Green Bay - General manager Ted Thompson warns that it's far too early to judge the Green Bay Packers' draft class of 2008 despite the fact that it offered little help in the first year.
"So far, I'm very pleased," Thompson said at midweek. "But none of us will really know for a few years. We think we've got some good players who are going to be good players for a long time. We know we've got some good people."
After trading down four times and up once, Thompson wound up with nine players. Of the nine, eight are on the 53-man roster and the final pick, wide receiver Brett Swain, was cut and re-signed to the practice squad.
Thompson said he was disappointed in neither the players nor himself for lacking a starter on what evolved into a losing team.
"Just the way it's turned out," Thompson said. "Some of them have limited play time, some of them have none. But I think they've done a nice job of what we've asked them to do."
The Packers placed Nick Collins on the all-rookie team in 2005, which was Thompson's first draft, and three more in 2006: wide receiver Greg Jennings, guard Daryn Colledge and linebacker A.J. Hawk.
They didn't have any selections in 2007 and probably won't have any this year.
Jordy Nelson, the only player with production, is fifth among rookie wide receivers with 30 receptions for 330 yards and two touchdowns. Thompson traded out of the first round (No. 30) for the No. 36 pick that became Nelson and a fourth-round choice that he used to trade up for defensive end Jeremy Thompson.
Most of the six players the Packers bypassed by trading down have performed well.
Tight end Dustin Keller (No. 30) has 45 receptions for 509 yards and three touchdowns for the Jets.
Safety Kenny Phillips (No. 31) still isn't starting for the Giants but is fifth on the team in tackles with 58. Defensive end Phillip Merling (No. 32) has 24 tackles and one sack off the bench for Miami.
Wide receiver Donnie Avery (No. 33) has 43 receptions for 578 yards and two touchdowns as a starter for St. Louis. Wide receiver Devin Thomas (No. 34) has 14 catches and eight tackles on special teams for Washington. Cornerback Brandon Flowers (No. 35) has 67 tackles and two interceptions as a starter for Kansas City.
Immediately after Nelson's selection, Curtis Lofton went to Atlanta. A starter at middle linebacker, he ranks second among all rookies in tackles with 100.
The No. 38 pick was John Carlson, who leads rookie tight ends with 51 catches for 601 yards and four touchdowns for Seattle.
The leading rookie wide receiver, Eddie Royal, has 75 catches for 847 yards and five touchdowns. He went No. 42 to Denver.
Thompson was asked if he considered trading down those six slots and taking Nelson to be a good move.
"I'm OK with it," he said. "Because I like Jordy. I'm not saying there's not good players in the draft."
Cornerback Pat Lee (five games) finished with one tackle before going on injured reserve Nov. 24. Tight end Jermichael Finley (12 games) has three catches for 10 yards. The oft-injured Jeremy Thompson has 13 tackles and no sacks in seven games, including three starts.
Josh Sitton started one game and filled in extensively in several others as the No. 3 guard.
Quarterbacks Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn as well as tackle Breno Giacomini have had little or no playing time.
In all, 28 of Thompson's 43 selections (65.1%) are on the 53-man roster, including nine starters (20.9%) and 11 situational substitutes.
How GM Ted Thompson assessed his fourth class of Packers draftees:
Round 2, 36th pick, Jordy Nelson, WR, Kansas State: "He does what we thought he could do. He's good after the catch. We think he catches the ball very good. We think he can assert himself down the field. There's a lot of guys to throw to in that receiver bunch so there's only so many balls to go around. We think he'll become even a better player. It wouldn't surprise me a bit (if he became a starter)."
2-56, Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville: "The preseason was rough on him because you're normally playing with the third group or whatever and teams get a little chaotic. He's got very good command of the position. You can tell he's played it his entire life and had a lot of instruction. Sometimes it takes a little while to get comfortable. During the time Matt and he had to take all the reps in practice we think as an organization both those guys really came on. We're not into comparing them but we think both (quarterbacks) have done a nice job this season even though they haven't played in a game."
2-60, Pat Lee, CB, Auburn: "Got hurt, which is a shame, but we like what we've seen. When he's been in the games we thought he's played pretty well. He's done a pretty nice job on special teams. I think he's got a chance to be (a starter), sure. Going from college corner to NFL corner is a little different deal but I thought he did OK. In practice, sometimes you think maybe he's a little behind the curve. But you put him in the game and he seemed to play much better. You've got to learn alignments and how to play splits. I think he's tough enough.
3-91, Jermichael Finley, TE, Texas: "We think Jermichael has tons of talent. He's got excellent hands. We feel he's got lots of room to get better. Athletically, he's fine. He's still learning the game a little bit. We knew what we were getting. We knew we were getting a kid that wants to be a good player, is very athletic, has remarkable hands. The question I guess would be is how soon you can put all that together. He's still a work in progress, but he's gotten a lot better this year. His attitude and toughness are good. He's actually done a nice job on special teams. I don't sense frustration (from the coaches). Sometimes when you're playing with young kids things don't always go like you planned."
4-102, Jeremy Thompson, DE, Wake Forest: "He's had some good moments in games and had some other moments not so good. We think he's got a good future. He's been hampered a little bit with nicks but he's tried to suck it up and play through them. The more he learns the game and the speed of the NFL, I think he could be a potential pass-rushing guy. He's got that kind of talent. He can play all the downs. He's an athletic guy. He's a little different than some of the guys we've got in terms of some of the things he can do with his flexibility. I think he can play. We're kind of glad we've got him."
4-135, Josh Sitton, G, Central Florida: "We like him. He's a big guy that knows how to play big. He's played in some games and done OK. I don't think the game's too big for him. He can stand over there and all of a sudden he has to go in a game. He just puts his helmet on and goes in and plays. Doesn't seem like he's all that nervous about it. He appears to have confidence in his ability to play the game. I certainly don't micro-manage that much but nobody's come to me and said anything like that (he should lose weight). We like guys that can move and stay on their feet, and he can do that. In terms of how big he is, big's OK with us."
5-150, Breno Giacomini, T, Louisville: "We think he's got a bright future. We've had him at right tackle but I think he has a little versatility to play on the other side. His improvement during the season has come from understanding the techniques our (coaches) teach. Talking to them, he has really improved. He's a tough guy. As guys mature, especially in the offensive line, they generally put on a little weight. But 300-plus pounds is pretty good. I'm not good predicting stuff for guys. But I know we're very glad we have him. He studies and tries to get better every day. That's a good trait."
7-209, Matt Flynn, QB, Louisiana State: "He's done a nice job learning the offense and getting ready to play. He's pretty good but we thought he was pretty good in college. Every time he played he did a nice job at LSU. I think he has a chance to be a pretty solid quarterback. I don't know if it's a No. 2 or what. He's got plenty of arm strength. But he has to play in games to know for sure."
7-217, Brett Swain, WR, San Diego State: "He's a kid that has worked hard all year. We think we've seen some improvement. We think he's got a future. He's quick and he's got speed and a pretty good feel for space."