Where'd They End Up? Draft Edition

The draft proved many things for many people; the Panthers are a poorly run organization, linemen on both sides of the ball are overvalued, and the Packers are now the home of a man who will eventually become a star in the league. God-in-training Randall Cobb was picked up in the last pick of the second round, absolutely nowhere near my prediction for his final destination, but that is the nature of the draft: it is unpredictable and surprising. Four QB’s taken in the first round signify that the panic over drafting another Matt Leinart has passed and that several teams are in desperate need of throwers who can lead their teams.
Spirits were running high when, after the season, Cobb was projected to go in the early second round. Then Boise State’s Titus Young went off the board. Then Terrapin WR Torrey Smith got picked up. Then Greg Little. And just as I thought we were in for another whole day of waiting to hear Cobb’s name, the last man still waiting in the green room was picked, by the defending Super Bowl champs no less.
“I was really surprised, I hadn’t heard from them since the combine, I actually had a chance to meet with them at the combine but that was the last I had heard from them,” Cobb told Green and Gold Today, a Wisconsin radio show, ” so it really was a big surprise for me.”
Cobb’s drop in draft position should turn into big dividends for the future All-Pro, the timeless Donald Driver is starting to fall apart at the seams and Greg Jennings is one of the best receivers in the game, giving him not only the opportunity to learn but the chance to play, since the club has clearly not bought James Jones’ future as a consistent option as Driver’s injury last year put him and teammate Jordy Nelson in the shared spotlight for 10 games. Jones caught 29 passes, Nelson caught 31. While those numbers are comparable, it was the costly drop in the Super Bowl measured against Nelson’s nine catch, 140 yd performance that sealed the WR’s fate and prompted the Packers to go receiver hunting in the draft.
Special teams were also an area of concern that will be filled by Cobb, as the Packers used six different return men last year and none could hold the job. So be sure to see the opening kickoff for the Pack next year, as the first person to touch the ball will be none other than the man wearing #18 (yes, he got his number in the NFL too. If I wasn’t such a Steelers fan, it would almost be worth it).
Unfortunately no other UK players were taken in the NFL draft, but Derrick Locke was taken in the 9th round of the five team UFL by the Omaha Nighthawks; he wasn’t too keen on that. His tweet after finding out has since been taken down, but it was something to the effect of “I ain’t going to that dookie”, except replace “dookie” with a word that a child under 13 would get in trouble for. Gotta love the fight in him.

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