Packers Own 25th Pick, Which Has Strong, Terrible History
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers will land an impact player with the 25th selection of the 2024 NFL Draft.
At least that’s what recent history says.
While only one Pro Bowler has emerged over the last nine draft classes and there hasn’t been a first-team All-Pro in more than a decade, a string of quality starters has been picked 25th. Here’s the 10-year history:
2023: TE Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills. Ranked seventh among all tight ends with 73 receptions and fifth with a catch rate of 81.1 percent. As good as Green Bay’s rookies were, Kincaid had more catches by himself.
2022: C Tyler Linderbaum, Baltimore Ravens. Was the All-Rookie center in 2022 and a Pro Bowler in 2023, when he allowed zero sacks.
2021: RB Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars. After missing his rookie season due to injury, he has back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and 2,925 total yards in two seasons. He caught 58 passes in 2023.
2020: WR Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers. Coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, including 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023, when he was second with a 17.9-yard average.
2019: WR Marquise Brown, Baltimore Ravens. Posted 91 receptions for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns for Baltimore in 2021. He was traded to Arizona, where he’s caught 118 passes for 1,283 yards the last two years.
2018: TE Hayden Hurst, Baltimore Ravens. Has ventured into journeyman status with four teams in six seasons. He does have two seasons of more than 50 receptions. Caught 32 passes for 184 yards in nine games in 2023.
2017: S Jabrill Peppers, Cleveland Browns. Six interceptions and 79 starts in seven seasons, including a career-high two picks for the Patriots in 2023. He is coming off his best two seasons.
2016: CB Artie Burns, Pittsburgh Steelers. Burns had four interceptions and 26 passes defensed during his first two seasons but zero interceptions and nine passes defensed with Pittsburgh, Chicago and Seattle the following five seasons.
2015: LB Shaq Thompson, Carolina Panthers. One of the league’s more underrated defenders, he delivered four consecutive seasons of more than 100 tackles before missing most of last season with a knee injury.
2014: CB Jason Verrett, San Diego Chargers. A Pro Bowler in 2015, injuries have ruined the promising defender’s career. He played in four games in 2016, one in 2017, zero in 2019, one in 2019, one in 2021, zero in 2022 and one in 2023.
2013: CB Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota Vikings. A three-time Pro Bowler and a 2017 All-Pro with the Vikings, for whom he spent his first seven seasons. In 10 seasons, he started 127 games with 13 interceptions and 92 passes defensed.
Green Bay’s history at No. 25 is a lot more sketchy. It’s picked from that spot twice since the end of the Glory Years era, netting cornerback Antuan Edwards in 1999 and Ahmad Carroll in 2004. Both players were busts. So was quarterback Don Horn in 1967, who threw 16 touchdowns and 22 interceptions as Bart Starr’s backup for four years.
At least the Packers selected Rookie of the Year and two-time Pro Bowl receiver Boyd Dowler in 1959.
Oddly, no Hall of Famers have been selected 25th. On the other hand, in the next five spots, three were taken at No. 26, one at No. 27, three at No. 28, two at No. 29 and one at No. 30.
