Grade Day 1

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

I gave him a B.

I don't know much about Harrell, so I won't judge until I see him play. Jackson looks like a guy who can split carries with Morencey, but doesn't really look like he'll be a full time starter (again we will see). I wanted Paul Williams instead of Jones. I read up on Jones and it said he really isn't that fast and can't stretch the field so I really hate this pick. Rouse seems like a good pick, but is very raw. Hopefully we can find a place for him to get on the field. Maybe he can stand at the line of scrimmage and block the QB's vision.

[RashanGary]

I gave a B too. I love the Harrell pick. I'm looking forward to the best defense since Reggie left which isn't saying much I know.

I think the RB is pretty good. I think he helps solidfy our stable of backs.

I kind of like the WR. Jones said his best skill is that he catches everything thrown his way and I think WR's who catch have a funny way of impacting the game.

The Safety scares me because he's tall and tall guys seem to have a hard time changing direction and getting in clean licks because they can't move very well. That said, Thompson seems to acctually place priority on ST's and I think this guy can be a demon on ST's.

[Deputy Nutz]

I think the Harrell Pick suprised me a bit, but I actually heard his name come up on the radion on Thursday. I bypassed that idea when I heard it, but then I was like, "holy shit!" That bastard actually predicted this one right.

I don't hate the pick considering that teams like Minnesota has just built up their running game with drafting Adrian Peterson. The Bears are entrenched in running the football, and outside the division the Packers are going to have to play against LT, LJ, and a slew of other top notch running backs.

Harrell will offer instant impact, and has a better chance of starting opening day than any other pick with the 16th.

Every team at that point in the draft wanted to trade down but it is simply not that easy. There is a lot of risk involved with trading down, and you have to find a team that will offer you the same value. Cleveland wanted to move up, but they knew they didn't need to move up to the 16th pick. They just needed to move up before Kansas City.

Thompson made the best move for this franchise selecting Harrell, and for all of you people that wanted to surround Favre with more weapons, Favre said it himself, a rookie WR does little to nothing to help him out this season.

Have faith that the Packers trade and sign Moss today. Oakland traded their 4th to Detroit, and also have faith that there will be a tight end included in the deal along with Robert Ferguson.

I thought the other picks did a nice job of filling some needs, and we got a runningback that is a bit of a do everything type back who can catch the ball out of the backfield, and the nice thing was the Packers were able to trade down and still have basically their pick of running backs in the second round.

[BallHawk]

Ahh, Nutz, you logical reasoning and insight are a sight for sore eyes (Since, technically, I'm reading this.)

[Tarlam!]

Good post Nutz.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

Good post Nutz, I agree about us building our defense. Man our division got some weapons yesterday.

[MJZiggy]

We got a player who can catch? After the drops last season, that alone should make people happy about this pick.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I know it's fun, but I've made a personal vow never to grade a draft the day after anymore.

[swede]

I liked your post too Nutz. You're not exactly Pollyanna, and your mostly positive reaction seems reasonable.

It seems to me that there were some teams that had amazing drafts thus far.

San Fran, Cleveland, and Detroit come to mind. A few players fell to them quite nicely. San Fran is going to like Willis, I think. And how about Buffalo getting Marshawn Lynch AND Paul Posluszny?

The video I saw of our RB showed a kid with pretty good vision and instincts that cut and changed direction with amazing quickness. He didn't seem to have a higher gear for scoring on really long runs, though.

The big safety might be TT's shot at finding the anti-CJ. I hope that works out.

I have a feeling that day two will bring a ton of offensive linemen, an athletic LB to bolster special teams, and an obscure TE out of Whatchamahooga State or Podunk U.

[packinpatland]

I know it's fun, but I've made a personal vow never to grade a draft the day after anymore.

When you look at the top drafted players in the past who went bust, and then the 'bargain' picks who are great...........you're probably right to reserve judgement.
Donald Driver went #213 for God's sake!

[Deputy Nutz]

I agree with Harv, I will grade this draft class in three years. Some people still won't get it but, Thompson stuck to his own chart and took players that were the best overall talent on his board and players that could offer an impact in 2007. I am sorry, but if any of you think Robert Meachum would give this team more than 25 catches this season you would be kidding yourselves.

[wist43]

C-

Harrell - It's interesting that the guy Pete Prisco compares Harrell to is Johnny Jolly... I guess I'm higher on Jolly than most of you guys. So now we have two Johnny Jolly's - although I think Harrell is a better player. As I've said, I think I'll like Harrel as a player - if he can stay healthy.

Jackson - Is Jackson the starter, or just a RB by committee guy??? To me, he looks like a slightly tougher version of Morency. I like Jackson well enough, and had mentioned him as a possiblity in the 3rd round... they say he's a tough insider runner, which is what the Packers needed - we'll see.

Jones - As I've said, PFW had him rated as a FA... just don't know enough about the guy. Is he better than Martin and Holiday??? Driver, Jennings, KRob... Jones seems like just another guy in the Martin/Holiday mix. Doesn't have long speed - looks like a pretty pedestrian, short area kinda guy. Don't think he has any experience or value as a returner. Somebody explain to me how this pick makes us better???

Rouse - Another head scratcher... doesn't fit what the Packers do. Is he better than Underwood and Cutler??? He's not going to match up with anybody in coverage. He's not big or tough enough to play LB. They say they're comfortable with how he moves in space - we'll see. Strange pick.

As I've said, it's entirely possible that TT drafted 4 good football players, but at the same time, didn't really do much to improve the team. To me, Jackson has to be the starter - if he's not, then TT wasted the pick; Jones will likely never be a starter; Rouse is a miscast pick. I'm coming around to liking the Harrell pick, but unless he's special, he's not going to do much to improve the team b/c the Packers are already pretty good at DT.

Strange draft so far.

[Fritz]

This is one of those scenarios in which my head says one thing and my gut says another.

As you all know, I am a big TT supporter. Last year, I didn't really know who Darryn Colledge was, nor Jason Spitz, and reading the scouting reports neither was valued as a top prospect - if I remember correctly, there were other, more highly rated tackles/guards availabel when TT picked Colledge.

Same two years ago with Nick Collins and Terrance Murphy. I had no clue who the guy was, and I was sick when I saw that TT had picked him so high when lots of scouting reports had him going later.

So I remind myself of these things, and I remind myself that I read a bunch of internet scouting stuff and watch some highlight video, while TT has scouts all over the country and immerses himself in video and reports all day long. I also remind myself that he's drafting players who fit his system, while I just read talent evaluations.

In my gut, however, I am sick. James Jones???WTF??? Sounds like that dude would have been available in the fourth or fifth round, and it sounds like he's just a possession guy with the intelligence of a rock. Aaron Rouse? A guy who is big but doesn't play big, a guy without a position and who sounds like a stiff?

Brandon Jackson - every report I saw gave him so-so marks and nothing more. Oh, and possible ball-carrying issues.

So there it is. What I have to keep reminding myself too is that by all accounts TT stayed true to his own draft board. And according to Ron Wolf, that's the most important rule in drafting - to stay true to your own evaluations, and not get caught up in need or in who other people think you "should" take based on press clippings and Mel Kiper.

I'm going to try to take that leap of faith and trust TT. Sure, I'd rather have seen the Pack with Meachem, Pittman, Garrett Wolfe and the like, but I'll try to be patient and wait and see. After all, this isn't the first time that TT has stunned me, and it seems to be working out so far. But it's tough.

[Bretsky]

For me it was OK; I'm not going to criticize it as a whole or glorify it.

General Views

Still would have liked us to trade down in round one
Like the RB
Question the WR
Like the Safety

[Scott Campbell]

Harrell will offer instant impact, and has a better chance of starting opening day than any other pick with the 16th.

Even non starters at DT are more valuable than most backups. We rotate or DL's to keep them fresh, and depth along the line is more important than depth at most other positions.