Bulaga on Green Bay: 'I'm ecstatic'

Former Iowa tackle Bryan Bulaga was picked by the Green Bay Packers in the first round tonight in the 75th NFL Draft.

Bulaga (6-foot-5, 314 pounds) was the first Iowa first-round pick since 2006, when Minnesota picked linebacker Chad Greenway with the 17th selection. The Packers selected Bulaga No. 23 overall.

Bulaga is the highest Iowa offensive lineman selected since Oakland drafted Robert Gallery with the No. 2 overall pick in 2004. He is the fourth No. 1 draft pick in Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz's tenure.

"I love it, I'm so happy right now," Bulaga said after the selection on NFL Network. "Green Bay is a great fit for me. Growing up in the Midwest, I always admired Green Bay and everything they did so I'm ecstatic to be a Packer."

Bulaga was projected as a top-five pick as late as last week. Many mock drafts had him going at No. 5 to Kansas City.

Bulaga, 21, is Iowa's eight offensive lineman selected in the first round. Six of those offensive linemen were coached by Ferentz, either as an assistant or head coach.

Bulaga, a Crystal Lake, Ill., native, was a second-team All-American and was named the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year. He missed three games last fall with a thyroid condition but came back strong by season's end.

"He's a really good football player, he's a technician," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. "He can play the left or the right side. He's got a tremendous six-inch punch, really strong."

Among the late criticisms of Bulaga was his arm length, which measured 33 inches. Many scouts questioned whether he could play left tackle with arms shorter than 34 inches.

"People question his arm length, it's only about 33 inches and Robert Gallery took a lot of heat a couple of years ago because of that. But (Bulaga will) be very solid addition to the Green Bay offensive line.

"The nice thing is he might not have to play at left tackle from day one."

Mayock said Bulaga could slide inside and play guard.

"He could be a swing guy in year one, and then your starting tackle in year two. I think it's a real solid pick for the Cheeseheads," Mayock said.

Bulaga will earn significantly less at No. 23 than he would have in the top 10. Last year's No. 23 pick, Baltimore tackle Michael Oher, signed a five-year, $13 million contract with $7.82 million guaranteed. The No. 10 pick, wide receiver Michael Crabtree, signed a six-year, $40 million deal with $17 million guaranteed.