Cheese Curds, 5/1: Have the Packers finally arrived in the 21st century?

Have the Packers finally begun to evolve?

That's the question on everyone's mind two days after the 2017 NFL Draft. After general manager Ted Thompson signed multiple notable free agents in the offseason, he added a lot speed and versatility through the draft.

Fans who have been stomping their feet for years for Thompson to wake up during free agency got their wish. As for the draft, Thompson's personal playground, he turned eight selections into ten and very well may have solved their pass rush need with one of the picks he acquired during the draft.

As per usual the Monday after the draft, there are a lot of report cards going around but truth be told we won't know how good this class is for another two to three years.

Here are today's cheese curds.

At long last, the Packers seem to realize it's evolve or die in the NFL--Bleacher Report

This fantastic piece by Mike Freeman explains that Thompson, to the certain delight of many fans, has finally woken up and joined the modern NFL.

Freeman includes quotes from coaches/front office officials from other teams praising the Packers' draft as well as saying the addition of Martellus Bennett in free agency could end up being the best move in the offseason for the entire league.

"Tyrannosaurus Ted" is gone, says Freeman. Although I'm not sure Ted listens to Drake.

McGinn: Assessing the potential impact of the Packers' picks--PackersNews.com

The veteran writer gives a great breakdown of each selection here. In particular, McGinn praises Thompson's 11th hour signing of guard Jahri Evans so he would not have to rely on a poor draft class to find a starter for 2017.

He also however criticizes Thompson for taking gambles at unnecessary positions later in the draft, arguing if the Packers wanted to take risks it would have been better off at cornerback and linebacker instead of on offense.

Recapping the Packers' Draft--Packers Wire

Draft ace Justis Mosqueda breaks down Green Bay's draft and is a fan of the team getting King first in the second round, where he didn't expect the Washington cornerback to fall to.

Mosqueda is also high on fourth round pick Vince Biegel, saying he wouldn't be surprised if the Badger ended up the most talented player of this Packers draft class.

Jamaal Williams' honor code violations not a problem for Packers--ESPN.com

Rob Demovsky says the Packers are not worried about fourth round pick Jamaal WIlliams' one year suspension from BYU in 2015.

Normally a year long suspension is a big deal to NFL scouts, but in Williams' case the strict honor code at BYU forced him to withdraw from the university for "having a girl in (his) room," per Williams himself. He did come back for 2016, which deserves praise in and of itself.

Consensual sex. Oh the horror.

2017 Packers Draft Grade: B+--Sports Illustrated

While I personally abhor assigning letter grade to draft classes mere days after the draft concluded, they do make for some good discussion.

SI praises Green Bay's class with the only question mark being the selection of Montravius Adams in the third round. They call Josh Jones "versatile" and Biegel "underrated." They also note the three running backs could free up Ty Montgomery more scheme-wise, which I'm sure the receiver turned running back would not mind.

Draft class gives Packers deeper, more dynamic roster—Packers.com

Finally, Mike Spofford from the team’s official website recaps the Packers’ perspective on the 2017 rookie class with quotes from Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy.

The Packers knew they had holes to fill at cornerback and McCarthy seemed pleased with their selections. The coach also liked Biegel, given his background and what he showed on tape.