Packers have excellent track record on Day 3 of draft

The Green Bay Packers have an excellent track record on the final day of the draft.

In fact, according to an ESPN study, no team has matched the Packers’ drafting ability on Day 3 since 2012.

ESPN has created a metric called Career Approximate Value Over Expected (CAVOE).

It takes into account many factors but to put it simply, it’s a way of measuring the teams that got the most value in the draft.

On Day 3 (Rounds 4-7) in the drafts between 2012 and 2021, the Packers received a CAVOE of 215.5, ranking first in the NFL.

Second are the New England Patriots with a CAVOE of 115. That’s a huge gap between Green Bay and the rest of the league.

And it’s really not that surprising. Just look at some of the players Green Bay has drafted between the fourth and seventh rounds over the past decade.

Since 2012, the Packers’ fourth-round picks have included defensive lineman Mike Daniels, left tackle David Bakhtiari, center JC Tretter, running back Jamaal Williams, and guard Royce Newman.

The team’s fifth-round selections have included safety Micah Hyde, center Corey Linsley, running back Aaron Jones, and wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

And that’s just listing players who have become stars or key players.

The Packers have also found valuable starters and role players on Day 3, like inside linebacker Blake Martinez, defensive lineman Dean Lowry, wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, and guard Jon Runyan Jr.

So, what can we learn from this?

An important takeaway is that value isn’t only found in the opening three rounds.

The Packers have an excellent track record, both with Ted Thompson and Brian Gutekunst as general manager, of finding talent on Day 3.

Sometimes, that’s a valuable role player or a solid starter. On occasion, they find a superstar in the later rounds.