Final grades: Green Bay Packers rookie class

David Bakhtiari

Raymond T. Rivard photograph

David Bakhtiari: Fourth round pick – B

I’m giving Bakhtiari this fair a grade because he was a fourth round pick with no real expectations for the 2013 season. Bryan Bulaga was the starting left tackle going into preseason and Bakhtiari was thrust into that role after Bulaga was put on injured reserve with an ACL injury. Bakhtiari didn’t have an entire offseason to prepare for his role. He faced some of the league’s most explosive pass rushers, and held his own. He struggled some, yes. His errors were glaring at times, but he is a young tackle who has plenty of upside. He really played exceptional football for most of the year.

Bulaga’s injury had a silver lining attached to it and that was Bakhtiari. The Packers now know what they have in this fourth round draft steal and will probably continue to develop him into their left tackle of the future. He wasn’t often overmatched and consistently played above his expectations. The offensive line will grow around him.