Green Bay Packers Bust #3: Mike Sherman's 2004 draft.
I feel bad lumping 6th round pick DT Corey Williams and 7th round pick C Scott Wells in here, who were both outstanding draft picks for those rounds, but this was the draft class that got Mike Sherman fired. The single event that got him fired was the botched Mike McKenzie holdout, but that situation led to this draft class. Once GM Ted Thompson was hired to replace Sherman as GM, it was obvious he wasn't going to keep his demoted predecessor around for long.
The Packers had four picks in the Top 100, and they missed badly on all four. None of them alone was a major sin, but together they were a disaster.
CB Ahmad Carroll, No. 25 overall. This isn't a very high first round pick in it's own right, but it was essential that they draft a cornerback after GM Sherman botched the Mike McKenzie holdout. So he reached for Carroll, who had great speed, but was undersized and a bad match-up against nearly every receiver he faced. He was released mid-2006 after he appeared lost on the field during a blowout loss against the Eagles.
CB Joey Thomas, No. 70 overall. This wasn't a bad spot to take a chance on a player with the size and athleticism to become an outstanding cornerback. Unfortunately the small school player was underwhelming and never developed. Ted Thompson released him during the 2005 season.
DT Donnell Washington, No. 72 overall. The defensive lineman from Clemson was injured during his first training camp, and never made it onto the team. I don't know if it was due to injury, or due to attitude, but he never appeared again in the NFL. Sherman might as well have wasted this pick on a punter...
P B.J. Sander, No. 87 overall. Few teams draft a punter this high, but I can't recall another team trading up for a punter. And for a player that wasn't well regarded. Sander was buried on the 2004 roster so they wouldn't have to release him during his rookie season, and he was awful when given a chance in 2005. But this was a bad pick before he ever stepped onto the field. While this isn't a significant draft spot, it did show how overmatched Sherman was as a GM.
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