the timing you need to run those routes.
3. Do not let the Colts run the ball early on. This one’s simple: If the Colts can run early, Manning can playaction frequently. If that happens, game over.
4. Sean Payton: Don’t forget what got you here. Like everyone else, I was stunned at how conservative Payton became during the course of the NFC Championship Game. He took the ball out of Drew Brees’ hands and decided the Saints were going to become a ball-control offense. That’s not how the Saints won 13 games in the regular season and it almost caused them to lose to the Vikings. Get back to what you to best. Put Brees in the shotgun and let him wing it all over the yard. You’re going to need at least 35 points to win this one, Sean, and running on first-and-second down won’t do that for you.
5. Make Reggie Bush the focal point of your offense, especially early. With just nine total offensive touches for 41 yards (and a score), Bush was a glaring non-factor in the Vikings’ game. That can’t happen again Sunday. We can talk all we want about how Bush just hasn’t been the pro we all thought he’d be, but the fact remains: When he makes plays, the whole team is lifted (and opponents get the wind kicked out of them). He can break the game open Sunday, but he’ll need the ball way more than nine times for that to happen. The Saints should be aiming more for the 15-20 touch range and if that happens, you can almost guarantee Bush will break something.

Prediction

Unlike a lot of people, I really believe the Saints have a shot to win this one. After all, their offense is no shrinking violet and their defense, while certainly not great, can produce turnovers at key moments (see: the end of regulation in the Vikings’ game). With the way the Colts are playing, that might just be the only formula you can beat them with: Score, score, score and just hope for a turnover at some point. The Jets tried a gameplan based around running and defense and it worked – for less than a half. The Saints have to be thinking shootout. The only problem there is…

You’re getting into a shootout with, arguably, the greatest quarterback ever – which I think Manning becomes with a win Sunday – playing the best ball of his career. Everytime I look at this game, that’s all I keep coming back to: He’s one win away from possibly being the best ever. How does he let that moment pass him by? Sure, he’s had some playoff stinkers in the past, but he’s just so close now. And when the great ones are that close, they usually don’t slip up.

And Manning won’t slip Sunday.

Prediction: Indianapolis Colts 38, New Orleans Saints 31

-Chris Lempesis

Then I remembered that, with the Green Bay Packers not set to play until Monday, everything gets pushed back a day. Thus, Wednesday is their day off. The mid-week report will return [...]]]> I had it all planned out. I was going to write my usual Wednesday mid-week report this afternoon. It was going to be great.

Then I remembered that, with the Green Bay Packers not set to play until Monday, everything gets pushed back a day. Thus, Wednesday is their day off. The mid-week report will return tomorrow, though.

Just after that, though, I stumbled across this item on SI.com’s Truth and Rumor page that says the New Orleans Saints (man, we’re giving them a ton of pub here lately) will likely cut Reggie Bush at the end of the season. Bush has an $8 million or so cap figure and he just isn’t worth it, insiders in the organization say.

That got me to thinking about another disappointing high pick in the 2006 draft. You guessed it: our own A.J. Hawk.

Could this be it for Hawk in Green Bay?

Forget about the fact that he’s a huge favorite amongst us fans – Hawk jerseys litter Lambeau on gamedays (Adam and I both have Hawk jerseys, as well. Gene still sticks with his Anthony Dilweg jersey from back in the day).

Forget about the fact that advertisers (a certain car dealership in Mecca – er, Green Bay) and the league (he’s appeared in ads for the Sunday Ticket and NFL Play 60) are clearly in love with him.

Instead, focus on three key factors: His actual level of play, the money he’s due to make and the collective financial situation of the Packers.

First, his performance. Things began swimmingly for Hawk in Green Bay. Keyed by a great second half of his rookie season, Hawk finished with 121 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble and seven passes defended. You noticed him all over the place. If the kid could do this as a rookie, what could he do in year two, not to mention years four and five? It looked like we had a premier talent in our midst.

Since then, though, he’s fallen off in a major way. Hawk struggles mightily in coverage, makes most of his tackles downfield, takes poor angles on tackles far too often and shows almost zero ability as a pass rusher. Whenever he actually does something positive, I find myself getting overly psyched, kind of like when the father of the worst kid on your little league team goes nuts when his son scrapes out a walk. Admit it – you do the same thing.

Take a look at his “playmaking” stats since the start of 2007. Five sacks, one interception (ONE!), one forced fumble (ONE!!) and five passes defended. Wow.

You can make any excuse you’d like (he’s been hurt, he’s been forced to switch positions numerous times, etc.). But simply put, Hawk has not made anywhere close to the impact he was supposed to as the No. 5 pick in the ’06 draft out of Ohio State.

Now on to the “business” side of things. Hawk is making $3.53 million in salary this season, with a $5.9 million cap figure. That’s the seventh highest on the team. Hawk is scheduled to make $4.12 million in base salary next year, with a cap number likely around $6 million. His base salary for 2011, in case you were wondering? A whopping $10 million.

If Hawk was proving his worth on the field, his 2010 number would not at all be difficult for the Packers to swallow, considering the team has so much cap space (likely $15 million or so as of now). Plus, with 2010 almost guaranteed to be uncapped, the sky’s the limit in terms of overall team salaries.

Well, unless that team is the Green Bay Packers.

Even with a renovated Lambeau proving to be an absolute goldmine, the Packers are – and likely always will be – struggling to keep up with the Jerry Jones’ and Daniel Synder’s of the NFL. The bottom line ALWAYS comes into play with the green and gold as the Packers must be financially responsible at all times. Paying someone like Hawk that kind of money just isn’t very responsible, in my mind, jersey sales or not.

It becomes even more irresponsible when you consider the ridiculously high amount of players staring down the barrel at free agency, restricted or unrestricted, after the season. Many of them have, unlike Hawk, actually made an impact on the field, players like Ryan Pickett, Tramon Williams and Nick Collins.

Yes, most of these impending free agents – Collins, Williams and Johnny Jolly, to name a few – will fall into the restricted free agent category. With these players, Green Bay can either tender them at a significantly lower salary than they’d get on the open market (and receive draft pick compensation if they leave) or re-sign them to new deals. Either way, the Packers overall salary number should go up quite a bit heading into 2010.

That means some cuts will need to be made elsewhere. Chad Clifton’s expiring contract will help as will the fact that Aaron Kampman is unlikely to return. Still, that just might not be enough to keep the team’s overall salary at a manageable number.

More money will likely have to come off the books. As sad as it is to say, the money due a certain beloved, yet predominantly unproductive, inside linebacker could be the best place to start.

-Chris Lempesis

The Scene: Packers fans hadn’t gotten used to picking this high (fifth overall) in quite a few years. That, of course, is a nice way of saying we weren’t used to coming off a year [...]]]> This is the second in our weekly series evaluating Ted Thompson’s four drafts leading up to this month’s Annual Selection Meeting.

The Scene: Packers fans hadn’t gotten used to picking this high (fifth overall) in quite a few years. That, of course, is a nice way of saying we weren’t used to coming off a year as bad as the one they completed in 2005. Just about everything went wrong in 2005–Javon Walker tore his ACL in the first game of the season, the Packers wound up going through running backs like the Bears do quarterbacks, and somewhere along the way, Brett Favre got bored and started trying to win games by himself, which of course led to a league-leading 29 interceptions. And to top all that off, Samkon Gado had an annoying Boy Scout moment in a meaningless Sunday night game against Detroit in December, running for 171 yards on 29 carries and fighting his way out of a sure safety that would have sealed a Packers loss in a game they eventually won in overtime. That gave the Packers one more win than the Saints, foiling my nefarious plan at the time called Project Reggie (more on that in a minute). Side note: The ‘05 Packers got outscored by a mere 46 points and lost eight games by a touchdown or less. Remind you of another Ted Thompson team? Just sayin’…

The Draft: So, this Project Reggie thing was my big plan for the Packers to take a page from the NBA and tank the crap out of the rest of their season once it went bad so they could draft USC running back Reggie Bush and give Brett Favre the kind of quick-strike weapon that would have put them back on the map. That didn’t work, and the Packers wound up picking fifth. (Fifth? At 4-12? With Mario Williams and Reggie Bush the top two picks? Seriously, Samkon, take the safety!) When Chris and I were getting together to watch the draft, rumors were buzzing the Packers had a deal in place to trade up to No. 2 and take Bush, but it didn’t happen. So they made the smartest pick they could at No. 5, taking A.J. Hawk. Then, armed with a pair of second-rounders (No. 36 and No. 37) thanks to the Javon Walker trade, Ted Thompson did what he does best: trade down. The Packers wound up with Boise State offensive lineman Daryn Colledge and Western Michigan wide receiver Greg Jennings at picks 46 and 57, respectively. They took Iowa linebacker Abdul Hodge and Louisville guard Jason Spitz in the third round, and traded down again. Texas A&M wide receiver Robert Ferguson Cory Rodgers came with the first fourth-rounder, and after another trade down (does Teddy get bored during the draft?), they grabbed Boston College’s Will Blackmon. The last five picks were Furman QB Ingle Martin, Nevada G Tony Moll, Texas A&M DT Johnny Jolly, Fresno State S Tyrone Culver and Northwest Missouri State DE Dave Tollefson (seriously, does anybody remember this guy? Why did I just waste four seconds typing Northwest Missouri State?) Whew. Lots of trades down, and lots of rhetorical questions from me. But that’s kind of how I felt about this draft at the time. After Hawk, there were some needs filled, but also some head-scratchers.

The Results: On balance, this might end up being Thompson’s best draft. But the troubling thing is, it looked better a year ago. Hawk has been a solid linebacker, but you don’t draft fifth overall for solid. He could wind up being better in a 3-4, but that remains to be seen. Jennings, obviously, is the highlight of this draft; he turned out to be the gamebreaker the Packers needed and a more-than-worthy replacement for Walker. He is, without much question, Thompson’s best pick as Packers GM. Spitz and Blackmon continue to get better; the latter is turning into a dangerous punt returner. And Jolly was a steal in the sixth round. But he, like Hawk, didn’t make the kind of jump from Year 2 to Year 3 that would put this draft over the top. Rodgers didn’t make the team out of camp and stands with Ferguson and Terrence Murphy as another example of the bad things that happen when the Packers draft Aggies receivers. Moll has delivered mixed results, and aside from Rodgers, Hodge was the most disappointing pick in this draft. He looked like a possible starter at linebacker, but got cut last year. The other thing worth mentioning here is, in all that trading down, Thompson missed out on Deuce Lutui, Danieal Manning and Lendale White, and passed on Bernard Pollard, Maurice Jones-Drew and Devin Hester. But that draft was so deep, you’re bound to miss on a few, and other than Lutui (or maybe one of the running backs), I can’t see any of those players filling a glaring need for the Packers now. As for the failed Project Reggie? Would have been nice to have Bush, but as many dimensions as he gives the Saints, he hasn’t been as much of a dominating force in New Orleans as expected.

The Grade: A-

Picking this high and armed with this many early picks, you can argue this draft should have netted a little more. But as it is, it netted one Pro Bowl-caliber player (Jennings), another starter who could still get better (Hawk), a good offensive lineman (Spitz), a dangerous punt returner (Blackmon) and a late-round steal (Jolly). Rodgers and Hodge keep this draft from being a solid A, and Colledge hasn’t been as good as hoped. But this one helped shape the NFC Championship Game team of 2007 and has given the Packers a foundation in several spots. In many ways–the high picks, the overall depth of the player pool and the quantity of early-round selections because of a trade–the ‘06 draft could be instructive for the one that’s coming up.

–Gene Bosling