[Brian34Cook]

Honestly I dont know what we did with the 1st pick.. prob could have gotten him tomorrow or even the 56th or 60 pick (unless his stock might be going up?)

Yeah the Bears probably could have done that too.. oh well

[Brian34Cook]

To end the 1st day for the Packers.. at the 60th pick they select.. LB Patrick Lee from Clemson? What the hell..

[Serrated Shadow]

he's listed as a CB.

[Brian34Cook]

Ah nevermind.. then I understand the move.. I guess its OK.. Didnt like todays selections that much.. okay well Jordy could turn into something.. Brohm will probably give Rodgers some comp and this dude is depth soo yeah.

[Brian34Cook]

Day 2 of the draft (the new Day 2, which involves Round 3) is underway.

The Packers enter the day with six picks: one in Round 3 (91st overall), three in Round 4 (113th, 128th and 135th), one in Round 5 (162nd) and one in Round 7 (237th). Given Ted Thompson's history, it wouldn't be a surprise if they end the day with seven or eight.

http://www.packersnews.com/ic/blogs/...were-back.html

[Brian34Cook]

With the 91st selection the Packers select...


TE Jermichael Finley, Texas

Analysis

Positives: Has a lanky frame with tapered muscles and can probably add another 20 pounds of bulk without the added weight affecting his overall quickness...Long strider who builds his acceleration, getting into his patterns with no wasted motion...Has the functional lateral movement to work across the middle and shows good plant-and-drive agility in transition...Can separate underneath better than in the open field, showing good flexibility to adjust to the ball in flight...Plays with good emotion and, while a bit too talkative at times, he takes well to hard coaching...Has been mostly durable throughout his career...Turns on the ball quickly when the quarterback is pressured and uses his size well to shield defenders...Showed marked improvement reading defenses as a junior, doing a nice job of finding and settling into the zone's soft area...Has large, natural hands, with good timing and arm extension to compete for the ball at its high point...Shows no flinch going up for the ball in a crowd...Very fluid getting his head and body adjusted to make off-target catches and has good balance to keep his feet in bounds when working near the sideline...Has good quickness in his release, using his hands forcefully to beat the press...Can avoid contact and separate after the catch but doesn't have the speed to beat defenders in the open...Needs to be more crisp in his long routes (soft angles), but does a nice job of uncovering and sitting down underneath...Better cut blocker than when working in-line, as he is better making hits on the move (can get pushed back when trying to anchor)...Still needs route refinement, but has improved adjusting his patterns to get open...Shows the ball skills to position, extend and pluck the ball outside his frame...Above-average leaper who has no problem high-pointing the ball...Can break some arm tackles, but is best when he executes head fakes to escape after the catch...Has very good balance to track the ball in flight.

Negatives: Marginal blocker who lacks the strength to anchor and gets too narrow in his base, allowing edge rushers to slip off his attempts to sustain (has some hip stiffness)...Also ineffective blocking in-line, as he lacks the lower-body strength to prevent bull rushers from pushing him back into the pocket (must do a better job of sliding his feet and using his hands, as his technique work and lack of power gets him in trouble)...Has minimal amount of starting experience and needs to mature, both physically and mentally before he can contribute at the next level...Has adequate timed speed, but does not show the second gear to separate after the catch...Has a decent short-area burst, but will need to add more bulk and strength, as he does not always generate good yardage after the catch (will try to break arm tackles rather than elude, as he is still trying to develop the savvy moves needed to get open consistently)...Will sometimes lean into or out of his breaks...Will "double catch" or trap the ball in a crowd, resulting in drops.

Compares To: RANDY McMICHAEL-St. Louis...Some compare him to Browns' tight end Kellen Winslow, but Finley lacks the burst and explosion off the snap that Winslow displays when eating up the defender's cushion. Finley will bring instant value in a double-tight end package, as he can line up in the slot, wide or in motion. He lacks the bulk and strength to be a punishing blocker, but has the frame to eventually develop. He might have the best hands of any tight end in this draft.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/je...finley?id=1072

Called a TE pick in the Draft Discussion Thread.. sounds like a solid pick..

[Brian34Cook]

Jermichael Finley video
By Dave Heller
Sunday, Apr 27 2008, 10:41 AM

A few clips of Jermichael Finley, mostly from YouTube:
Highlight video No. 1, a little over 4 minutes long.
Highlight video No. 2, nearly 7 minutes long
Highlight video from 2006
Play of the game vs. Rice in 2006
Highlight video from Rivals.com
Also, here's the breakdown (non-video) of Finley from bevosports.com, which projected Finley to go in the fourth or fifth round.

http://blogs.jsonline.com/packers/ar...ley-video.aspx

Gonna watch those now while I wait for our 4th rd picks..

[Brian34Cook]

With the 102nd selection the Packers select...


Jeremy Thompson, DE, Wake Forest

Analysis

Positives: Has adequate upper body muscle thickness, well-developed arms, tight midsection and adequate thighs...Has the strength to anchor and hold ground at the point of attack vs. double team activity...Shows good initial quickness off the snap and is effective at squeezing the edge to close on the pocket...Shows good balance in chasing down outside running plays...Shows good body control in his over-all movements, as he demonstrates the balance needed to easily bend and maneuver in traffic...Gives good effort and plays the cut blocks well, using his hands to keep the opponent off his legs...Flows to the ball with good flexibility and has no balance issues when needed to change direction in an instant...Smart player who has no problems with digesting a complicated playbook...Makes quick reads and reaction to pressure, but needs to be more alert to ball location...Practices and plays hard, showing both effort and purpose...Can handle tough coaching...Has a quick first step, showing a good feel for blocks and the ability to play the run from a wide alignment...Can extend and lock on to his opponent and squeeze down the line of scrimmage...Keeps his outside arm free for leverage and generally plays with a low pad level...Shows power and extension, with the ability to sink his hips and roll them for power, especially when taking on tight ends....Has the functional strength to anchor and neutralize at the point of attack, using his hands well when trying to stack...Good wrap-up tackler who will also make the effort-type hits...Still a work in progress, but showed improved press, rip-and-push and pull moves as a senior than he did his first three seasons...Usually shows good hand position to grab and hold on to the blocker...Despite lacking a massive frame, he plays with a good anchor and wide base and has the foot speed to scrape down the line of scrimmage...On the move, he can redirect when pushing the outside run, taking proper angles to neutralize the cutback action...Might be a decent fit as a linebacker, as he is not the type who will bite on misdirection and gets a good read on the quarterback when dropping back to play in the zone...Has room on his frame to add more bulk without it affecting his overall quickness...With his arm length and hand strength, he is effective at combating blockers trying to attack his body.

Negatives: Has good change of direction agility when he stays low in his pads, but his frame does get tall at times, causing him to look sluggish trying to turn the corner...Needs a clear lane to get to the quarterback and is not known for generating much pressure in his backside action (just one QB hurry for his career)...Lacks the strength and power to bull rush...Plays hard, but is an inconsistent competitor who will take plays off and his stamina affects his play late in games...Shows good extension at the point-of-attack, but stays engaged with his opponent too long...Struggles to shed blocks at times, as he gets caught up too much in the battle, losing sight of the ball...Has the ability to plant his foot and redirect with burst, but will round off his cuts at times...Struggles to sink his hips and hold the point-of-attack in one-on-one confrontations...Can sit in the gap, but is late to shed...Wraps up and drags down the ballcarrier rather than dropping his hips and exploding with his legs...Lacks quickness off the edge, making him generally too late to pressure the pocket...Displays an inconsistent motor and manages his game poorly... Lacks size and strength to hold the point for very long...Mostly plays the gaps, slanting and using his shoulder to hold the point...Uses a single stiff arm to press offensive tackles' shoulders to get upfield, but lacks the ability to turn his hips and flatten to the quarterback...Needs to maintain a low pad level to be effective, but he gets too tall in his stance, letting blockers wash him off the snap...Must learn how to slip through and avoid blockers rather than stay there and battle them throughout the play.

Compares To: JASON BABIN-Seattle...Thompson had an efficient senior season and while he plays with a good motor, he is just marginal when it comes to locating the ball. Some teams feel that his lateral agility and foot speed are better suited for linebacker. But he is a situational player, at best. He fails to impact the pocket much and has just one QB pressure in 46 games. He gets too caught up in the one-one-one battles and needs to learn that there are times you must avoid blockers rather than engaging them.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/je...ompson?id=2317

[Brian34Cook]

By the way that was a TRADE UP (from NY Jets for Nos. 113 & 162)

[Brian34Cook]

Packers trade down, get 7th-rounder
And Ted Thompson's back in form.

The Packers have traded the No. 128 pick to St. Louis, moving back nine spots to No. 137 -- the second pick of the fifth round -- and adding a seventh-round pick (No. 217).

St. Louis used the 128th pick on Kentucky WR Keenan Burton.

The Packers' next pick is the compensatory selection at No. 135.

http://www.packersnews.com/ic/blogs/...rade-down.html