With the 05-07 Drafts examined recently, we now get to look at the 2008 Draft. Everything I am looking at, again is the same.

1.Impact of the pick on our team

2.Availability of superior players at/around the same pick

3.Number of players still on our team

4.Misses

As before, I’ll show our pick, position in the round and draft overall, then I’ll show the next closest draft pick of that player’s similar position, as well as a look at the best player within 15 or so picks after our guy was chosen. I think looking at those two things is a good indication of how good of a pick our player was. The players listed in the "available" and "Best Player in 10" spots aren’t necessarily better than the player we drafted. It is simply showing what was available around that player to put into comparison.

Round 2, Pick 36, WR Jordy Nelson

Next Position Available, Eddie Royal (6)

Best Player Around, RB Matt Forte

.

Round 2, Pick 56, QB Brian Brohm

Next Position Available, Chad Henne (1)

Best Player Around, QB Chad Henne

.

Round 2, Pick 60, CB Pat Lee

Next Position Available, Terrell Thomas (3)

Best Player Around, WR Earl Bennett

.

Round 3, Pick 91, TE Jermichael Finley

Next Position Available, Martin Rucker (20)

Best Player Around, DE Cliff Avril

.

Round 4, Pick 102, DE Jeremy Thompson

Next Position Available, William Hayes (1)

Best Player Around, C Cody Wallace

.

Round 3, Pick 135, OG Josh Sitton

Next Position Available, Roy Schuening (22)

Best Player Around, CB Brandon Carr

.

Round 5, Pick 150, OT Breno Giacomini

Next Position Available, Barry Richardson (20)

Best Player Around, TE Kellen Davis

.

Round 6, Pick 168, P Durant Brooks

Next Position Available, None

Best Player Around, OLB Geno Hayes

.

Round 7, Pick 209, QB Matt Flynn

Next Position Available, Alex Brink (14)

Best Player Around, WR Brett Swain

.

Round 7, Pick 217, WR Brett Swain

Next Position Available, Stevie Johnson (7)

Best Player Around, WR Stevie Johnson

.

Brohm stands out as a terrible bust. Is he even playing anymore? Nelson is a great player, but is he better than Forte? That is an interesting question given Forte’s versatility and Nelson’s explosiveness. I’d like to think that Jordy would not have fared so well under Martz’s system with Cutler throwing the ball to him, and probably Forte would not have been as good of a player in our system, simply because the Bears need someone like that to abuse for a few years. Whatever the reason, what a waste of talent for such a non-appreciative franchise. I think they both landed in the proper places for their skillsets. Another thing that strikes to me is how many Bears were in the list for "Best Player Around," but that may also be that I am more familiar with those in the NFC North than I am with the rest of the NFL. Now, if they were truly better than our guys, that is debatable.

A complete waste of a pick was the punter. I honestly think that there has never been a reason to pick up a punter in any round besides the 7th, and only when you have a compensatory pick or late 20’s at that. I thought it then, still think it now. Isn’t our current punter an UDFA? There is my point right there.

3 of the players from this draft are critical pieces of our offense, with Flynn recently departed as another critical cog (a backup QB is 1 hit away from being the most important player on the field). 4 picks make me scratch my head trying to remember even what number they wore, and knowing that we could have traded two of those picks up to take Carr makes me a little grumpy, but back then who knew he was going to be as good as he was, so I’m not too miffed about it… and even more likely, he would have wanted a big paycheck like he did this year, so we would have lost him this FA anyways.

So, you know the drill, what draft grade does the Packers get for this?