Green Bay Packers: 15 best first-round draft picks of all-time
By John Buhler
Best first-round draft picks in Green Bay Packers history: 7. Gale Gillingham
Gale Gillingham is arguably the greatest Packer not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame that is eligible. He now owns this title, as the other member of the Packers’ excellent guard tandem in Jerry Kramer finally made it to Canton. Gillingham was one of the last great players that Vince Lombardi used a first-round draft pick on. He went to the Packers No. 13 overall out of Minnesota in 1966.
Gillingham would be a part of the Packers’ first two Super Bowl Championship teams as a rookie and second-year player in 1966 and 1967. He would emerge as a starter at left guard opposite of Kramer at right guard in 1967. Gillingham would play in 128 regular season games, starting 108 of them for The Pack from 1966 to 1976.
In his 11-year NFL career, Gillingham made five Pro Bowls and earned two first-team All-Pro honors in 1969 and 1970. As a rookie, Gillingham blocked Paul Hornung and kept Bart Starr upright in the pocket. He had his best years blocking for the tailback tandem of MacArthur Lane and later John Brockington.
Gillingham was elected into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1982. Frankly, he might always be on the outside looking in at Canton. He may just be stuck in the Hall of Very Good. That being said, Kramer’s addition to Canton could theoretically pave the way for Gillingham’s posthumous induction one day.