Packers: Grading every Brian Gutekunst first-round pick
Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst is entering his fifth draft.
Gutekunst has made five first-round selections in his four previous draft classes. He traded up three times.
Revisiting each of those five first-round picks, how well has Gutey drafted?
2018: Jaire Alexander – A+
Home. Run.
Not only did Gutekunst make the right call to trade up to draft Jaire Alexander, but before that he had traded down from No. 14 overall, landing a 2019 first-round pick in return. Green Bay left Day 1 of the 2018 draft with Alexander and a future first-round pick.
Alexander has played 48 games for the Packers with 46 starts, making 44 pass defenses and five interceptions. He made the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2018 and was a Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro in 2020.
Still just 25 years old, Alexander is one of the top cornerbacks in football and the best could still be yet to come.
2019: Rashan Gary – A
Many were critical of the Packers’ decision to draft Rashan Gary 12th overall in 2019, but it has paid off. Gary went from backup to Green Bay’s top pass rusher over three seasons. In 2021, he finished the year with 9.5 sacks and 28 quarterback hits.
Gary saved the best for last with a two-sack, three-QB hit performance in the divisional round. The Packers may have lost, but Gary was the best player on the field.
Maybe the Packers should’ve drafted Brian Burns, who has 25.5 career sacks compared to Gary’s 16.5, but that’s tough to call. Considering how well Gary played last season, the Packers shouldn’t have any regrets over this pick.
2019: Darnell Savage – B
In the same draft class, Green Bay moved up to No. 21 overall to land Darnell Savage.
Savage has started all 46 games he’s played in, making 26 pass defenses and eight interceptions. Savage started from Day 1 and has been a good player in the Packers’ secondary, but he’s never quite taken that next step to become a Pro Bowl safety.
Still, Savage has proved to be a good pick by Gutekunst.
2020: Jordan Love – F
Gutekunst’s logic at the time was understandable. Aaron Rodgers hadn’t played at an MVP level for a few seasons and the Packers hoped to bring in his future replacement with two or three years to learn from him. The best time to draft a quarterback is when you don’t need one.
However, with Rodgers since winning back-to-back MVPs and signing a new deal this offseason, Love will likely never get the opportunity to take the reins in Green Bay.
Love could become a great player, but it may be for another team. Gutekunst took a risk and it backfired. The Packers could’ve been helped in the short term had they drafted a player like wide receiver Tee Higgins.
2021: Eric Stokes – A
It’s a little early to hand out an A grade for the Eric Stokes pick with only one season to go by, but it’s hard not to be impressed.
Stokes was thrown into the deep end early on with Jaire Alexander missing most of the 2021 season due to injury. Stokes ended up starting 14 games, and he delivered.
According to Pro Football Reference, Stokes allowed fewer than half of passes in his coverage to be completed, giving up a passer rating of just 71.3. He also broke up 14 passes and made one interception.
Stokes made some mistakes along the way. Name a rookie cornerback who hasn’t experienced the same. Jaire Alexander sure did. But the good far outweighed the bad for Stokes, who showed the potential of a future CB1 in his first season.