Green Bay Packers Draft Grades: Team Earns an "A" After 7 Rounds

The Green Bay Packers had an excellent draft weekend.

General Manager Ted Thompson seems to have kept his reputation alive with his excellent draft picks. Obviously we can't see the results of his picks until the season starts, but as of now they have nothing but promise.

I gave the first three rounds a grade of an "A" and have already examined these picks and have them included in this article as well for those fans who have not seen it.

First Round

The first-round pick of Nick Perry was a great choice for the Packers since outside linebacker was the team's biggest need. Perry has proven at USC that he can rush the passer in multiple ways. He is a fantastic edge rusher and can use his power to bulldoze through the line.

Perry or Andre Branch were the best options left for Thompson if he wanted to improve on the front seven in the first round. Choosing Perry proves that Thompson thought he was the best player left on the board across all positions. While there is criticism of Perry's coverage skills, if Thompson chose him for the Packers then most likely it's a good pick and he can learn how to become a better pass-rusher.

Second Round

Just like outside linebacker, the defensive line was also a big need for the Packers. Viewed by most as the second-biggest need, Green Bay addressed this problem by selecting defensive tackle Jerel Worthy from Michigan State.

Thompson and the Packers swapped second-round picks with the Philadelphia Eagles who also obtained one of Green Bay's fourth-round picks (No. 129). Worthy can be a dominate player at the line but his problems seems to be his durability or his lack of intensity throughout the game.

However, if the Thompson wanted to trade up to secure picking Worthy, he must see something in him. It will be interesting to see how Worthy is used and if he will start this season at defensive end.

After trading their third- and fifth-round pick (No. 90 and 163, respectively) with the New England Patriots, the Packers selected cornerback Casey Hayward from Vanderbilt.

This continued the trend of rebuilding the Packers 31st-ranked defense. Cornerback is another need for Green Bay. They were ranked first in interceptions last season with 31, but with Charles Woodson getting close to the end of his career, the Packers needed to get more depth for their secondary.

Sam Shields is currently the slot corner for Green Bay but he still lacks tackling receivers and has not shown much progress since coming into the league. Hayward is a great tackler and plays bigger than his size (5'11", 185 lbs). He is also a great playmaker as he has great coverage skills and can recognize routes easily to get a good jump on the ball.

Fourth Round

Day 3 of the draft was not much different for the Packers as they drafted more defensive players. Senior defensive tackle Mike Daniels from Iowa is another great pick by Thompson as it provides Green Bay with more depth in their front seven.

He has a quick step off the line and can cause disruption up the middle soon after the snap. He was a captain at Iowa which shows he has the leadership skills to make the transition into the NFL.

Although Daniels played in a 4-3 defense at Iowa, he should see playing time with the Packers in their 3-4 style defense. The Packers will be concerned with his injuries as he is coming off shoulder surgery and had multiple sprained ankles last season.

Jerron McMillian was the Packers next pick in the fourth round. McMillian was a safety from Maine who was not ranked high on many draft boards which makes this a surprising pick. There were higher safeties still on the board such as South Carolina's Antonio Allen (who somehow fell down to the seventh round).

However, the Packers do need to upgrade at free safety and McMillian might have been the best option. The before-mentioned Allen would be better suited at strong safety and is more of a run-stopper. McMillian has good range and shows some promise as a free safety but needs to improve on his tackling.

Fifth Round

After the Packers traded their fifth-round pick to the Patriots, Green Bay got their pick back from New England in another trade. Once again the Packers front office decided to go with another defensive player, outside linebacker Terrell Manning out of North Carolina State.

Manning is a smaller defensive end who has plenty of speed. He has great coverage skills and is a perfect fit to cover the new hybrid tight ends that have taken over the league.

He needs to getter stronger if he wants to make a significant impact with the Packers defense. Overall, though, it is a good pick as the Packers not only were weak with their starters at the defensive line, but they also needed to provide more depth.

The players that have been drafted along with the players already on the team will provide great battles during training camp and help energize everyone on the line.

Seventh Round

With their first offensive pick in the draft, the Packers selected offensive tackle Andrew Datko out of Florida State. Green Bay released long-time Packers lineman Chad Clifton and needed more depth to protect Aaron Rodgers' blind side.

Datko is a good lineman who was sidelined after suffering a shoulder surgery. He had potential to be a late pick in Day 2 but fell down the boards after his injury. This pick is a steal for the Packers and they can groom Datko into the starting lineup in the near future.  

With their final pick, Green Bay selected B.J. Coleman out of Chattanooga. Thompson had stated before the draft that he wanted to draft a developmental quarterback at the end of the draft. Coleman will battle with Graham Harrell for the backup spot and it will be interesting to watch that battle.

Why the Packers Get an "A"

The first three picks the Packers had were all players who can help Green Bay's defensive unit immediately. It is hard for any team to find three players who can come in right away and make an impact, but Thompson found a way.

The fact that Thompson traded up three times in the draft shows how high he was on some of his choices and he made sure he got them.

Depth was established at defense and there was no wasted picks at positions that were already a strength. No risks were taken and all players taken should fit in with the Packers well.

Thompson kept his reputation alive of being a very good GM in the draft and this new group of players should be able to help the Packers reach the Super Bowl once again.