The Green Bay Packers and general manager Ted Thompson came into the 2013 NFL Draft armed with eight picks and about as many needs. In classic Ted fashion, the Packers maneuvered around and ended the day with 11 picks. Along the way they grabbed two of the best steals of the draft, solidified a lot of positions and showed fans why the team doesn’t sign free agents often.
Good Picks
Datone Jones: Obviously this is the pick the collective draft community has been mocking for months because of how much sense it made. Thompson appeared to agree and took the versatile lineman with the Packers’ first-round selection. Jones will make an immediate impact on the defense. Grade: A
Eddie Lacy: A lot of Packers’ fans lost their minds when Green Bay passed on Lacy in the first to take a pass rusher. But the ever-patient Packers struck gold when Lacy fell to them at the end of the second round. The Packers finally have a legitimate running back and this selection will likely make every fan forget about losing out on Steven Jackson earlier this offseason. Grade: A+
David Bakhtiari: The former Colorado tackle is extremely versatile and can play every position along the offensive line - a trait we all know Ted Thompson loves. This was a great first step towards solidifying the Packers’ terrible offensive line. Grade: A
J.C. Tretter: Just a handful of picks after selecting Bakhtiari, Green Bay moved to further solidify their O-line by selecting J.C. Tretter from Cornell. Tretter is a former tight end and really athletic. He likely won’t make it as a left tackle in the NFL, but his two years of experience there and great strength and footwork make him a great candidate to play right tackle or either guard position; possibly even center. Grade: B+
Johnathan Franklin: Possibly the steal of the draft. After getting lucky and landing Lacy at the end of the second, the Packers shocked everyone by trading up a few spots in the fourth to take a second running back; Johnathan Franklin from UCLA. Franklin is a game changer and will be the perfect compliment to Lacy in the Packers’ backfield. For the first time in my life, the Packers have a legitimate duel-threat backfield. Grade: A+
Nate Palmer: The Packers needed to add some depth to the outside linebacker position and did just that by selecting Palmer out of Illinois State. In two seasons, Palmer racked up 17 sacks and five forced fumbles. Grade: B
Head Scratchers
Micah Hyde: Don’t get my wrong; Hyde is a big, physical corner that fits the bill of a Packers-type defender. But with four corners on the roster already pushing for playing time and a bigger need at safety, this is a puzzling pick. Hyde has the versatility and skills set necessary to play free safety for the Packers, but if that’s what the wanted; why not take Bacarri Rambo? Grade: C
Josh Boyd: The Packers needed more help along the defensive line besides Datone Jones and missed out on a lot of talent by this point. Boyd is a two-down tackle and lazy just like B.J. Raji - not exactly what Green Bay Needs in my opinion. Grade: D
Charles Johnson and Kevin Dorsey: It’s no secret that the Packers needed to add a receiver or two after losing Greg Jennings and Donald Driver, and the futures of James Jones and Jordy Nelson with the team after this season unknown. The Packers still got a couple good receivers in the seventh round, but with Da’Rick Rogers and Cobi Hamilton still on the board, they could’ve gotten more talent and value. Grade: C
Final Grade
After compiling and averaging the grades for all 11 picks (not listed: OLB Samuel Barrington: B-) the Packers end the 2013 NFL Draft with a solid B (85.91 out of 100). Now obviously if players like Hyde and Boyd pan out, this grade will go up in 3-5 years. Conversely, if any of the top-graded picks flame out, this grade will significantly drop in that same time frame.
All in all, Ted Thompson went out there and worked his magic yet again, adding a ton of key pieces that significantly upgrade the team, at least on paper. We won’t know for sure the impact these players will have until the end of August at the earliest.