The Green Bay Packers always seem to construct a playoff-caliber roster, if not a core group full of elite difference-makers. That said, these days they're sporting big names who they've acquired from outside the building, headlined by superstar defender Micah Parsons.
Jordan Love is Green Bay's latest home-grown franchise QB, and general manager Brian Gutekunst has aggressively tried to capitalize on his Super Bowl-worthy talents.
For those efforts Gutey was rewarded by being held in rather high esteem in some recent NFL GM power rankings.
Brian Gutekunst ranked as NFL's sixth-best GM, but with one big caveat
Patrick Daughterty of NBC Sports recently released power rankings for all general managers, and while the brand-new ones were omitted from the hierarchy, Gutekunst's standing of sixth speaks to how well he's done overall in Green Bay.
Bear in mind, the Packers are a unique football operation. They're not inclined to pay big money to free agents, or make splashy trades. To his credit, Gutey pounced on the chance to trade for Micah Parsons and reward him with a historic contract.
That trade looked like it was paying off when Green Bay was in pole position for the NFC's No. 1 seed last season until Parsons tore his ACL. Daugherty's analysis underscores how the aggressive move for Parsons will make or break Gutekunst — and his status as a GM going forward:
"This is a man who likes to stockpile draft picks and generally knows what to do with them. He has misses like anyone else, but relies on pure volume and variety. 2026 was an exception, where for the first time Gutekunst lacked a first-rounder. It was traded last summer for Micah Parsons, the kind of bold gambit Gutekunst is frequently accused of not making. [...] The Packers [...] have only one postseason victory since 2020. They have just three total during Gutekunst’s eight years in charge. That’s despite making the tournament 6-of-8 times. That would seem to speak to a roster that has plenty of depth but lacks the kind of difference-makers who tend to decide playoff contests. Parsons is that kind of player. Pairing him with Jordan Love and the Packers’ general depth is a sensible plan. If it doesn’t work, it might be time to change the front office scenery in Titletown."
Those who ranked ahead of Gutekunst, in order: Howie Roseman, John Schneider, Les Snead, Eric DeCosta, and Brett Veach. Quite a lineup. The first two fellas and Veach have won multiple Super Bowls as GMs. Snead has a Lombardi Trophy. DeCosta has two as a longtime staple in the Ravens' scouting department.
Gutekunst wasn't going to beat out any of those guys. That he beat out every single other GM in the league speaks to how highly he's regarded.
It's accurate to say that Gutey loves him some draft picks, which has been the overarching organizational paradigm in Green Bay since Ted Thompson, nay, Ron Wolf's heyday.
The Packers invest a lot in the offensive line in particular, and are consistently among the league's elite in cultivating talent in the trenches on that side of the ball. Perhaps that's as much a testament to how stable their QB position has been between Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and Jordan Love as it was for Green Bay's front offices to nail acquiring those outstanding field generals.
But yeah, Gutenkunst hitched his whole wagon to Micah Parsons. After the Packers only managed to get one Super Bowl victory apiece from the lengthy primes of Favre and Rodgers, the pressure is on to capitalize on having yet another franchise QB in Love and a transcendent pass rusher in Parsons.
Gutekunst's ability to find viable cornerbacks and leaves something to be desired. Perhaps rookie second-rounder Brandon Cisse can flip that narrative. If he does, look out for Green Bay going deep in the playoffs this year or next, because pretty much all the pieces are in place thanks to Gutey.
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