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While the Green Bay Packers might have had a tremendous day one of the 2009 NFL Draft, general manager Ted Thompson and the rest of the Packers front office was back at work Sunday for day two of the draft process. Let's take a closer look at who was selected by the Packers in rounds three through seven.
Fourth Round (No. 109 overall): T.J. Lang, Offensive Tackle, Eastern Michigan
Lang is definitely an unknown to most, but with 36 straight starts at Eastern Michigan, he is an experienced offensive tackle that the Packers need to help shore up a thin position in Green Bay.
In addition to his excellent durability, Lang has the versatility to play every offensive line position and was a second team All-MAC performer in 2008.
Scouts, Inc. rates him as a polished run blocker with above average upper body strength and no character issues.
Grade: B
Lang is a great value in the fourth round, and the pick addresses another one of the Packers glaring needs. While he might take a season or two to become a full time player in the NFL, he should get time behind either Chad Clifton or Mark Tauscher (if retained, which looks more unlikely) to learn and address the weaknesses in his game.
Fifth Round (145): Quinn Johnson, Fullback, LSU
Johnson is most likely another unknown to most, including me. Scouts, Inc. had Johnson as the third best fullback in the draft, and he possesses good size and strength for the position.
However, there appears to be some flaws that make him a reach at this point in the draft. First off, he appears to lack any sort of receiving skills, and while the fullback has not been used much out of the backfield in the Mike McCarthy era, it's a trait that any starting caliber fullback should possess.
Second, he only carried the ball 16 times in 15 career starts in college, so pure production is lacking as well.
Grade: C-
In my opinion, this was too high to select a fullback which wasn't a position of need. We all know that Thompson likes to have two fullbacks on the roster, but I just don't see the value here in the fifth round. Someone like Michael Hamlin or Victor Harris would have had more value to me with this pick.
Fifth Round (162): Jamon Meredith, Offensive Tackle, South Carolina
Thompson followed up a sub-par pick with an absolute steal with the 162nd pick. Meredith was the 8th rated offensive tackle in this year's class, so the Packers again helped out their aging tackle position with a potentially dominant prospect.
Where should I start with the positives? 36 starts in the nation's top conference, never missed a game in four years, can play multiple offensive line positions ... should I keep going?
And how about this kid's character? His resume includes a 3.7 GPA with a degree in Sports Management and numerous awards for his efforts in the classroom.
Grade: A
Meredith needs to improve his run blocking, but at the 162nd pick, he is a great value. In my opinion, he could challenge for a starting tackle position next season, and has the potential to be a very good right or left tackle for many years. Everything I've heard about this kid has been fantastic—excellent fifth-round selection.



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