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.

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Posted by LegallyBlonde on April 27, 2009 at 9:09 a.m. (report)

I like the back out of northwestern, Sutton. Couldn't believe his stats as a freshman. If he stays healthy during camp, he might just be the speedy 3rd Back we need.