Green Bay Packers: Checking out the ‘experts’ draft grades

Bleacher Report grades the Packers

Sep 6, 2014; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Ty Montgomery (7) prepares to receive the opening kickoff against the USC Trojans in the first quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Bleacher Report: C

One of the lowest grades assigned was from Bleacher Report.

The Packers draft class graded out as “average” according to writers, stating that the inside linebacker position should have been addressed earlier.

Though the Packers did eventually quell the LB storm in the fourth round with Michigan’s Jake Ryan, there are some who believe that he will have to play above his means in order to be what the Packers need opposite veteran Sam Barrington at the position.

Calling Ryan “an unremarkable talent” at Michigan, was somewhat to blame for the average grade. The Packers would have been hard pressed to find a talent like Clay Matthews to fill the void at inside linebacker, so wasting a first or second round pick on what many called a “mediocre linebacker class” seemed superfluous.

Ryan had day two tags, so the Packers finding him still available in the fourth round was a win. Though he will need to play above his pay grade to start his NFL career, he will have Clay Matthews III as a mentor; and it doesn’t get better than that.

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