By Drew Olson Special to OnMilwaukee.com Published Apr 27, 2009 at 5:12 AM

Now that the NFL Draft is over, Packers fans can begin to memorize fun facts about their newest heroes.

The "B.J." in Boston College nose tackle B.J. Raji's name stands for "Busari."

USC linebacker Clay Matthews' father, Clay, and uncle Bruce, both played in the NFL for nearly two decades.

The Packers drafted eight players in the draft including Raji (ninth overall) and Matthews (26th). The emphasis was on big players and, apparently, toughness.

"They're hard to find, you cannot have enough big people," coach Mike McCarthy told reporters afterward.

"You go back to the first pick (i.e., Raji), and you sit there with an opportunity to pick defensive linemen and offensive linemen (later), it's very, very tough to pass those guys up. I think we've on a yearly basis made a contribution to our offensive and defensive line. I stand here in front of the team and talk about the importance of offensive line and defensive line play, and we invested in it the last two days."

For the first time in general manager Ted Thompson's tenure in Green Bay, the Packers did not trade down to acquire extra picks. Thompson sat out the second and third round, then grabbed six players in the final four rounds.

"Once we'd spent those picks (Saturday), I was pretty much done giving away picks," he said. "But even before we'd made that trade (for Matthews), some of the guys that we picked, and others, we felt like we could get in the fourth, fifth, sixth rounds, and some of those guys came to us."

Here is a look at the Packers' 2009 Draft Class:

FIRST ROUND

No. 9 overall
Nose tackle B.J. Raji
Boston College
6 feet 2 inches, 337 pounds

Upside: Raji recorded 105 tackles at Boston College and with a strong recommendation from former Packers offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski, who coached B.C. the past two seasons. Raji should help the solidify the Packers' woeful run defense, but he's also adept at rushing the passer. Has drawn comparisons to Warren Sapp.

Downside: Some question his work ethic. Rumors of marijuana use persist, which causes some to fear that he could be like Cletidus Hunt. Didn't dominate opponents in a weak league.

Outlook: If he doesn't start right away, he'll play a lot. The Packers are talking about moving Ryan Pickett to end in order to get both giants on the field at the same time.

No. 26 overall
Linebacker Clay Matthews
USC
6 feet 3 inches, 245 pounds

Upside: A tremendous athlete with great bloodlines. His father, Clay, played 19 years in the NFL and uncle, Bruce, spent 18 years and was a Hall of Famer. Matthews recorded 96 tackles (56 solo) and 5 1/2 sacks with the Trojans. Nobody will question his motor. Scored 27 on the Wonderlic test.

Downside: Went to USC as a walk-on safety and sat out one season as a redshirt. Began his senior year as a reserve before working into a starting role. Might struggle in coverage. Was surrounded by great players at USC, which may have helped him make plays.

Outlook: Considered a classic late-bloomer and hard worker. Will challenge for a starting job at outside linebacker. Being a first-round pick always brings pressure. Matthews also will have to live with the fact that the Packers "traded up" to get him.

FOURTH ROUND
109th pick
Guard / tackle T.J. Lang
Eastern Michigan
6 feet 4 inches, 316 pounds

Upside: Started 26 games at left tackle and 10 on the right side. Compiled 243 "knockdown blocks" and 28 blocks that resulted in touchdowns. The Packers, who value versatility, think he could play any spot on the offensive line.

Downside: There will be questions about the fact that he played in a spread offense, there will be doubts competition he faced in college and some will wonder whether the Packers could have gotten a better player with this pick.

Outlook: He'll get a chance to challenge for Mark Tauscher's job at right tackle, but there is a pool of more experienced players vying for the opening, too.

FIFTH ROUND
145th pick
Fullback Quinn Johnson
Louisiana State
6 foot 1 inch, 249 pounds

Upside: Johnson carried the ball 16 times for 34 yards and two touchdowns. He was known as a blocker, though, and was able to knock defenders down on a regular basis. Started his collegiate career as a linebacker and clearly loves to hit.

Downside: He's big and burly, so weight and speed will be concerns. There is some concern about whether he'll finish blocks.

Outlook: The Packers seem giddy about this pick, which doesn't bode well for John Kuhn and / or Korey Hall.

162nd pick
Tackle Jamon Meredith
South Carolina
6 feet 5 inches, 304 pounds

Upside: Started 38 games for the Gamecocks, including eight at right guard, 11 at right tackle and 19 at left tackle. Ran a fast (for his size) 40-yard dash (5.01 seconds) and graduated in 2008 with a degree in sport and entertainment management.

Downside: Scouts have questioned his size, strength and mental approach. That's not a good trifecta. He was deemed a locker room lawyer, too. That won't play well in the pros.

Outlook: He joins a long list of people waiting to see how things will shake out with the offensive line. Could end up playing guard.

SIXTH ROUND
182nd pick
Defensive end Jarius Wynn
Georgia
6 feet 3 inches, 277 pounds

Upside: Began his collegiate career at Georgia Military College and is regarded as a solid citizen. Recorded two sacks in the Capital One Bowl victory over Michigan State.

Downside: Didn't play a lot. Is a bit undersized. Doesn't run very fast.

Outlook: Will be a "project," but other players have been late bloomers.

187th pick
Cornerback Brandon Underwood
Cincinnati

Upside: Was first-team all-Big East. Has a nose for the ball (four interceptions, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries). Played hard on special teams. Long arms.

Downside: Played a lot of safety in his final year in college, but projects as a corner. Began his career at Ohio State, but scholarship was not renewed due to academic concerns.

Outlook: Should learn a lot from watching Al Harris and Charles Woodson.

SEVENTH ROUND
218th pick
Linebacker Brad Jones
Colorado
6 feet 3 inches, 232 pounds

Upside: Recorded 14 tackles for loss and seven sacks for Colorado. Is familiar with the 3-4 defense. Intelligent kid with a degree in economics.

Downside: Will need to gain weight to be a factor in the pros.

Outlook: A versatile player, Jones will get a chance to compete for time on special teams before working his way into the mix among the linebackers.

 

Drew Olson Special to OnMilwaukee.com

Host of “The Drew Olson Show,” which airs 1-3 p.m. weekdays on The Big 902. Sidekick on “The Mike Heller Show,” airing weekdays on The Big 920 and a statewide network including stations in Madison, Appleton and Wausau. Co-author of Bill Schroeder’s “If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers” on Triumph Books. Co-host of “Big 12 Sports Saturday,” which airs Saturdays during football season on WISN-12. Former senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com. Former reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.