My Donald Driver Blog

1st Round (#23) OT Bryan Bulaga, Iowa

Key Player(s) Passed On: CB Devin McCourty, DE/OLB Jerry Hughes

Analysis: Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher are both old and declining at left and right tackle. Bulaga has good feet and understands the importance of technique and working on his craft. He has an excellent chance to be a good left tackle with more strength work. The former Iowa standout represented value as a late 1st round selection. Green Bay needed to get younger at offensive tackle. Clifton and Tauscher may have another year in them. Bulaga can spend his rookie year getting stronger and adjusting to the NFL. Ideally, Bulaga will be ready to start in 2011 at left tackle. The Packers also could have used another pass rusher at outside linebacker to complement Clay Matthews. Jerry Hughes was an attractive option, but you cannot risk getting Aaron Rodgers hurt due to subpar offensive line play. Green Bay had to have been pleased that Bryan Bulaga was still available.

2nd Round (#56) DT Mike Neal, Purdue

Key Player(s) Passed On: WR Golden Tate, OT/OG Vladimir Ducasse

Analysis: Neal has talent (good size, strength and quickness), but never put it all together on the field for Purdue. Green Bay views him as a defensive end in their scheme. The Packers could use more depth on their defensive line with Justin Harrell's inability to stay healthy. PFDN had Golden Tate and Vladimir Ducasse rated higher than Neal. The Packers have wide receivers, but Donald Driver is 35 and cannot play forever. Ducasse would have given the Packers a powerful guard with substantial upside who also may be able to play right tackle. Neal has to improve his conditioning and his dedication to the game to justify the 2nd round selection.

3rd Round (#71) S Morgan Burnett, Georgia Tech

Key Player(s) Passed On: S Chad Jones

Analysis: Burnett represented excellent value in the 3rd round. He has a knack for making plays on the ball and is a willing hitter. Burnett can play strong safety. Atari Bigby has had his share of injuries the past two seasons. Burnett will provide serious competition for Bigby and is a likely future starter. Chad Jones also has a lot of upside, but the Pack preferred that Burnett had more starts and production in college.

5th Round (#154) TE Andrew Quarless, Penn State

Key Player(s) Passed On: DT Arthur Jones

Analysis: Quarless had some issues with alcohol in college, but he is a very talented tight end. He was an excellent selection in the 5th round. Quarless can block and catch the ball and represents little risk this late in the draft. He could be a fine complement to Jermichael Finley and an upgrade over Donald Lee and Spencer Havner. We also liked the potential of Arthur Jones as a 3-4 defensive end, but the Quarless pick made sense and could be a steal.

5th Round (#169) OT Marshall Newhouse, TCU

Key Player(s) Passed On: RB Jonathan Dwyer

Analysis: Newhouse has to play more aggressively and gain strength to have a chance of developing into a solid backup offensive tackle. His overall conditioning level also has to go to another level. Dwyer is a big back with surprising speed who Green Bay could have used to backup Ryan Grant. Dwyer is the better prospect compared to Newhouse and is not as big of a project.

6th Round (#193) RB James Starks, Buffalo

Key Player (s) Passed On: RB Charles Scott, QB Tony Pike

Analysis: Starks missed his senior season recovering from shoulder surgery. He had a number of injuries at Buffalo and never averaged more than 4.9 yards per carry. Starks is tall and takes a lot of direct hits. The Pack need more depth behind Ryan Grant, but why not select Charles Scott? The former LSU back was not having a good senior season prior to breaking his collarbone, but he is built to be a downhill runner in the NFL. Scott also played against much better competition than Starks did. Tony Pike is tall and has a good arm. He could have been added to the quarterback mix and really challenged Matt Flynn for the backup quarterback position in a year or two. Pike has better physical tools than Flynn does.

7th Round (#230) DE C.J. Wilson, East Carolina

Key Player(s) Passed On: S Kurt Coleman

Analysis: Wilson is stout against the run and was productive at East Carolina. He will compete to be a backup 3-4 defensive end. He was a decent pick-up in the 7th round. Coleman has the toughness to help a team on special teams. However, Green Bay went with the bigger man and further depth along their defensive line.

Bottom Line: The Packers found a couple of likely long-term starters (Bryan Bulaga and Morgan Burnett). Mike Neal was their most questionable selection in our opinion. Green Bay did not find another pass rushing outside linebacker, quality backup running back or a young cornerback. Overall, the Packers had a slightly above average draft.

Grade: B-

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