Final grades: Green Bay Packers rookie class

Eddie Lacy: Second round pick – A+

Eddie Lacy has been flying high all season long.

Raymond T. Rivard photograph

There was speculation that the Packers would take a running back in the first round. When Jones was selected and Lacy was left on the board, I was very disappointed. There was very little hope that Lacy would fall to the Packers’ second round choice.

His toe fusion surgery in college turned most other teams off to his potential injury-prone nature and Lacy fell to the Packers, miraculously. He is the perfect back for an Aaron Rodgers-led offense. He started the offseason behind DuJuan Harris on the depth chart, but Harris’s injury allowed Lacy to show that he could produce right away. After a shaky start with a fumble and a concussion, Lacy broke out in week 5 and proved his worth.

He is on the short list for Rookie of the Year in the NFL, known for his bruising style of play. He punished would-be tacklers and is a beast to bring down in open space. He has had to work harder this year than expected, through the loss of Aaron Rodgers, but proved to be a mainstay in this offense for a long time to come. His 1,178 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns were among the better of any running back in the league during the same period of time. With a healthy offensive roster, we can expect much of the same from Lacy in the future, as he continues to grow and mature in the backfield.