Place Your Bets: What Position for Packers’ First Draft Pick?

With their first draft pick, will the Green Bay Packers draft a receiver? A tight end? Here are the odds.

Author:
Bill Huber
Updated:
Apr 16, 2023 12:51 PM EDT
Original:
Apr 16, 2023

In this story:

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Whether it was Ted Thompson or Brian Gutekunst, the Green Bay Packers’ first-round draft history is crystal clear.

Since 2000, the Packers have used their first-round pick on (with most recent pick in parentheses):

- Zero running backs

- One tight end (Bubba Franks, 2000)

- One receiver (Javon Walker, 2002)

- Two offensive tackles (Derek Sherrod, 2011)

- Two quarterbacks (Jordan Love, 2020)

- Two safeties (Darnell Savage, 2019)

- Three linebackers (Quay Walker, 2021)

- Four edge defenders (Rashan Gary, 2019)

- Four cornerbacks (Eric Stokes, 2021)

- Five defensive linemen (Devonte Wyatt, 2022)

That’s 18 defensive players and only six players on offense.

Other than Love in 2020, the Packers haven’t used their first-round pick on a player on offense since going with back-to-back tackles with Bryan Bulaga in 2010 and Sherrod in 2011.

In FanDuel Sportsbook’s NFL Draft odds, defensive line (which includes edge defenders, aka 3-4 outside linebackers) is the favorite to be Green Bay’s first pick at +200. That’s an implied probability of 33.3 percent. Not far behind are the hyped offensive-skill positions, with tight end and receiver +300. Offensive tackle also is +300.

Those four positions were all +250 about a week ago.

Cornerback is +1000 and safety is +4000. Those are followed by linebacker at +5000, quarterback at +7500 and running back at +10000. (Even with Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon back at running back, would Gutekunst grab Texas stud Bijan Robinson – the top running back prospect in years – if he were to fall to No. 15?)

Subject to change based on any trades made by Gutekunst – not just Aaron Rodgers – here are Green Bay’s 10 draft picks.

First round: No. 15

Second round: No. 45

Third round: No. 78

Fourth round: No. 116

Fifth round: No. 149

Fifth round: No. 170 (compensatory for Marquez Valdes-Scantling)

Seventh round: No. 232

Seventh round: No. 235 (from Rams as part of Corey Bojorquez trade)

Seventh round: No. 242 (from Jaguars for Cole Van Lanen)

Seventh round: No. 256 (compensatory for Chandon Sullivan)