By LARRY VAUGHT

Just when it looked like Kentucky standout Randall Cobb was going to not hear his name called in the second round of the NFL draft, he had his dream come true when the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers took him with the final pick of the second round.

“He can line up anywhere,” said ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper after Cobb’s selection. “He’s great in the open field. This guy is a luxury for the Packers. He will help their (kick/punt) return game right away.

“Green Bay’s offense will be lethal, and now Randall Cobb will give (quarterback) Aaron Rogers even better field position. The Packers are so good because of their third and fourth receivers and he just gives them a different kind of weapon.”

Cobb, the 12th Southeastern Conference player picked in the first two rounds, fills a need for Green Bay which had an inconsistent return game last year even when it won the Super Bowl. His versatility was also viewed as a plus since he played quarterback also at Kentucky as well as receiver.

NFL.com offered this evaluation of Cobb: “Tweener lacking the size to be a full-time back or the ball skills and deep speed of a pure receiver. However, he could still make plays as a scat back, sub-package slot receiver and as a returner. Plays his best in the biggest moments. Possesses solid vision, enough quickness to get the corner and gain yards after short passes but isn’t a true home run threat. Could be an effective third down back with his short area speed and route-running but hands need to be more consistent and he has a ways to go in pass protection. Cobb is a late Day 2 prospect.”

He was indeed a second-round pick but the guess here is that the Packers will never regret this pick. It was great seeing UK coach Joker Phillips in New York with Cobb and hugging him after the draft. But every Kentucky football fan would probably liked to have had the same opportunity to hug Cobb and thank him for what he did for the Wildcats the last three years.