Brian Gutekunst has built competitive rosters almost every year, with the Green Bay Packers reaching the playoffs six times in eight seasons since he took the job.
Gutekunst traded up for Jordan Love, a genius decision, and one that defines his tenure, but no general manager is perfect. Gutey has endured his share of misses, and some pretty big ones, too.
It's not always just the player you draft that ends up in regret, but also the prospects you pass on. Gutekunst is among the best roster builders in the NFL, but he'd likely want these 10 decisions back if he had the opportunity.
The Packers' worst draft picks under Brian Gutekunst, ranked
10. LB Oren Burks (Round 3 in 2018)
Oren Burks played 59 games for the Packers across four seasons, ultimately becoming a core special teams player. But despite entering the league with high hopes, Burks never carved out a significant role on defense, making only seven starts. During his time in Green Bay, Burks' PFF defense grade never surpassed 53.7.
9. OL Royce Newman (Round 4 in 2021)
It's never a great sign when a fourth-round pick doesn't finish their rookie contract.
Royce Newman started 16 games as a rookie. Per Pro Football Focus, he allowed 32 pressures, six sacks, and five hits, and would start just eight more games over the next two seasons. Newman allowed four more sacks in 2022 on 271 pass-block snaps. It just didn't work out in Green Bay.
8. RB AJ Dillon (Round 2 in 2020)
Packers fans were already frustrated after the team's decision to draft Jordan Love in Round 1, knowing he'd sit for a few seasons (it worked out in the end), and that confusion only continued when the team added AJ Dillon in Round 2. With Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams leading the backfield, Dillon arrived in Green Bay as the third-string running back.
Dillon offered a ton of encouragement after turning 21 carries into 124 yards and two touchdowns against the Tennessee Titans in Week 16 of his rookie season, but it unfortunately wasn't a sign of what was to come.
He never became the tackle-breaking, thumping running back the Packers needed alongside Jones. Dillon struggled to beat the first tackler far too often, which his 3.4 yards per carry in 2023 highlighted.
7. TE Josiah Deguara (Round 3 in 2020)
Josiah Deguara drew Kyle Juszczyk comparisons after the Packers drafted him in the third round. Clearly, it didn't pan out that way. Deguara played the H-back role in Matt LaFleur's offense but never lived up to expectations.
The Packers drafted him for his versatility. He could block. He could catch passes. In reality, Deguara was a jack of no trades and a master of none in Green Bay's offense. He made just 47 catches, his PFF pass-blocking grades fell below 40 in three of his four seasons, and his run-blocking grades only surpassed 60 once.
6. Edge Lukas Van Ness (Round 1 in 2023)
Disclaimer: Lukas Van Ness has an opportunity to remove himself from this list entirely with a strong fourth season.
Van Ness has made a perfect start this offseason, turning heads at OTAs and minicamp and offering hope that it's finally time to buy the hype. That's the exciting part. But until he proves it this fall, it's still only hope.
The reason Van Ness enters at No. 6 in these rankings isn't just due to his lack of production to this point, but also because of the players the Packers didn't pick.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, anyone? Packers fans urged the team to select him, but they passed. Three seasons, 3,551 receiving yards, 20 touchdowns, two Pro Bowls, an NFL Offensive Player of the Year award, and a Super Bowl victory later, that decision hasn't aged well.
The Packers also passed on lockdown cornerback Christian Gonzalez, another fan favorite at the time, who just earned Pro Bowl honors and took on Smith-Njigba in the Super Bowl.
5. C Josh Myers (Round 2 in 2021)
The Packers needed a center in 2021. They took a center in the second round. Jusssssst not the right one.
At No. 62 overall, Green Bay selected Josh Myers. At No. 63, the Kansas City Chiefs picked Creed Humphrey, who seemed to be a better fit for the Packers based on his size and athletic profile. Myers spent four up-and-down seasons with the Packers before leaving in free agency, while Humphrey has become a four-time Pro Bowler with the Chiefs.
4. WR J'Mon Moore (Round 4 in 2018)
Having moved on from Jordy Nelson, Gutekunst opted to take multiple swings at wide receiver in his debut draft class. His first was an almighty swing-and-miss.
One season. Seventy-four snaps. Two catches for 15 yards. And that was it. The Packers moved on from Moore before what would've been his second season, and he later spent time on various practice squads before a stint in the USFL.
3. CB Josh Jackson (Round 2 in 2018)
Packers fans didn't love the Van Ness or Myers picks at the time, but everybody loved the Josh Jackson selection in Round 2 of the 2018 NFL Draft. Widely viewed as a first-round talent, it felt like Green Bay had won the lottery by pairing Jackson with top choice Jaire Alexander.
It just never became a reality. Per Pro Football Reference, Jackson gave up 69 catches for 905 yards and five touchdowns for a 111.8 passer rating across three seasons. He didn't complete his rookie contract in Green Bay, as the Packers traded him to the New York Giants in a swap for Isaac Yiadom.
2. TE Jace Sternberger (Round 3 in 2019)
The Packers could've had Pro Bowl wide receiver Terry McLaurin play alongside Davante Adams. Instead, they selected tight end Jace Sternberger.
To his credit, Sternberger has joked about it in recent years by questioning why the Packers didn't draft McLaurin. The Packers selected Sternberger because he was an excellent pass-catcher for Texas A&M. It just didn't translate to the pros.
He played only two seasons for the Packers, catching 12 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. McLaurin could've formed an unstoppable duo with Adams.
1. WR Amari Rodgers (Round 3 in 2021)
This move was doomed from the start. The Packers needed a slot receiver to play the Randall Cobb role, opting for Amari Rodgers in the third round.
Rodgers had drawn comparisons to Cobb in the pre-draft process, and Cobb had even mentored him prior to that. But before his first season in Green Bay, the team traded for Cobb to bring him home, which left Rodgers without a pathway to a starting job.
His best opportunity came as a returner on special teams, but that quickly became a disaster. Rodgers ended his Packers tenure with as many fumbles as receptions (eight). Not long before the Packers moved on, Aaron Rodgers was asked about Amari's role on offense: "Yeah, he's returning for us now. That's all I got it."
Brutal. You know what's even more brutal? The Packers could've drafted four-time Pro Bowler Amon-Ra St. Brown instead.
Add us as a preferred source on Google