Grading Packers 2013 Draft Class

That man there, Pro Bowl left tackle David Bakhtiari is the last survivor of the 2013 draft class of the Green Bay Packers. Yeah. Draft, develop and retain my a**. I'm going to be breaking down what went right and wrong with this draft class, not only for what they accomplished on the team, but how they were let go and why, and if they showed up elsewhere and had success. Lack of retention (especially if healthy) is important to me, because that's how this team works (supposedly). The letter grade includes a mixture of player success, player health, retention, and player success elsewhere.

FIRST ROUND: DE/OLB Datone Jones

GRADE: C-, leaning slightly upward prior to signing with the Vikings

I bet a lot of people out there want to give the tenure of Datone an F, but hear me out. He was more than just a pass rusher, he did some nice things in the running game late in his career, and once Nick Perry and Julius Peppers essentially took the need from him out of the game, he kind of struggled to find footing. He wasn't what the Packers hoped for, and now he is with the Vikings trying to prove us wrong. Jones is currently with the Minnesota Vikings.

SECOND ROUND: RB Eddie Lacy

GRADE: C+, trending downward

Lacy struggled to stay healthy and in shape throughout his career, and it ultimately cost him the 2016 season and his future with the Packers. I think the Pack should have given him one more shot, but apparently the management is comfortable moving forward with Ty Montgomery. With that said, his first two seasons earned an "A", and his last two earned a D or an F even, so he gets a C+. Lacy is currently with the Seattle Seahawks.

FOURTH ROUND: T David Bakhtiari

GRADE: A, trending upward

Where the player is selected plays a big role in how they are graded as well, but Bakhtiari is far and away the best pick in this draft. He has been the starter at left tackle from day one, and earned a well deserved extension and Pro Bowl appearance this season. Bakhtiari will be with us for a few more seasons.

FOURTH ROUND: OL JC Tretter

GRADE: B-, trending steady

Tretter got better the longer he played, and was arguably our best non-TJ Lang lineman prior to his injury last season. However, his issues of staying on the field as well as him not being retained by the Packers (although he was well overpaid at this point by Cleveland) means he isn't going to get a better grade than what he deserved when he played. Tretter signed a large deal to join the Cleveland Browns.

FOURTH ROUND: RB Johnathan Franklin

GRADE: F, no change

I know it's not fair to give him an F for a neck injury that cost him his career, but this is from the Packers' perspective and having a potential future piece (who could have been the starter going into this season) go down for good so early is devastating. Franklin now works for the University of Notre Dame as an administrator for student welfare and development.

FIFTH ROUND: DB Micah Hyde

GRADE: B, trending downard

Micah Hyde played like the best corner on the team after Sam Shields went down last season, and letting him walk to Buffalo is the only reason he is not receiving an A grade. For a fifth round pick, Hyde has been everything we could have hoped, and should still be on the roster. This is a failure by the front office, because Micah Hyde now is projected to start for the Buffalo Bills.

FIFTH ROUND: DL Josh Boyd

GRADE: F, no recent change

Boyd was released due to drug charges prior to last year's draft, but before that he had trouble staying on the field due to injuries. He was decent at stopping the run in 2014 when he played. He is a free agent and his career is probably finished.

SIXTH ROUND: LB Nate Palmer

GRADE: D, trending downward

Nate Palmer spent a few seasons dealing with injuries as well, and when he did finally get decent reps, the Packers put him on waivers where he was claimed by Tennessee. He has yet to play with the Titans, but will be in their 2017 camp.

SEVENTH ROUND: WR Charles Johnson

GRADE: F, trending downward

It's hard to get worse than an F, but the Packers gave up on Charles Johnson way too soon, and for a little while he was the number one wide receiver for the division rival Minnesota Vikings. They obviously have better receivers now, but they let him go for nothing and he was decent enough to stay with the Vikings for those years. He signed a contract with Carolina this off-season.

SEVENTH ROUND: WR Kevin Dorsey

GRADE: F, no change

He just didn't make the team, and spent his rookie year on IR. In 2015, he got another chance with New England, but failed there as well. He has one reception for four yards, so he can at least say he caught an NFL pass to his grandkids. He is no longer in the NFL.

SEVENTH ROUND: LB Sam Barrington

GRADE: D, trending slightly downward

Barrington looked to be the future of the inside linebacker position for the Packers in the 2015 camp after a good 2014 season, but an injury in the opener cost him his career with the Packers, as he was cut after the 2016 camp. He played sparingly for the Chiefs in 2016 and was signed by New Orleans in November. He is not currently on New Orleans' roster on saints.com, but Wikipedia states that he is on the Saints. He'll be in some camp I'm assuming for one last go.

Reading about what happened to all of these players made me a little depressed, as three players are already out of the league and two or three more are an inch or two away from that status. I also checked Bleacher Report grading the class back in April of 2013 and the worst grade any of these players got was a C+, and that was Hyde.