Fans Boo, Draft Done, No Moss, Wait and See

That, my friends, is the Reader's Digest version of the 2007 Draft. Once the Bills grabbed RB Marshawn Lynch, Packers GM Thompson apparently went into brain lock and -- if you paid attention to any of the pundits over the weekend -- "reached" to take Tennessee DT Justin Harrell with the 16th overall pick. The pick was not well received by fans at the Packers Draft Party in the Atrium at Lambeau Field. A chorus of boos rained down. With some good receivers and running backs still on the board, many if not most fans -- including yours truly -- felt that the pick should be on the offensive side of the ledger. In his press conference concerning this pick, Thompson said the Packers, as strange as it might seem, don't draft for need. Really. That's what he said. Roll that one around in your head for a while.

The "reach" that various commentators referred to with this pick -- arguably, according to some, the second most surprising next to Miami taking Ted Ginn, Jr. with the #9 overall selection -- was the result of the various injuries Harrell sustained over his college career, including a torn bicep, which likely dropped him out of the first round in the opinion of many. Not for Thompson, though. Harrell does have some impressive physical stats and does have quality credentials, despite the injuries. There is some speculation that Thompson may not be looking for much from this youngster this year, but rather to help build a foundation for the middle of the defense in succeeding years. Time will tell.

As for the other picks, more commentary here to come...tomorrow. For now, I'll just provide a listing of the picks, along with a link where you can read about each.

#63 - RB Brandon Jackson, Nebraska
#78 - WR James Jones, San Jose State
#89 - SS Aaron Rouse, Virginia Tech
#119 - OT Allen Barbre, Missouri Southern St.
#157 - WR David Clowney, Virginia Tech
#191 - LB/FB Korey Hall, Boise State
#192 - LB Desmond Bishop, California
#193 - K Mason Crosby, Colorado
#228 - RB DeShawn Wynn, Florida
#243 - TE Clark Harris, Rutgers

You can see the particular rounds, as well the various trades, etc. and scouting reports on each of these players, by going here.

Oh yeah, and the rumor about Randy Moss coming to the Packers can now be put to rest. He went to the Patriots for a fourth round pick, reportedly. We can only image Brett's disappointment...or maybe not.

OK, Packer fans, check in tomorrow for more. By then, we may also have some idea about some of the undrafted signees coming to town. Let's see if a few of those "hidden gems" the Packers were looking at find their way into the Green 'n' Gold.