Green Bay Packers Draft History: Ted Thompson and his perennial Super Bowl contender

Aaron Rodgers and Eddie Lacy – two of the best draft picks by the Packers in the past 10 years. Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports photograph

What NFL team can get away without signing a single free agent in an off-season, while losing eight players off their 53-man roster and still be one of the top five teams favored to win a Super Bowl?

The Green Bay Packers.

We all know how general manager Ted Thompson handles free agency. If there’s a player available who can add value and improve the team, Thompson may consider him.

That’s what he got through guys like Charles Woodson, Ryan Pickett and Julius Peppers.

But there have been several others who we probably don’t want to mention. Among them was linebacker Brandon Chillar who was probably the best of the rest – he played 32 games for Green Bay.

But here’s a list of some of the others who didn’t last:

• Marquand Manuel, S (2006): 16 games
• Adrian Klemm, G (2005): 16 games
• Frank Walker, CB (2007): 12 games
• Ben Taylor, LB (2006): 10 games
• Jeff Saturday, C (2012): 14 games

Other unrestricted free agents who never touched the playing surface for the Packers are:

• Marc Boerigter, WR (2006)

• Matt O’Dwyer, G (2005)

• Duke Preston, G (2009); and

Anthony Hargrove, DE (2012)

We’ll forget about those guys and chalk it up to Thompson’s human failures.

But the draft is a different beast for Thompson … clearly, it’s been his strength through the years and the way he continues to restock his team with players of talent with great value.

Draft a guy … sign him for four seasons and then re-sign the players who have not only contributed to the team during their rookie contract, but have earned a raise.

Here is the Packers draft schedule in 2015:

2015 Draft Selections (9 total picks)

Round                  Pick

1                              30

2                              62

3                              94

4                              129

5                              166

6                              206, 210*, 213*

7                              247

*Compensatory

This is what Ted Thompson does and it’s why the Packers have been so successful year-in and year-out.

So, let’s take a look back at the players who have been selected through the draft and what they have contributed to the team over the course of the past 10 years …

Next: Ted Thompson's 2005 draft