As we get ready for Super Bowl XLII, FanHouse is looking back at each team's 2007 first-round pick. Here's a look at the 16th pick in the draft, defensive tackle Justin Harrell.
Packers First-Round Review
Who They Took: Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee
Who Else They Were Rumored To Consider: Everybody but Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee
What We Said At The Time: "Why exactly did the Packers draft this guy?"
What Harrell Did: He was inactive for the first month of the season as he struggled to get in shape, but Harrell eventually played in nine games, had two starts, and registers 16 tackles (no sacks). And the two starts came in Week 16 and 17 because Ryan Pickett was out with an injury.
As the Green Bay Post Gazette's Tom Pelissero noted last week:
"But Harrell's regular-season totals ... have to be considered at least somewhat disappointing for a 16th overall pick who began training camp with his name alongside Pickett's atop the depth chart.Looking Into The Future: The Packers are excited to have Harrell for the entire off-season. He should be in much better shape for training camp since he was limited during in the months leading up to the 2007 season because he was recovering from a torn biceps tendon. Green Bay will need a big year from Harrell because the team will probably lose one of its top three defensive linemen to free agency.
By comparison, 13 of the 15 players selected ahead of Harrell started at least eight games as rookies; the only player who played in or started fewer games was training-camp holdout quarterback JaMarcus Russell, the No. 1 overall pick by Oakland."
Would They Do It All Over?: The Packers won 13 games and played very well on both sides of the ball. Unless drafting another player would've prevented Brett Favre from throwing that jaw-dropping interception in the NFC Championship game, I think Harrell was a solid pick (in theory, anyway). If not for 2007, for the future.
Grade: C-. Harrell stumbled through his rookie season, battling injury and inconsistent play. He should be much improved in Year 2, and Green Bay will need him to be if they lose some depth along the defensive line.
