Packers: Ranking Green Bay’s top 10 draft picks since 2010

Ranking the Green Bay Packers‘ top draft picks since 2010 is no easy task.

Since then, both Ted Thompson and Brian Gutekunst have drafted star players at many different positions, and a number of great players didn’t make the top 10.

Honorable mentions go to players like Casey Hayward, Micah Hyde, and JC Tretter.

Here are the top 10:

10. Mike Daniels (Fourth round, 2012)

Daniels spent seven successful years in Green Bay, making the Pro Bowl in 2017. For a while, Daniels was the Packers’ best defensive player. In seven seasons, Daniels made 29 sacks, 68 QB hits, and 47 tackles for loss. A leader and dominant player on the field, and a great person off it.

9. Kenny Clark (First round, 2016)

The Packers needed to strengthen the defensive line in 2016 and Clark has delivered on his first-round status. A Pro Bowler in 2019, Clark is one of the best interior pass rushers in the game and has 18.5 sacks over the past four seasons.

8. Elgton Jenkins (Second round, 2019)

Jenkins has only been in the NFL for two seasons but is already a star offensive lineman. I say offensive lineman and not just a guard as he’s proven he can dominate at any of the five positions. According to Pro Football Focus, he’s allowed only one sack in his first two seasons. Jenkins made the Pro Bowl last year, likely the first of many.

7. Corey Linsley (Fifth round, 2014)

To find a starter in the fifth round makes this pick a good one. Linsley wasn’t just a starter, but consistently one of the league’s best centers. Linsley rarely missed time in his seven years with the Packers and was named a first-team All-Pro in 2020.

6. Bryan Bulaga (First round, 2010)

It’s no surprise to see another offensive lineman make the list considering how dominant this group has been for a while. Bulaga played a part in the Super Bowl win in 2010 and was a starter at tackle for nine years. Bulaga often played on an island without help, and he didn’t need any. Pass rushers rarely got the better of Bryan Bulaga, Iowa.

5. Randall Cobb (Second round, 2011)

Ted Thompson knew how to draft wide receivers, especially in the second round. Cobb was one of the most exciting Packers players of the decade. Excellent in the slot and picking up yards after the catch, and Cobb was the star of some of the best moments in recent franchise history. With over 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns, the former Pro Bowler had a great career in Green Bay.

4. Jaire Alexander (First round, 2018)

Alexander has been the difference-maker the Packers needed on defense. His 2020 season was his most impressive yet as he shut down some of the best receivers in the game and deservedly earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors for the first time. Already one of the best cornerbacks in the game at 24 years old, Alexander is a superstar.

3. Aaron Jones (Fifth round, 2017)

Few players can change a game like Jones. When he was drafted in the fifth round, it was expected he’d be the third-string running back behind Ty Montgomery and Jamaal Williams. But Jones didn’t take long to show what he can do. He’s put together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2019, and was a Pro Bowler in ’20. Not bad for a fifth-round pick.

2. Davante Adams (Second round, 2014)

Back to Ted being great at picking receivers in the second round. Adams is the best receiver Aaron Rodgers has played with, and that says a lot. Adams already has an unthinkable 62 touchdown catches in 100 regular-season games. A four-time Pro Bowler, Adams is only just getting started.

1. David Bakhtiari (Fourth round, 2013)

When talking about potential future Hall-of-Famers, Rodgers’ name is top of the list. But not far behind is Bakhtiari, who has been dominant at left tackle for many years. He’s been an All-Pro in each of the past five seasons and is a three-time Pro Bowler. Between 2015 and ’19, no player had a better pass-blocking grade by Pro Football Focus than Bakhtiari, including the legendary Joe Thomas.