GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Since he took over as general manager of the Green Bay Packers in 2005, Ted Thompson has drafted 87 players.
Leading up to this year's draft, in which Thompson currently has nine selections, we will look at his best and worst selections in each round.
We'll start at the bottom and work our way up over the next week. After discussing the seventh round on Monday, we look at Round 6.
Total players drafted: 14.
By position: Linebackers 3, defensive tackles 2, cornerbacks 2, defensive ends 1, safeties 1, guards 1, receivers 1, running backs 1, fullbacks 1, kickers 1.
Best pick: Mason Crosby, K.
Crosby (No. 193, 2007) had his best season last year, when he made 89.2 percent (33 of 37) of his regular-season field goals. He also made both of his postseason kicks. That followed his worst season, when he made just 63.6 percent of his field goals in 2012. Without that season, Crosby would have a career average of 81.2 percent. He still has two more years left on the five-year, $14.75 million contract he signed in 2011.
Honorable mention: James Starks, RB (No. 193, 2010), Johnny Jolly, DT (No. 183, 2006), Desmond Bishop, LB (No. 192, 2007).
Worst pick: Ricky Elmore, OLB.
The Packers tried to convert Elmore (No. 197, 2011) from a defensive end at Arizona to an outside linebacker in their 3-4 scheme, but it did not work. They cut him at the end of training camp and thought so little of his potential that they did not bother even bringing him back to the practice squad.
Dishonorable mention: Craig Bragg, WR (No. 195, 2005), Brandon Underwood, CB (No. 187, 2009).
Notes: The Packers traded one of their sixth-round picks, Caleb Schlauderaff, G (No. 179, 2011) to the New York Jets for a seventh-round pick in 2012. That pick was eventually packaged in a draft-day 2012 trade with the New England Patriots so the Packers could move up in the fifth round to take LB Terrell Manning, who lasted only one season. … Tyrone Culver, S (No. 185, 2006) played one season for the Packers and was released. He went on to play 66 games for the Miami Dolphins from 2007-2012. … Among the other sixth-round picks who became contributors were D.J. Smith, LB (No. 186, 2011), Jarius Wynn, DE (No. 182, 2009) and Mike Montgomery, DT (No. 180, 2005).
