Packers Draft Roundup » Brats & Beer

April 30, 2006
posted under: AJ Hawk, Greg Jennings, NFL Draft, Packers, Ted Thompson

Two days and 255 picks later, the 2006 NFL Draft is finally over, so how did the Packers do? Pretty well, I’d say. There were no obvious goofs or gaffes we’ll be smarting from in the next few months, and we might have even picked up a few players that could make an impact for us. I would have to agree with Mr. Lalasz that Ted Thompson should have started dealing Javon Walker a long time ago, and if he had we might have gotten more than just a second round pick. I also think there was a little too much maneuvering there in the second round, and we missed out on some attractive talent, such as wideout Chad Jackson, lineman Winston Justice, and tight end Joe Klopfenstein. But compared to the Mike Sherman drafts, this one went off practically without a hitch.

Obviously, the big news to come out of it all is A.J. Hawk. I know there’s some grousing out there about Vernon Davis, but our defense is in such a sorry state and the linebacker corps so depleted of talent that taking Hawk was the right pick. This guy should have an immediate impact on the field and could become the next face of the Packers defense in the same way Reggie White and LeRoy Butler were back in the heyday 90s.

As for the rest of the picks, I was a little disappointed that more emphasis wasn’t placed on the offensive line in this draft. An obvious need for the team, we got some interesting prospects, but it doesn’t sound like any of them will be ready to play this Fall. Daryn Colledge, a tackle out of Boise State taken in the second round, might be closest to a starter, but the reviews on him are mixed. Don’t look for Jason Spitz (center, Louisville) or Tony Moll (tackle/guard, Nevada) to be protecting Brett come opening weekend, though. We also seemed to pass up a chance to beef up the defensive line, selecting tackle Johnny Jolly out of Texas A&M in the sixth round and defensive end Dave Tollefson in the final round. Both will most likely be works in progress for a while.

We did stock up on receivers, though, with Greg Jennings, Cory Rodgers, and Will Blackmon. Out of this class, I think Blackmon (Boston College) shows the best potential based on reports. He seems to have the size and the speed to make the team, though his skill level might be problem. Rodgers (TCU) also looks promising, but more as the punt returner we desperately need.

The oddball pick of the draft (and there always has to be one, right?) was Ingle Martin. A quarterback from Furman, he completed 212 of 350 passes for almost 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns last year. However, he was also the punter for the Paladins and averaged 43 yards on 33 kicks. Will he be giving BJ Sander and Ryan Flinn a little competition in camp? Could we eventually have a dual-role player, passing and punting? The possibilities for comedy are endless.