NFL Draft grades are in and the Packers fall short of a solid “A”, rolling the dice on ‘Bama” sensation Eddie Lacy and a few other prospects.
The question is whether or not that’s such a bad thing.
Eddie Lacy was a shining star on Alabama’s high powered offense. In three years the young man rushed for 2,402 yards while adding 30 touchdowns on 355 carries.
Eddie Lacy was also known for his pass-catching prowess (35 – 338 – 2 in as many years) as well as his ability to block for the QB.
Lacy came up big against Georgia rushing for 181 yards in the 2012 SEC Championship game which helped them advance to the BCS showdown with Notre Dame.
Lacy bulldozed the Irish for 140 rushing yards on 20 carries and a TD as he helped the Tide win the National title.
The 5’11”, 231 pound bulldozer has just as much speed as he does steam and can effectively run between the tackles and outside.
So what’s the problem? How can a guy like this be a player Green Bay is “rolling the dice” on?
Some feel Eddie Lacy’s success was due to his offensive line more than his actual talent
Alabama had one of the best—if not the best—offensive lines in the nation. Naturally, we can understand the reticence that some people have—is he really that good, or did the line make him look good.
Another issue is his surgically repaired toe/foot.
The actual issue is the repair process in which Lacy’s big toe was “fused” causing many teams to stay away from him, or at least that’s the report from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
This “repair process” is previously unknown news which, again, could be a cause for some concern.
To be honest, it’s this writer’s opinion that Eddie Lacy will be just fine. When we look at his numbers we see the talent is there, and if the injury repair process was that big of a deal, I’m sure it would’ve been noted.
Furthermore, if Green Bay felt it to be an issue moving forward, I’m sure they would’ve also passed.
Initially Green Bay may have appeared to roll the dice on Lacy, but in the end I think we’ll see that Ted Thompson knew what he was doing all along.
Green Bay’s Draft Recap:
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Datone Jones, DT (1:26): This was Green Bay’s other “ace in the hole" pick. Jones should immediately contribute especially in the 3-4 alignment. He’ll add an upgraded dimension to the pass rush taking a lot of weight off of the linebackers.
Round 4: Offensive Tackles: David Bakhtiari and J.C. Tretter: Both players were reaches as far as I’m concerned. Neither possess a true ability to play in a zone-blocking scheme, and both are considered a bit undersized. They will add depth to a line that was destroyed by injuries last season and hopefully they develop outside their initial scouting report.
Round 4 Johnathan Franklin, RB: Franklin is a big back who is a great North-South runner. While he isn’t very good rounding the outside edge or holding onto the ball, the kid has great promise and is much better than a fourth round selection. Franklin could be in line to handle special-teams duties early on.
Round 5: CB Micah Hyde and DE Josh Boyd: I love grabbing Hyde out of the fifth round and feel he is a true value pick. He comes from an aggressive defensive Iowa team and can play multiple schemes equally well with little deviation.
Josh Boyd has all the right tools to eventually become a starting candidate for Green Bay, but he does have a long way to go. I do expect him to see some time this year as a sub-package player.
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The Bottom Half:
Round 6: Nate Palmer, ILB
Round 7: Charles Johnson, WR
Round 7: Kevin Dorsey, WR
Round 7: Sam Barrington, LB
Palmer, Dorsey and Barrington will certainly give the Packers plenty to think about when it comes to developmental players. Green Bay could benefit greatly if Palmer develops quickly.
Charles Johnson is a very interesting pick, one that I really like. Johnson is an above average route-runner with solid hands. His knock is average speed, but this kid is much better than advertised.
Final Grade: B minus
