2013 Packer Draft Review

AmishMafia

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The regular season is done and now is a good time to take a look on how the rookies have fared. This may be Thompson’s best draft with the Packers. As rookies, 3 players have already stepped up and are providing significant impact to the success of the Packers. That is impressive for a perennial playoff team. Lacey, Bahtari, and Hyde appear to be rising stars. Additionally, Jones and Boyd are likely to show improvement; Franklin and Trotter were injured; and Palmer and Barrington need time to develop.


#26 Datone Jones: Slow start so far. Started fast in preseason but was slowed by an ankle injury. Began playing more at midseason at a good level. Began to fade towards the end of the season. Not sure why. Rookie wall? Reinjured ankle? Not sure. Had a big day with 2 sacks in the Dallas game – playing with power and speed. I am still expecting big things from Jones – he can be very good with another offseason.


#61 Eddie Lacey: Probably the rookie of the year. He not only is a quicker and smarter than I expected – he has intangible leadership ability as well. Seems to me – he fires up that offensive line with those powerful runs. Great pick and perhaps the steal of the draft.


#109 Bahkatari: A big draft steal as well. Had Bahkatari stayed in school as many recommended, he perhaps would have become a first round pick. He shows lots of skill; smarts; and a tenacity to be successful. His only limitation appears to be his size. An offseason in the training program may bring him back as a very good OT. At this point – Bulaga will likely be moved back to the right side and he will keep the LT spot.


#122 Trotter: No idea. Injured getting off the team bus at the press conference to introduce the draft picks.


#125 Franklin: Did not show much early. Got in one game and played well against a very good Cincinnati defense. Fast and quick, may be a better receiver than I expected but he was injured early. See if he comes back next season with some more confidence.


#159 Micah Hyde: Biggest surprise player of this draft. This is the 2nd year in a row, TT grabbed an unheralded CB and have him shine after getting Casey Hayward last season. Both played much better than their draft position and play much faster than they time. If the draft was reheld today, Hyde might find himself in the late first round.


#167 Josh Boyd: The second deja-vu pick of the draft. Reminiscent of Daniels last season, another head scratcher DL on draft day that has surprised. I really felt this was a wasted pick as Boyd (Like Daniels) is too small. He didn’t do much to impress for most of preseason and into the season. He has, however, come on in the last month and is now taking away playing time from Datone Jones. Lets hope he continues to mimic Daniels and comes back next season as a defensive force for the Packers.


#193 Nate Palmer: Thought he was destined for the practice squad, being a green player from a small school. He has all the tools, however, and he has gotten some playing time on special teams and some snaps at OLB. Has not impressed, perhaps the game will slow down a bit for him next season. Actually started 2 games due to lots of injuries. Well worth the roster spot in the hopes the light comes on.


#216 Charles Johnson: Loved the pick, sorry he didn’t stick around longer on the PS. Browns seem to like him. They stole him from our PS and kept him despite finding out he had a torn ACL. Have to wonder how much the knee injury slowed him down and perhaps curtailed his Packer career by not recognizing the injury.


#224 Kevin Dorsey: Didn’t like the pick, but what are you going to do late in the 7th? Practice Squad – I don’t think he will make it next season.


#232 Sam Barrington: Long shot that stuck. Has not distinguished himself, but seems to work hard and has some physicality to him.
 
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Absolutely love Lacy, he should be named offensive rookie of the year. Bakhtiari and Hyde have been pleasant surprises. Expected way more out of Jones though.
 

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Datone Jones: Too early to tell.

Eddie Lacy: Fantastic pick, only question is durability because of his old-time, smash mouth running style (which I love).

David Bakhtiari: Very good pick. Has potential to be LT of the future picked in the 4th round. Emphasis on potential but IMO he can certainly play one of the OT spots at an above average level. (May switch to RT with Bulaga at LT.) Has nasty disposition and finishes.

J.C. Tretter: Too early to tell.

Johnathan Franklin: Too early to tell.

Micah Hyde: Great football instincts. Great pick in the 5th round. He and a healthy Hayward could give the new DC (?) a lot of flexibility. Good returner.

Josh Boyd: Too early to tell but came on late in the season. We’re likely to find out a lot more about him next season with the departure of a DL or two.

Nate Palmer: Too early to tell.

Charles Johnson: Gone. Don’t care unless he returns to Packers.

Kevin Dorsey: Too early to tell.

Sam Barrington: Too early to tell.
 

Wood Chipper

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I told ya guys Lacy was the best back in the draft! Johnathan Franklin disappointed me with his lack of playing time but the game he got to play he showed you what he can do.
 
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AmishMafia

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if they redid the draft today, we are only getting one of Jones, Hyde, Bahk, or Lacy.
 

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I would think its more appropriate to judge the 2011 than the 2013 class. Too soon to tell.
 
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I doubt Jones would be a first-rounder.
Jones has flashed dominance in preseason and in Dallas game. I doubt he makes it to our pick in the 2nd. There were players drafted ahead of Jones who have shown less.

I stated we only get one - meaning none will make it to our pick in the 2nd. I think Lacy and Bahk are gone by our 1st pick and only a 50-50 shot for Hyde being there.

Mark my words, Datone will be an impact player in 2 years.
 
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Jones has flashed dominance in preseason and in Dallas game. I doubt he makes it to our pick in the 2nd. There were players drafted ahead of Jones who have shown less.

I stated we only get one - meaning none will make it to our pick in the 2nd. I think Lacy and Bahk are gone by our 1st pick and only a 50-50 shot for Hyde being there.

Mark my words, Datone will be an impact player in 2 years.

I agree it's still too early to judge Datone right now and it's possible he'll turn into an impact player.

But right now I think he would be there for our 2nd-round pick if the draft would be re-done today.
 
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AmishMafia

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I would think its more appropriate to judge the 2011 than the 2013 class. Too soon to tell.
Just judging based on what we have seen so far. If we wait 3 years, hell, even Matt Millen will have figured it out by then;).
 

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My grades, commensurate with expectations based on the round they were picked.

D. Jones - D-
Lacy - A+
Bahktiari - A+
Tretter - Incomplete
Franklin - C+
Hyde - A
Boyd - B-
Palmer - C+
Dorsey - Incomplete
Barrington - C
 

FrankRizzo

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Somebody threw out the old cliche "it's too early to judge" line.
But the fact is, these are not final judging sentences or something, they are just grading them right now for WHAT THEY HAVE DONE.
SO FAR.
And they can, and WILL, change with time.
But as of right now, here are my grades for these picks, factoring not only what they have done, but where they were selected.

#26 Datone Jones: D-

#61 Eddie Lacey: A+

#109 Bahkatari: A-

#122 Trotter: F/I

#125 Franklin: B-/I

#159 Micah Hyde: A

#167 Josh Boyd: B+

#193 Nate Palmer: C

#216 Charles Johnson: F/I

#224 Kevin Dorsey: F/I

#232 Sam Barrington: F/I

Datone was drafted to make an IMPACT. We dreamed he was gonna be a tanner version of JJ Watt. We would have taken half that as a rookie... remember Watt DID make a big impact as a rookie.
Jones was hardly ever noticeable. That's not what you're looking for with a #1 pick.

Lacy was obviously a stud, and would be an A+ as a 1st round pick, but to get him in round 2, bottom part, is extra credit A+

Bakhtiari deserves an A also, but I gave him an A- because he had some struggles in November/December. Still, thank God for this guy since Bulaga can't avoid breaking something every year.

Trotter, who knows. Hopefully we will find out someday soon.

Franklin. Well, he had some issues hanging onto the ball.
But the one game he was counted on, he looked great. At a good defense, Cincinnati, he was fantastic. He got stuffed on that last 4th & inches, but that wasn't his fault. The fumble sure, but had Rodgers not thrown one and another INT that 2nd half, Franklin would have been the Rookie of the Week and a hero. You had to love what you saw there. Whether or not he can maintain that, we'll find out. I don't even know why they IR'd him, what his "injury" really is. Also, he will have a battle with the underrated DuJuan Harris next year IMO to make the team. Wish we could keep all 4 of our RBs. (Starks)

Hyde, he's our most physical DB of all, Safeties and CB's included. And he's been a great KR guy, as well as coverage guy. He's yet another example of sub 4.4 speed being overrated. He can play, and we need more physical strong tacklers like him.

Boyd, for being taken on the final day of the draft, he's a great pick. Just being healthy enough to help at this point in time, on this soft team, is worth a C grade. Plus he's made some plays, seems as agile as #9 overall pick BJ Raji.

Palmer gets a C- see above. He's still healthy and out there, unlike many other guys. Hasn't shown much yet, but he's available and that's worth a C at this point.

Charles Johnson, Dorsey and Barrington have provided nothing.
I don't expect anything ever from either of those WRs to be honest.
But I am optimistic Barrington will do something next year. He's physical and violent. Did he get hurt somehow this year though, not playing?
 

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The Lacy, Bahkatari and Hyde picks were great. Lacy should be ROY, Bahkatari is going to start for years and Hyde is very solid nickle and punt returner. Boyd has looked really good as of late and has a real future as a contributor.

I was very excited about Datone Jones on draft day. He has the size and speed combination to be big-time playmaker. Jones' playing time has been diminished to almost nothing these last few weeks. It's never good to be a guy the defensive coaches don't trust enough to play. His playing time has been as follows:
  • Week 17 - 5 plays
  • Week 16 - 4 plays
  • Week 15 - 17 plays
  • Week 14 - 9 plays
 
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Datone was drafted to make an IMPACT. We dreamed he was gonna be a tanner version of JJ Watt. We would have taken half that as a rookie... remember Watt DID make a big impact as a rookie.
Jones was hardly ever noticeable. That's not what you're looking for with a #1 pick.
I believe that is where you are wrong. The Packers drafted Datone because they felt he would improve the Packers the most by drafting him.

Drafting AR did not make the Packers better his rookie year, yet he proved to be a very wise selection. It is not realistic to have high expectations for any draft pick to come onto the Packers and immediately make an impact. Especially at a physically demanding position like defensive line. TT is looking at the Packers for the next 4 years and feels having Datone on the team will make them better over the 4 years.

Furthermore, I disagree on the impact of JJ Watt. He struggled in his rookie season early. He started at Houston because their talent at DE was certainly lacking. JJ amassed 5.5 sacks in 16 starts playing with one of the top defenses that season in the NFL. Datone had 3.5 sacks in part time play in 8 games for an average performing defense.
 

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Drafting AR did not make the Packers better his rookie year, yet he proved to be a very wise selection. It is not realistic to have high expectations for any draft pick to come onto the Packers and immediately make an impact. Especially at a physically demanding position like defensive line. TT is looking at the Packers for the next 4 years and feels having Datone on the team will make them better over the 4 years.

That's a tough comparison because Rodgers had Favre blocking him. Rodgers couldn't make an impact his rookie season because there was an All-Pro, Hall of Fame player in front of him. Jones has little to no competition on the defensive line.
 
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That's a tough comparison because Rodgers had Favre blocking him. Rodgers couldn't make an impact his rookie season because there was an All-Pro, Hall of Fame player in front of him. Jones has little to no competition on the defensive line.
Jolly would start for 90% of NFL teams. Daniels is looking like a rising star. Raji gets his share of snaps - although he is not a stud as he was in the past, he still is . . . . well, I don't think he deserves so much playing time. We also have CJ Wilson, who I seem to like more than most, can be a very good runstopping force at the POA.
 

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Jolly would start for 90% of NFL teams. Daniels is looking like a rising star. Raji gets his share of snaps - although he is not a stud as he was in the past, he still is . . . . well, I don't think he deserves so much playing time. We also have CJ Wilson, who I seem to like more than most, can be a very good runstopping force at the POA.

So Rodgers being blocked by Favre is comparable to Jones being blocked by a guy who hadn't played in three full years, Daniels come off of his rookie reason and CJ Wilson? Jones had every chance to be a 25-35 snap per game player from Day 1.
 

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Somebody threw out the old cliche "it's too early to judge" line.
But the fact is, these are not final judging sentences or something, they are just grading them right now for WHAT THEY HAVE DONE.
SO FAR.
And they can, and WILL, change with time.
But as of right now, here are my grades for these picks, factoring not only what they have done, but where they were selected.

#26 Datone Jones: D-

#61 Eddie Lacey: A+

#109 Bahkatari: A-

#122 Trotter: F/I

#125 Franklin: B-/I

#159 Micah Hyde: A

#167 Josh Boyd: B+

#193 Nate Palmer: C

#216 Charles Johnson: F/I

#224 Kevin Dorsey: F/I

#232 Sam Barrington: F/I

Datone was drafted to make an IMPACT. We dreamed he was gonna be a tanner version of JJ Watt. We would have taken half that as a rookie... remember Watt DID make a big impact as a rookie.
Jones was hardly ever noticeable. That's not what you're looking for with a #1 pick.

Lacy was obviously a stud, and would be an A+ as a 1st round pick, but to get him in round 2, bottom part, is extra credit A+

Bakhtiari deserves an A also, but I gave him an A- because he had some struggles in November/December. Still, thank God for this guy since Bulaga can't avoid breaking something every year.

Trotter, who knows. Hopefully we will find out someday soon.

Franklin. Well, he had some issues hanging onto the ball.
But the one game he was counted on, he looked great. At a good defense, Cincinnati, he was fantastic. He got stuffed on that last 4th & inches, but that wasn't his fault. The fumble sure, but had Rodgers not thrown one and another INT that 2nd half, Franklin would have been the Rookie of the Week and a hero. You had to love what you saw there. Whether or not he can maintain that, we'll find out. I don't even know why they IR'd him, what his "injury" really is. Also, he will have a battle with the underrated DuJuan Harris next year IMO to make the team. Wish we could keep all 4 of our RBs. (Starks)

Hyde, he's our most physical DB of all, Safeties and CB's included. And he's been a great KR guy, as well as coverage guy. He's yet another example of sub 4.4 speed being overrated. He can play, and we need more physical strong tacklers like him.

Boyd, for being taken on the final day of the draft, he's a great pick. Just being healthy enough to help at this point in time, on this soft team, is worth a C grade. Plus he's made some plays, seems as agile as #9 overall pick BJ Raji.

Palmer gets a C- see above. He's still healthy and out there, unlike many other guys. Hasn't shown much yet, but he's available and that's worth a C at this point.

Charles Johnson, Dorsey and Barrington have provided nothing.
I don't expect anything ever from either of those WRs to be honest.
But I am optimistic Barrington will do something next year. He's physical and violent. Did he get hurt somehow this year though, not playing?

I don't get where this old myth of jj watts rookie season came from. You saw potential but he wasn't the player he is today. His rookie year he had 2 more sacks than jones did.

JJ watts 2nd season was the best defensive season I have ever seen, that seems like a high bar. I wonder if jets fans compare geno smith to peyton manning.

As far as you complaining about my comment, I would like to see the OPer assess the draft class 3 seasons ago. I view most rookies as a work in progress, so for me grades seem hasty.
 
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So Rodgers being blocked by Favre is comparable to Jones being blocked by a guy who hadn't played in three full years, Daniels come off of his rookie reason and CJ Wilson? Jones had every chance to be a 25-35 snap per game player from Day 1.
Wrong context. The implication Frank was making, is that a first round player must immediately IMPACT in order to be considered a good pick. Rodgers did not and yet still was a great pick.

What does it matter what Jolly did the prior 3 years? Whether he was in prison, a monastery or playing for another SB team? He came to the Packers and played at a high level and that is all that matters when the coaches decide who should start. But you make a great point (for me). The coaching staff should not have expected Jolly to be as good as he was. Perhaps they tried to bring Datone alone to fast not realizing that Jolly would be as good as he was. I wonder how Datone's rookie season would have gone if he had not hurt his ankle early.
 

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The implication Frank was making, is that a first round player must immediately IMPACT in order to be considered a good pick. Rodgers did not and yet still was a great pick.
If you don't expect early impact from your 1st round pick, who do you expect impact from? Undrafted free agents, like Sam Shields in 2010?

Also, you simply cannot compare the draft pick of a QB who was backing up a QB who still had Pro Bowl stuff, as we saw in 2007 for us and in 2009 for Minny.

If we're grading Datone now, it's not a pretty grade. Be real.
Of course, we all hope it looks better next year and the year after.
Or next week even. Why not? He should be fresh as a daisy.
His playing time has been as follows:
  • Week 17 - 5 plays
  • Week 16 - 4 plays
  • Week 15 - 17 plays
  • Week 14 - 9 plays
 
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If you don't expect early impact from your 1st round pick, who do you expect impact from? Undrafted free agents, like Sam Shields in 2010?

Also, you simply cannot compare the draft pick of a QB who was backing up a QB who still had Pro Bowl stuff, as we saw in 2007 for us and in 2009 for Minny.

If we're grading Datone now, it's not a pretty grade. Be real.
Of course, we all hope it looks better next year and the year after.
Or next week even. Why not? He should be fresh as a daisy.
His playing time has been as follows:
  • Week 17 - 5 plays
  • Week 16 - 4 plays
  • Week 15 - 17 plays
  • Week 14 - 9 plays
Your expectations are unrealistic if you demand your first round picks to be impact players. Even JJ Watt was not an impact player his first year. As a matter of fact, someone could argue that Datone has done more with fewer snaps than JJ Watt did his first season. I don't believe that, but to call him a bust at this point is silly.

Who do I expect to improve? A player who has a year or two learning and developing. Daniels perhaps?

Do we miss Cullen Jenkins? You know Datone has played much better than he did his first year. As a matter of fact, Jenkins was cut 2 years in a row by the Packers. He wasn't even good enough to be on the roster. Yet he developed and finally made the roster after his 3rd season.
 

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In my opinion, it's not surprising for a 1st rounder to have a huge impact, but a huge impact shouldn't be expected from any rookie.

It's obviously safe to say that as of right now, Jones isn't an impact NFL player, but there's no reason to think he cannot become one. Most players only get better until they get too old.
 

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Your expectations are unrealistic if you demand your first round picks to be impact players.
I don't understand why you think it's unrealistic for 1st round picks to have an impact their rookie year.
DOZENS of them do each year, and more often than not, it is the FIRST rounders who do.
They said this system was perfect for Datone, he said himself it was the same system as at UCLA under Jim Mora.
Perhaps it's Capers' scheme that is the problem, as Raji & Pickett kind of alluded to earlier this year.......


I don't know if this year's All-Rookie team has been announced yet, but here were some of last year's rookie synopsis'.
Again, this is what was written of them after last year, their rookie seasons.

DE: Quinton Coples, Jets: One of the few bright spots for New York, the first-round pick finished with 5.5 sacks, the most on the team. He really played well in the last month of the season.

DE: Bruce Irvin, Seahawks: The selection of Irvin with the No. 15 overall pick left many surprised, but he proved himself this year, finishing with eight sacks on a Seahawks playoff team. REMEMBER HE GOT RODGERS about 3 or 4 times THAT GAME... beating BULAGA like a drum.

DT: Fletcher Cox, Eagles: He tied the team lead with 5.5 sacks, and for all the problems Philadelphia's defense experienced, Cox was one reason for optimism. Another guy the Packers were interested in reportedly.

ILB: Luke Kuechly, Panthers: When you've recorded 164 tackles and two interceptions, you know you've had a pretty decent year. IF WE COULD HAVE ANY PLAYER ADDED TO OUR TEAM, THIS IS THE GUY I WOULD WANT.

ILB: Bobby Wagner, Seahawks: Because these two inside linebackers were so much better than any other rookie outside linebacker (outside of Hightower), I put both of them on this list. Wagner was a star this year.

CB: Casey Hayward, Packers: Already, Hayward is one of the best cornerbacks in the league. Hayward had six interceptions, and according to Pro Football Focus, quarterbacks throwing his way had a 27.7 passer rating.

CB: Janoris Jenkins, Rams: He wasn't always great in coverage, but he finished with four interceptions on the season, and he scored four defensive touchdowns. Which is pretty ridiculous.

S: Harrison Smith, Vikings: He's made a number of game-changing plays, and he finished the season with 103 tackles and three interceptions. Was drafted right after we took Nick Perry by the way. How are we at safety again?


Defensive ends

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Derek Wolfe, Broncos: As a college player at Cincinnati, Wolfe was a guy I rated a bit higher than most, mainly because of his relentlessness. He piled up sacks from the interior as a defensive tackle. Denver moved him to defensive end, where he continued to play with great energy and got some sacks as well. He finished with 6.0 for the season and looks like a steal as a second-round pick.

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Reyes
Kendall Reyes, Chargers: A 3-4 defensive end, Reyes was maybe the most athletic defensive tackle in the 2012 draft. Once he got the reps in San Diego he produced, and he should be a stud going forward. He finished with 5.5 sacks and simply destroyed the Jets in Week 16.

Both of these above guys were mocked to us in many pre-draft mocks.
I heard Teddy wanted Reyes. Who knows.
Wolfe was a popular pick to us in rounds 2, 3, and 4 in mocks. Denver of course took him sooner than we wanted.
Again, this is from last year.

I cannot find much yet from this year as All-Rookie teams aren't announced yet.
 

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I don't understand why you think it's unrealistic for 1st round picks to have an impact their rookie year.
DOZENS of them do each year, and more often than not, it is the FIRST rounders who do.
They said this system was perfect for Datone, he said himself it was the same system as at UCLA under Jim Mora.
Perhaps it's Capers' scheme that is the problem, as Raji & Pickett kind of alluded to earlier this year.......


I don't know if this year's All-Rookie team has been announced yet, but here were some of last year's rookie synopsis'.
Again, this is what was written of them after last year, their rookie seasons.

DE: Quinton Coples, Jets: One of the few bright spots for New York, the first-round pick finished with 5.5 sacks, the most on the team. He really played well in the last month of the season.

DE: Bruce Irvin, Seahawks: The selection of Irvin with the No. 15 overall pick left many surprised, but he proved himself this year, finishing with eight sacks on a Seahawks playoff team. REMEMBER HE GOT RODGERS about 3 or 4 times THAT GAME... beating BULAGA like a drum.

DT: Fletcher Cox, Eagles: He tied the team lead with 5.5 sacks, and for all the problems Philadelphia's defense experienced, Cox was one reason for optimism. Another guy the Packers were interested in reportedly.

ILB: Luke Kuechly, Panthers: When you've recorded 164 tackles and two interceptions, you know you've had a pretty decent year. IF WE COULD HAVE ANY PLAYER ADDED TO OUR TEAM, THIS IS THE GUY I WOULD WANT.

ILB: Bobby Wagner, Seahawks: Because these two inside linebackers were so much better than any other rookie outside linebacker (outside of Hightower), I put both of them on this list. Wagner was a star this year.

CB: Casey Hayward, Packers: Already, Hayward is one of the best cornerbacks in the league. Hayward had six interceptions, and according to Pro Football Focus, quarterbacks throwing his way had a 27.7 passer rating.

CB: Janoris Jenkins, Rams: He wasn't always great in coverage, but he finished with four interceptions on the season, and he scored four defensive touchdowns. Which is pretty ridiculous.
S: Harrison Smith, Vikings: He's made a number of game-changing plays, and he finished the season with 103 tackles and three interceptions. Was drafted right after we took Nick Perry by the way. How are we at safety again?

Defensive ends

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Derek Wolfe, Broncos: As a college player at Cincinnati, Wolfe was a guy I rated a bit higher than most, mainly because of his relentlessness. He piled up sacks from the interior as a defensive tackle. Denver moved him to defensive end, where he continued to play with great energy and got some sacks as well. He finished with 6.0 for the season and looks like a steal as a second-round pick.

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Reyes
Kendall Reyes, Chargers: A 3-4 defensive end, Reyes was maybe the most athletic defensive tackle in the 2012 draft. Once he got the reps in San Diego he produced, and he should be a stud going forward. He finished with 5.5 sacks and simply destroyed the Jets in Week 16.

Both of these above guys were mocked to us in many pre-draft mocks.
I heard Teddy wanted Reyes. Who knows.
Wolfe was a popular pick to us in rounds 2, 3, and 4 in mocks. Denver of course took him sooner than we wanted.
Again, this is from last year.

I cannot find much yet from this year as All-Rookie teams aren't announced yet.

Dozens of rookies make an impact, but dozens more do not until later in their careers. It's not a big deal that Jones has not made an impact yet.
 
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