Green Bay Packers - NFC North

Green Bay Packers - NFC North, 2009 Draft Selections & Prospects

Green Bay Packers

- 2009 NFL Draft Breakdown and Analysis
1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | 4th Round | 5th Round | 6th Rd | 7th Rd

- CFN 2009 Draft Central & Team-by-Team Picks and Analysis

#	Pick
9	9	1st Round   B.J. Raji, DT Boston College  6-2, 335 Whether or not the drug charges are true (Raji’s agent denies any wrongdoing or a reported positive test), Raji is the biggest brick wall in the draft. A true anchor, he’s extremely strong, relatively athletic for his size, and doesn’t get pushed around. Needing to keep his weight in check, he needs to get in better overall shape to be able to handle a 16-game season and a full NFL game. Forget about much production as an interior pass rusher or too many plays in the backfield, but he doesn’t stay blocked for two long and will hold up well with everything funneled to him. It’ll be his job to sit in the middle of the line, swallow up two blockers, and let everyone else work around him. CFN Value Rank: First Round    CFN Position Rank: 1
26	26	1st Round (from New England) Clay Matthews, LB USC 6-3, 245 One of the hot rising prospects coming through the off-season draft cycle, Matthews was smooth as silk at the Combine with decent numbers and great agility for his size. Very fast off the snap and smart enough to not have much wasted motion, he’s an instinctive playmaker who’s always working, always moving, and always doing whatever is needed. Very versatile, he can be used at any linebacker spot and could even see time as a pass rushing end in a 4-3. But is he a workout warrior type? He only really produced for one year and has been more of a try-hard type who went from a walk-on to a very strong, very athletic NFL prospect in a big hurry. CFN Value Rank: Second Round    CFN Position Rank: 6
9	109	4th Round T.J. Lang, OT/OG Eastern Michigan 6-4, 310 Coaches will adore him. While he’s not a tremendous athlete, he makes up for it with one of the most intense work ethics in the draft. He’s a nasty, beat-‘em-up blocker who could end up as a star at guard after starting out at one of the tackle spots. His attitude and fire alone will make him a starter, but there’s a limit on how far he can go on the outside without the feet to handle the better pass rushers. CFN Value Rank: Fourth Round    CFN Position Rank: 11
9	145	5th Round Quinn Johnson, FB LSU 6-1, 245 The former linebacker is a big, physical blocker who’ll do whatever is needed. Forget about running the ball and he’ll have to work to be a receiver, but he’s mega-strong. CFN Projection: Fifth Round  CFN Position Rank: 2
26	162	5th Round (from Baltimore through New England) Jamon Meredith, OT South Carolina  6-5, 305 Tremendously athletic and versatile, he turned out to be surprisingly fast running a sub-5.0 40 in a workout. He’s not going to push anyone around and he’s not a killer, lacking the nasty streak needed to be special, but he has good size and he moves well enough to be a steady starter at left tackle. He needs to mature a bit and he needs to be in the right system that can take advantage of his athleticism. It’ll take the right coach to take his talent and make him into an NFL player, but he has too much skill to ignore. CFN Value Rank: Second Round    CFN Position Rank: 8
14	187	6th Round (from New Orleans) Brandon Underwood, FS Cincinnati 6-1, 198 Part corner and part safety, he has good enough speed to play any position in the secondary and has tremendous upside. He’s not a finished product and could end up being far better after spending a year or two as a nickel and dime defender. The instincts aren’t quite there, he needs to hit the weights hard, and he’s not natural in man coverage against the better receivers, but he should make a team on his versatility alone and he can see time as a special teamer.   CFN Value Rank: Fifth Round     CFN Position Rank: 11
9	182	6th Round Jarius Wynn, DE Georgia 6-3, 275 A decent end prospect for a 3-4, he has a big body with the ability to get bigger. He's not strong, isn't all that quick, and isn't a pass rusher. However, he's a good character guy with the desire to make himself better. A year in an NFL weight room could make him a late steal, but he can't stick on a roster until he can find something he does well. CFN Value Rank: Seventh Round    CFN Position Rank: NR
9	218	7th Round Brad Jones, LB 6-3, 230 Colorado An interesting tweener, he has good speed, excellent pass rushing skills, and a nice résumé after leading the Buffs with six sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. He's a good tackler who isn't bad in the open field, but he's not going to make a team because of his run stopping ability. If he's not getting into the backfield and he's not doing much on special teams, he'll have a hard time making a squad. CFN Value Rank: Free Agent    CFN Position Rank: NR

2008

The Draft Was ... A complete restructuring of the passing game. Two things to take from this draft. 1) The Pack doesn't fully believe in Aaron Rodgers and 2) the team believes No. 4 made the receivers better than they actually are. Receiver wasn't supposed to be a need pick, and then Jordy Nelson was taken in the second round, TE Jermichael Finley in the third, and Brett Swain in a seventh round flier. Brian Brohm is ready to play now, while Matt Flynn only adds to the QB derby.
Best Value Pick: Brian Brohm, QB Louisville. 2nd round. There are about ten other teams that'll be kicking itself for not taking the sliding Cardinal. He was too good a value to pass up.
Biggest Reach: Josh Sitton, OT UCF. 4th round. Scouts fell in love with his workouts. While he had a good year opening holes for Kevin Smith, he'll struggle in pass protection.
They Should've ... Taken CB Tracy Porter or S Tyrell Johnson instead of Nelson. The former Kansas State star is good, but reinforcements for the aging secondary would've helped more right away. Johnson would've been a steal.

#	Pick
5	36	2nd Round (from NY Jets)  Jordy Nelson, WR Kansas State Ultra-productive in his senior year no matter who covered him or what any defense tried to do, Nelson blew up into an unstoppable machine any time he touched the ball. While he's not going to blow past anyone and he's not as physical as his size might show, but he has functional speed and can separate when needed. Outside of a serious injury, there's no bust potential whatsoever. He plays hurt, has nice hands, and can be used in a variety of ways. He'll have a ten-year career as a complimentary receiver. If he goes to a team with a star No. 1, he'll be outstanding. CFN Value Rank: Second To Third Round    CFN Position Rank: 4

25

56

2nd Round    Brian Brohm, QB Louisville The brother of former New York Jet Jeff Brohm was groomed to be a pro passer. He's as NFL ready as any quarterback prospect having been a star for his entire career. The pressure was on from day one to produce, and he did. He's not the greatest athlete and his arm is just average, but he can make the throws needed. The big issue will be his durability. While he's an abnormally quick healer, he suffered a few major injuries throughout his career and can't be counted on for a full 16-game NFL slate. He took his lumps in a disappointing senior season, at least for Louisville, and that could be a good thing; he never quit on his team during a dud year. CFN Value Rank: Late First Round   CFN Position Rank: 2

29

60

2nd Round   Patrick Lee, CB Auburn With great speed and excellent size, he looks the part of a top-flight corner and he's not afraid to play like it both against the run and when the ball is in the air. He'll do whatever is needed and is a very willing worker who'll try to do whatever is needed to help the team. He only started for one year and he needs time to learn how to be an elite corner, but it's all there for him if someone is willing to be a little bit patient. CFN Value Rank: Second Round to Third Round   CFN Position Rank: 12

28

91

3rd Round   Jermichael Finley, TE Texas One of the biggest workout disappointments in the entire 2008 class, not just among the tight ends, everyone was waiting to see the sophomore who had been described at times as an athletic freak at Texas. He ran a pedestrian 4.62 after starting out the Combine with some miserable times, and while he certainly isn't slow, the 6-4, 240-pounder is considered a receiver and not a tight end. He has good hands and receiving skills and he could be a dangerous playmaker as his career goes on, but he needs polish and will be shoved around a bit. CFN Value Rank: Third Round   CFN Position Rank: 9

3

102

4th Round (from the NY Jets)   Jeremy Thompson, DE/LB Wake Forest One of the faster ends in the draft, the 6-4, 265-pound former Demon Deacon has the athleticism and the potential to blossom in the right system. He's not going to be a top-shelf pass rusher and there's a big, screaming question mark about his durability, he has shown enough of a flash to project as a nice starter who does well as a cog in the system. He'll never be a star, but he should be a productive starter as long as he can stay healthy. CFN Value Rank: Late Second Round to Early Third Round  CFN Position Rank: 7 (as a DE)

36

135

4th Round  Josh Sitton, OT/OG UCF        While he has excellent size at 6-4 and 322 pounds and can hit a little bit, he's not nearly quick enough to be a regular starting tackle. He might be able to move into guard in time. He's going to get blown away by speed rushers and is limited, but could be a decent backup if he's not asked to do anything on the move. CFN Value Rank: Free Agent    CFN Position Rank: NR

15

150

5th Round (from trade)  Breno Giacomini, OT Louisville The former tight end is a tall (6-7) athletic 305 pounds, but he's not going to pound anyone on a consistent basks and is still learning the ins and outs of playing tackle. He was only a regular starter for a year and is still developing. Even though he's not a finished product by any stretch he has the upside to grow into a possible pass protector. CFN Value Rank: Seventh Round      CFN Position Rank: 17

2

209

7th Round (from trade)  Matt Flynn, QB LSU A total gamer who has a great arm and good running skills. He's a fantastic leader and a winner who'll do whatever it takes to get a team moving. However, he needs work and he isn't a consistent NFL-caliber passer. Smart enough to be a career backup, he'll make a lot of money bouncing around the league for ten years. CFN Value Rank: Sixth Round   CFN Position Rank: 12

10

217

7th Round (from trade)  Brett Swain, WR San Diego State With a nice combination of size and quickness, the hope is for Swain to blossom as a pro after a mediocre college career. He was consistent, but he doesn't do any one thing particularly well and is a deep, deep flier. While he was the Aztecs' top receiver last year, Chaz Schillens is the better prospect. CFN Value Rank: Free Agent   CFN Position Rank: NR