Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Cheesehead nation is probably breathing easy this week regardless of what the Green Bay Packers did in the 2013 NFL Draft.
This is not to say that the draft is unimportant, but getting Clay Matthews and then Aaron Rodgers extended lifts a huge weight off the team, even if it seemed inevitable. Arguably the best offensive and defensive players in the league are locked up long-term, and general manager Ted Thompson can pat himself on the back.
Thompson can also pat himself on the back for his performance this past weekend — well, if his glut of fourth and fifth round picks pan out relatively well. The Packers took offensive lineman David Bakhtiari and J.C. Tretter to add depth to a group that could use it. My one criticism here might be that Marshall Newhouse could kick inside from left tackle if you found a prospect you believe in, but perhaps the Packers didn’t see it happening in this class.
The Datone Jones pick in the first round also adds a shiny new toy that helps defensive coordinator Dom Capers get creative. Johnathan Franklin in Round 5 and Eddie Lacy in Round 2 give Green Bay my two favorite running backs in the draft, and I really believe this position will turn from years-long weakness into yet another offensive strength in short time.
That is if Lacy, who was constantly nicked up at Alabama, can stay healthy.
“He’s a big back and really hasn’t missed any time,” Packers Director of College Scouting Brian Gutekunst told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “He’s played through whatever he’s had so I don’t think it’s going to be a concern.”
Picks: Jones (1-26), Lacy (2-29), Bakhtiari (4-12), Tretter (4-25), Franklin (4-28), Micah Hyde (5-26), Josh Boyd (5-34), Nate Palmer (6-25), Charles Johnson (7-10)
Grade: B+
Thomas Emerick is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ThomasEmerick, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
