Eileen Blass-USA TODAY Sports
A lot of people, myself included, were killing the Green Bay Packers for not taking Eddie Lacy in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. ‘How could they?,’ many people asked, but in the end, Ted Thompson and company knew what they were doing.
The Pack didn’t pass up Lacy again, and grabbed him in the second round with the 61st overall pick. Fans everywhere breathed a collective sigh of relief, as the team got its cake, and ate it too. They now also have an upgraded defensive line, with the selection of DE Datone Jones in round one.
Green Bay wasn’t done bolstering its backfield, though, as RB Johnathan Franklin‘s name was also called in the fourth round. So in a matter of days, the talk has gone from the potential return or Cedric Benson, to talk of what the future could hold with the duo of Lacy and Franklin.
Just sitting here today, Lacy figures to pencil in as the team’s starter, while Franklin should get a fair amount of carries as well, right out of the gate. While Franklin is less of a household name, he actually outrushed Lacy in 2012 by over 400 yards. Of course, there’s always the SEC vs. Pac 12 debate to consider.
Regardless, the Packers finally have themselves two quality young running backs. It was time for the franchise to make the position a priority, and they hit a home run in the 2013 draft. You have to figure, that worst case scenario, one of these backs will pan out. The Packers don’t need these guys to carry to load, just merely to help ease the load on the shoulders of Aaron Rodgers. Both of these draftees, should be able to do just that.
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