Green Bay Given a choice among the players Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson drafted in 2009, you probably would have put your money on defensive lineman B.J. Raji having the biggest impact right away.

Big, strong and quick, Raji, the ninth pick overall, was primed to beef up the Packers' front three.

But Raji missed two weeks of training camp because of a contract dispute and then in the final exhibition game suffered an ankle injury that affected him most of the season. Meanwhile, linebackers Clay Matthews and Brad Jones sped into starting jobs, Jones' the result of a season-ending injury to Aaron Kampman.

Matthews was the gem, overcoming an injury in training camp to lead the team in sacks with 10 and finish third in defensive rookie of the year voting.

Fast forward a year and the playoff-hopeful Packers aren't begging for rookie help anywhere. They would love to have a player develop like Matthews did or mature the way Jones did, but opportunity is what allowed both of them to advance.

This year, there may not be much opportunity.

If there were a line on the 2010 class, offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga would be the favorite, given he's the first-round pick.

But is he really the favorite? He starts his career behind veterans Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher, who for the past decade have held down the two tackle positions. Bulaga probably will be Clifton's backup, but he wouldn't be the first rookie lineman to spend the year on the bench if things went badly in camp.

"There's a lot I need to work on," Bulaga admitted at the team's rookie orientation camp last week. "Obviously, this new coaching style, coaching ideas; it's a new scheme. There are things you need to adapt to, change to. You're going to face ups and downs."

Bulaga comes from the University of Iowa well-coached, even-tempered and steeped in Midwestern work ethic. That gives him a chance, along with this bit of recent history: 11 of the 14 tackles taken in the first round over the last three years started the majority of their team's games in their first season.

But he has to get a chance first.

Almost every newcomer will have his work cut out to win a starting job when competition begins May 17, the start of organized team activities.

If you had to pick one position at which there might be an opening it would be strong safety. Veteran Atari Bigby won't give up that position, but considering he has missed 12 games over the past two seasons due to injury and played hurt in a handful more, third-round pick Morgan Burnett is closer to the launch pad than the others.

Burnett had 14 interceptions in three seasons at Georgia Tech but like all rookies comes to the Packers with questions about his ability to play at the NFL level. Burnett would be the first rookie to be the designated starter at safety since Nick Collins in 2005.

Another year of college would have better prepared Burnett for the pros, but he elected to come out early. Thompson thought enough of him that he traded up from his spot in the third round to grab him.

"I have to come in and show what I can do, show that I was a great pick," the 6-1 , 208-pound Burnett said. "I have to work hard, train hard and not get laid back, prove I'm a good safety."

Another place where rookies are known to make early contributions is the offensive backfield. When it comes to being a running back, you either can hit the hole or you can't. The biggest adjustment is pass protection.

Sixth-round pick James Starks missed his senior year due to shoulder surgery, but as a two-time 1,000-yard rusher at Buffalo, he's not new to the game. The league is full of young, complimentary backs who rev up in their rookie seasons, but most were coming off strong senior seasons.

Starks isn't.

"I'm on a mission," he said. "I'm going to prove everybody wrong. Those that doubted me, here I come."

The toughest spot for a rookie to make any waves this year will be the defensive line. Raji may not even come back as a starter, depending on the outcome of a felony drug case against end Johnny Jolly. If Raji can't start, how are second-round pick Mike Neal and seventh-round pick C.J. Wilson going to get time?

Based on personnel and the way injuries depleted the position, Thompson probably will keep an additional lineman on the roster. Neal and Wilson are immensely strong run-stuffers who fit the 3-4 mold and could make the rotation.

But it's difficult to play on the defensive line as a rookie. Raji and Jarius Wynn weren't big factors last year, Jolly didn't play much in '06 and Mike Montgomery played sparingly in '05. First-round pick Vonnie Holliday in 1998 was the last draft pick to be a full-time starter on the defensive line.

"I'll find out more about this defense and what I need to work on," Neal said. "There are probably a gazillion things you have to correct before they'll let you on the field."

As for tight end Andrew Quarless and offensive lineman Marshall Newhouse, patience would be recommended for both. Then again, odds tend to change quickly once the season starts.