Clay Matthews -- 2009 (No. 26)

Trading up for Packers general manager Ted Thompson is about as rare as a warm December day in Green Bay. Yet, in the 2009, needing an outside linebacker for new defensive coordinator Dom Capers 3-4 defense, Thompson traded back into the first round to take Matthews, a former walk-on at USC who wasn't projected by many pundits as a first-round talent. Fast-forward to 2013, where Matthews just became the highest paid linebacker in the league thanks to his stellar output over the first four years of his career (including four Pro Bowls). Matthews has collected 42.5 sacks in 58 career games and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2010. Matthews' impact is felt just as much in the playoffs as it is in the regular season. Were it not for a key fumble forced by Matthews in the Super Bowl, Steelers fans might just be bragging about seven Lombardi trophies instead of six. Impact players make plays when it matters most, and Matthews has already proven more than capable in his young career as he holds the Packers record for postseason sacks. With him and Rodgers under contract, the Packers have two of the games' best players and two of the games' most critical positions. That's some good drafting right there.

» 2009 NFL Draft | Photos: Matthews through the years