Tight Ends And Trades » Brats & Beer

April 27, 2008
posted under: NFL Draft, Packers

Drafting for need and trading up? Who says the second day of the draft is boring.

With his first pick of the day in the third round, Ted Thompson selected tight end Jermichael Finley from Texas. Definitely a need area for the Packers that now has been addressed. Finley looks like an interesting prospect with some speed on seam routes and good hands. The downside is he doesn’t block well and could use some extra body size, but those are things the coaching staff can work on. (And if I remember correctly, lack of blocking skill was also a knock on Bubba Franks when he came out.) There might also be some maturity issues with Finley coming out early, but according to NFL.com he’s got a young family (one daughter and another child on the way) and decided he needed to get his career started. This could be a positive if he’s got a family to support and motivate him.

Even more surprising, TT traded up in the fourth round to take Jeremy Thompson, defensive end from Wake Forest. The trade with the Jets exchanged the #113 pick the Packers got form the Jets yesterday and their fifth-round pick. TT obviously saw something he really liked to give up a pick to get ahead of the Titans, who selected another DE right afterwards. Sounds like the coaching staff will have some work to do to get Thompson (the player, not the GM) ready for action, but it seems like he might have a lot of potential.

Still quite pleased with the way this draft is going. Keep it up, TT.