Green Bay Packers: Breaking Down the Offense By Position

Overall Grade: B-. Hall is a good lead blocker, but he will never be used in the running or passing game.

Wide Receiver

Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, Ruvell Martin

The Packers have one of the deepest group of receivers in the NFL. The starting tandem of Donald Driver and Greg Jennings is feared league-wide. Although Driver is getting up there in age, he has said he still feels as young as when he started playing.

It shows on the field, too. Driver is the master of the run after the catch. He is never afraid to go down the middle to make a catch and risk taking a big hit.

Greg Jennings is one of the upcoming stars in the NFL. Jennings was clearly one of Favre’s favorite targets. He had twice the receiving touchdowns (12) as the player in second place. He is also the Packers' primary deep threat with seven catches of 40 or more yards.

James Jones is also an up-and-coming player in the NFL. He had a very strong rookie year with 47 receptions for 676 yards. Jones is not as fast as Jennings or Driver, but he is just as tough and has some of the best hands on the team. Expect a breakout year from Jones in the near future.

Just as everyone was thinking the Packers receivers couldn’t get any more dangerous, they go ahead and draft Jordy Nelson with their first pick in this year's draft. Jordy has a very good combination of size and speed.

He is a very high-character player with an outstanding work ethic. Jordy should compete with James Jones for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart.

Last but not least, we have Ruvell Martin. Standing at 6-foot-4, Martin is one of the Packers' biggest redzone threats. He only caught 16 passes last year, but one of every four catches went for a touchdown. He is definitely not the fastest player, but he has the size to compete for jump balls and has above average blocking ability for a receiver.

Overall Grade: A. The Packers' receivers have everything you look for: size, toughness, speed, great work ethic, and a honest love for the game. You can’t beat that.

Tight End

Donald Lee, JerMichael Finley, Tory Humphrey

The emergence of Donald Lee this past season made Bubba Franks expendable. He wanted too much money for his production. Naturally, the Packers cut him. However, this left a hole in the Packer’s depth chart at tight end.

They solved this by drafting JerMichael Finley from Texas. Packers GM Ted Thompson was very high on him going into the draft. He loved Finley's athletic ability. During one practice in the OTAs, quarterback Aaron Rodgers mistook him for a wide receiver. Finley should grab the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind Lee.

Tory Humphrey is also a very interesting prospect. Although he has never caught a pass in an NFL game, Humphrey has a good blend of size and speed that the Packer coaches like a lot. They think with the right amount of work, Humphrey could be a special player.

Overall Grade: B-. Donald Lee is in the top half of the starting tight ends in the NFL, but the inexperience behind him leaves a lot of questions.

 

Offensive Line

Chad Clifton, Mark Tauscher, Scott Wells, Darren College, Allen Barbre, Jason Spitz, Junius Coston, Josh Sitton, Breno Giacomini

    Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher have had the Packers tackle spots anchored for years, but age is creeping up on them. Tauscher is still going fine, but Clifton has been bugged by injuries the past few years. Scott Wells is a very solid center, and should be here for a while. The Packers have recently given him a long-term deal.

    Both guard positions on the other hand, are up in the air. The starting spots are sitting wide open for any player to take. Darren College played guard for most of the year last season. He had his ups and downs, but his future is at tackle.

Allen Barbre is making a splash so far in the Packers OTAs. He has been splitting time with the No. 1 unit with Junius Coston and Jason Spitz. Barbre is extremely athletic for an offensive lineman, running a 4.84 forty at the combine a year ago.

He is a perfect fit for the zone-blocking scheme and should fit in nicely. The Packers drafted Josh Sitton and Breno Giacomini in this year's draft to add depth and to create competition for the starting spot. Giacomini could be groomed to take the place of Clifton or Tauscher when they retire.

Overall Grade: B. The Packers have two of the best tackles in the league, a solid starter at center in Wells, but the guard position is still a big question mark.

Overall Offensive Grade: B+. The Packers have one of the best receiving corps in the NFL, potentially a very dangerous running back duo, but the lack of experience at QB and an average offensive line keep them from earning an A.

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