2012 Draft - Round 7, Pick 34, Overall 241

Datko was a pick I'd hoped we'd make. Dude is nasty.

good size. hope he makes the team.

Just studying up on him. He could be a steal.

I watched Datko play against Clemson many times and he is a beast. As long as he can stay healthy then he could be a potential starter for us down the road. I love this pick.

Datko is a boom or bust - and he is much more likely to bust. But that is okay, because his ceiling is so high. He had the potential to go in the first round this season, but he has had a reoccurring shoulder problem. Hes had a couple of operations on it and there is a good chance he will never contribute. But, if he over comes the issue, and we have another 'Bulaga' on our hands - we are set. And to me, that is well worth risking a 7th round pick on him. Even if the likelihood of success is in the 10% range - its tough for these late picks to make our talented roster anyhow.

The doc who did his last surgery said it had never been repaired correctly all along. Supposedly he's very close to 100% and I think he's going to push for a starting job by the end of the season as long as he doesn't re-injure. But he's a stud for sure.

I understand his latest operation wasn't very invasive- just a scope on his left shoulder. When he was in high school he had a more extensive procedure conducted on his right shoulder but this hasn't caused him trouble since...