Packers: 10 worst draft picks of Brian Gutekunst era
- A former second-round pick
- Jordan Love one of Gutekunst's worst?
- Drafting a long snapper
4. Oren Burks, LB, Vanderbilt (3rd round, 2018)
The Green Bay Packers weren't the only ones who were enamored by Oren Burks' combination of size and athleticism coming out of the 2018 NFL Draft class. In fact, a lot of people really liked his projection to the NFL even with some question marks about where he would land position-wise right away.
From Lance Zierlein of NFL.com prior to the 2018 NFL Draft:
"In any other decade, Burks' lack of familiarity for any position for more than a year would force him into the "tweener" stack and he would be on his way. In today's game filled with hybrid players and sub-packages, Burks' background could make him more valuable. He needs to play with more consistency in diagnosing and tackling, but his athleticism, cover talent, and ability on special teams make him a developmental prospect with decent upside."
- Lance Zierlein
Ultimately, Burks never really did figure it out in the NFL. As the 88th overall pick in the draft, he was expected to develop into a full-time starter and the Packers gave him the chance to do so. He played in 59 games for the Packers through his first four NFL seasons but they let him go after his rookie contract expired. He played last year for the 49ers and had a career-best 38 tackles.
3. Jace Sternberger, TE, Texas A&M (3rd round, 2019)
The story of Jace Sternberger not turning out to be a really good NFL tight end is undoubtedly one of the most disappointing on this list. Sternberger took the SEC by storm in 2018 as a transfer at Texas A&M where he caught 10 touchdowns and averaged over 17 yards per reception.
His rookie year with the Packers was limited to just six regular season games, but expectations for him grew as he caught a touchdown in the 2019 playoffs for Green Bay. Ultimately, though, that 2020 season would end up being a disappointment as Sternberger caught just 12 passes on 15 targets. He never emerged into even a TE2 for the Packers and hasn't even played in the NFL since that 2020 season.
He's been bouncing around to different teams since the Packers let him go but the excitement over Sternberger possibly becoming something has faded into nothing.