Packers: Grading Green Bay’s past 10 first-round draft picks
Nine of the Green Bay Packers‘ past 10 first-round draft picks have been defensive players.
The only offensive player they have selected in that time? Quarterback Jordan Love.
How have the Packers drafted in the opening round? Let’s look back at the team’s past 10 first-round selections and hand out grades for each.
Packers NFL Draft: Grading the past 10 first-round picks
2022: Quay Walker, LB, Georgia
Walker showed a ton of potential in his rookie season, making 121 tackles, 1.5 sacks, four quarterback hits, seven pass defenses, and three forced fumbles. He made the PFWA All-Rookie Team.
As he continues to improve, Walker could become a Pro Bowl player.
Grade: B
2022: Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia
Wyatt had limited opportunities in year one, but he played well. If he can build on his rookie season in a bigger role next year, this grade will be upgraded quickly.
Grade: C
2021: Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia
Stokes impressed as a rookie, making 14 pass defenses. However, he struggled in the nine games he played this season, giving up a passer rating of 123.5, according to Pro Football Reference. He also had zero pass defenses.
We’ve seen the good and bad from Stokes. Returning from a significant injury in 2023, he enters an important third season.
Grade: B
2020: Jordan Love, QB, Utah State
Love has one career start. If he becomes the Packers’ next franchise quarterback, this will be an A grade at worst. But if he either never gets that opportunity or disappoints as the QB1, it’ll be an F.
That’s why it’s impossible to say. The Packers passed up on players like Tee Higgins in 2020, but none of that will matter if Love becomes the player they believe he can be.
This would be like grading the Aaron Rodgers pick before he became a starter in 2008.
Grade: Incomplete
2019: Rashan Gary, EDGE, Michigan
When the Packers selected Gary in 2019, it was clear he needed time to develop. Given that time, Gary has become one of the best pass rushers in the NFL.
Grade: A
2019: Darnell Savage, S, Maryland
Savage has started 59 games in four seasons. At times, he has played at an All-Pro level. He was unstoppable late in the 2020 season, making four interceptions and seven pass defenses in the final six games.
But at other times, he has struggled. In 2022, he lost his starting job for three games.
Savage enters a contract year in 2023, a huge season for him.
Grade: B
2018: Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville
Two Pro Bowls and two All-Pro selections in five seasons. Alexander is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. A home-run pick.
Grade: A+
2016: Kenny Clark, DT, UCLA
Another great pick. The Packers desperately needed to upgrade their defensive line in 2016, and Clark has delivered. He is a two-time Pro Bowler and one of the league’s best at his position.
Grade: A
2015: Damarious Randall, CB, Arizona State
The Packers moved Randall from safety to cornerback. While he did make 32 pass defenses and 10 interceptions in three seasons, it didn’t work out in Green Bay. Randall was traded to the Cleveland Browns before the end of his rookie deal.
Grade: D
2014: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama
Clinton-Dix played at a high level in his first three seasons. He made the PFWA All-Rookie Team and was a Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro in 2016. In his first three years, Clinton-Dix made 16 pass defenses and eight interceptions.
But he struggled from 2017 onwards. The Packers traded him in 2018, and he ended up on six different teams over the next three seasons before retiring in 2022.
Grade: B