Ranking the Packers’ past 10 draft classes from worst to first
Over the past 10 years, the Green Bay Packers have put together some strong draft classes and, well, some not-so-good ones.
With the draft only days away, we continue our countdown by ranking each of the Packers’ draft classes over the past decade, starting in 2011.
We begin, though, with the 2020 class, which can’t be graded yet.
TBD. 2020
I know many believe the Packers’ 2020 draft class was the worst in the history of the world, but we simply don’t know yet.
9. 2015
Notable selections: Damarious Randall, Quinten Rollins, Ty Montgomery, Brett Hundley
This wasn’t a good draft class for the Packers. They hoped Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins would be the new starting combination at cornerback, and to make it worse they allowed Casey Hayward to walk a year on. Neither Randall or Rollins completed their rookie deals with the Packers.
Six years on, no players remain on the roster from this class.
8. 2011
Notable selections: Randall Cobb, Davon House
This draft class was Randall Cobb and not much else. Davon House did play 55 games at cornerback over six seasons.
But without Cobb, this would be behind the 2015 class.
7. 2016
Notable selections: Kenny Clark, Kyler Fackrell, Blake Martinez, Dean Lowry
Overall, this was a decent class. Kenny Clark is a star defensive lineman so it got off to a great start in the first round.
But the Packers then traded up for tackle Jason Spriggs in the second round, which proved to be a mistake. Third-round pick Kyler Fackrell only had one good season. Blake Martinez and Dean Lowry became solid players on defense.
6. 2017
Notable selections: Aaron Jones, Kevin King, Jamaal Williams
This draft will always be remembered for the Packers passing on T.J. Watt. That said, Kevin King has been a good player in the secondary and is still a starter to this day.
But the Packers swung and missed on a lot of picks in this class, selecting Josh Jones in the second round, Montravius Adams in the third, and Vince Biegel in the fourth.
Fortunately, the combination of fourth-round pick Jamaal Williams and fifth-rounder Aaron Jones proved to be a great one. There weren’t many better running back pairs in the NFL over the past few years. Jones is a Pro Bowler and one of the best RBs in football.
5. 2018
Notable selections: Jaire Alexander, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown
Brian Gutekunst’s double trade to land Jaire Alexander and a future first-round pick was genius. Alexander is an All-Pro cornerback and the future first was used to draft Darnell Savage.
Green Bay also found another key contributor in the fifth round with Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Punter JK Scott has been a solid addition but inconsistent.
What hurts this class is consecutive picks from Rounds 2 to 5 — Josh Jackson, Oren Burks, J’Mon Moore, and Cole Madison — immediately following the Alexander pick.
The Packers struck gold with Alexander, and MVS has also been a valuable player on offense. Add in the picks of Equanimeous St. Brown and Scott, and it’s a solid class overall.
4. 2012
Notable selections: Nick Perry, Casey Hayward, Mike Daniels
The two star players from this class were Casey Hayward and Mike Daniels. With six interceptions in his rookie year, Hayward made an instant impact. Despite battling injuries, he was a valuable starter on defense before the Packers let him walk after his rookie deal. He’d become an All-Pro with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Mike Daniels was a star on defense for over half a decade, while Nick Perry was a good pass rusher with 32 sacks with the Packers.
3. 2019
Notable selections: Rashan Gary, Darnell Savage, Elgton Jenkins, Kingsley Keke
This has the potential to be an all-time great class.
Elgton Jenkins is already a Pro Bowler and one of the best offensive linemen in the league. Darnell Savage was one of the best safeties in football in the second half of 2020 and could soon be a Pro Bowler too.
Rashan Gary, too, impressed late last season. We knew he needed time to develop, but last year we saw some of the results of that. Gary could be a breakout star in 2021.
2. 2014
Notable selections: Davante Adams, Corey Linsley, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
Three All-Pros in one draft class.
Davante Adams is the best receiver in football right now and has been a Pro Bowler in each of the past four seasons. Corey Linsley signed with the Chargers this offseason but had seven great years in Green Bay with 99 starts and a first-team All-Pro selection.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix struggled late on but was a Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro in 2016. He also made the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2014 and had 14 interceptions in five seasons.
Richard Rodgers had 1,166 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns during his time in Green Bay including that catch against the Detroit Lions, while another Hail Mary hero, Jeff Janis, was picked in the seventh round.
1. 2013
Notable selections: David Bakhtiari, Micah Hyde, JC Tretter, Eddie Lacy, Datone Jones
It was a tough choice between the top two classes but the edge goes to the 2013 class.
David Bakhtiari is a generational talent and a candidate for the Hall of Fame one day. To play at such a high level so consistently is rare, and Bakhtiari is a five-time All-Pro.
Micah Hyde was a rising star in Green Bay who could play just about anywhere in the secondary, and he became a Pro Bowler and All-Pro with the Buffalo Bills. JC Tretter is still one of the best centers in football with the Cleveland Browns.
Between 2013 and ’14, Eddie Lacy was one of the most exciting running backs in the league. A powerful runner and impossible to tackle, Lacy was the missing piece in Green Bay’s offense and rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons. The NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowler in 2013, and key to Green Bay’s dominant offense in ’14, Lacy was fun to watch.
While he didn’t live up to expectations as a first-round pick, Datone Jones provided good depth along the defensive line and played in 59 games.
What do you think is Green Bay’s best draft class since 2011?