Ranking Every Packers Draft Class of Last Decade: From Franchise-Changing to Forgettable

In a few days, the Green Bay Packers will be on the clock in the 2026 NFL Draft. It will be general manager Brian Gutekunst’s ninth draft calling the shots.

There have been more hits than misses – but far more singles than home runs. Including the late Ted Thompson’s last couple drafts, here is our ranking of every Packers draft class from the last decade, from best to worst.

First: 2022

1, LB Quay Walker; 1, DT Devonte Wyatt; 2, WR Christian Watson; 3, G Sean Rhyan; 4, WR Romeo Doubs; 4, RT Zach Tom; 5, DE Kingsley Enagbare; 7, S Tariq Carpenter; 7, DT Jonathan Ford; 7, LT Rasheed Walker; 7, WR Samori Toure.

Best pick: Zach Tom. Worst pick: Tariq Carpenter.

Even without any Pro Bowlers or All-Pros, this was a powerhouse draft. In free agency this offseason, Quay Walker got a big contract from the Raiders. Big paydays for Wyatt and Watson will come via an extension or in free agency next offseason.

Based on a half-season of work, Rhyan is one of the highest-paid centers in the NFL. Doubs is getting No. 1 receiver money from New England. Tom got a big extension from the Packers. Enagbare signed a $10 million deal with the Jets. Rasheed Walker was a three-year starting left tackle. Only Carpenter, Ford and Toure missed, though Ford will get a chance to rewrite his story in training camp.

Second: 2023

1, DE Lukas Van Ness; 2, TE Luke Musgrave; 2, WR Jayden Reed; 3, TE Tucker Kraft; 4, DT Colby Wooden; 5, QB Sean Clifford; 5, Dontayvion Wicks; 6, K Anders Carlson; 7, CB Carrington Valentine; 7, RB Lew Nichols; 7, S Anthony Johnson; 7, WR Grant DuBose.

Best pick: Tucker Kraft. Worst pick: Anders Carlson.

Kraft is a stud and Reed had two strong seasons before injuries sideswiped him last year. While Musgrave’s career has been stuck in a downward spiral, Van Ness will get his chance this season to show whether he’s a stud or a dud. Wooden, Wicks and Valentine probably all outplayed their draft slot.

Third: 2024

1, OT Jordan Morgan; 2, LB Edgerrin Cooper; 2, S Javon Bullard; 3, RB MarShawn Lloyd; 3, LB Ty’Ron Hopper; 4, S Evan Williams; 5, C Jacob Monk; 5, S Kitan Oladapo; 6, OT Travis Glover; 7, QB Michael Pratt; 7, CB Kalen King.

Best pick: Edgerrin Cooper. Worst pick: MarShawn Lloyd.

Cooper and Williams are two of the top young players in the NFL at their positions, and Bullard took a significant step forward in Year 2. All three are plus-starters. The success of this class will hinge on how well Morgan can handle duties at left tackle. That’s the position he was drafted to play, and the door is open following the departure of Rasheed Walker. Anything Lloyd and Hopper contribute will be an unexpected asset.

Fourth: 2016

Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark (97) celebrates after sacking New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr. | USA Today NETWORK-Wisconsin

1, DT Kenny Clark; 2, OT Jason Spriggs; 3, OLB Kyler Fackrell; 4, LB Blake Martinez; 4, DT Dean Lowry; 5, WR Trevor Davis; 6, OT Kyle Murphy.

Best pick: Kenny Clark. Worst pick: Jason Spriggs.

Clark was the undisputed heavyweight champion of this seven-man class. He was a three-time Pro Bowler and one of the top three-down defensive tackles in the league for a handful of seasons. Martinez and Lowry were underrated starters. Martinez led the NFL in tackles in 2017, part of a three-year run of more than 140 tackles. Lowry was a six-year NFL starter. Spriggs started only nine games in three seasons with the team and Fackrell had one bizarro-world season of 10.5 sacks; he had 13 during his other five seasons combined.

Fifth: 2020

1, QB Jordan Love; 2, RB AJ Dillon; 3, TE Josiah Deguara; 5, LB Kamal Martin; 6, G Jon Runyan; 6, C Jake Hanson; 6, G Simon Stepaniak; 7, S Vernon Scott; 7, DE Jonathan Garvin.

Best pick: Jordan Love. Worst pick: Josiah Deguara.

This was a one-man draft class, but getting the quarterback is the one pick to get right. We’ll see if Love is ever good enough to lead the Packers to the Super Bowl, but the rest of his draft was poor. Dillon had his moments and Runyan was a decent three-year starter, but five of the nine picks (Martin, Hanson, Stepaniak, Scott and Garvin) were out of the league within three years.

Sixth: 2019

1, DE Rashan Gary; 1, S Darnell Savage; 2, G Elgton Jenkins; 3, TE Jace Sternberger; 5, DT Kingsley Keke; 6, CB Ka’dar Hollman; 6, RB Dexter Williams; 7, LB Ty Summers.

Best pick: Elgton Jenkins. Worst pick: Jace Sternberger.

This looked like a powerful draft class with Gary, Savage and Jenkins. While Jenkins turned into one of the best in the business for a handful of seasons, Savage crashed and burned after a promising start and Gary never quite became the player everyone expected. The rest of the draft was a whiff. With the release of Jenkins and the trade of Gary, none of the eight picks remain with the team.

Seventh: 2017

Green Bay Packers running backs Jamaal Williams (left) and Aaron Jones were the top picks in 2017. | Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis, Appleton Post-Crescent via Imagn Content Services, LLC

2, CB Kevin King; 2, S Josh Jones; 3, DT Montravius Adams; 4 OLB Vince Biegel; 4, RB Jamaal Williams; 5, WR DeAngelo Yancey; 5, RB Aaron Jones; 6, G Kofi Amichia; 7, RB Devante Mays; 7, WR Malachi Dupre.

Best pick: Aaron Jones. Worst pick: Josh Jones.

This was Ted Thompson’s final draft. Infamously, he traded his first-round pick – bypassing T.J. Watt in the process – to get cornerback Kevin King. King was an elite size-speed prospect but it never worked out, due in part to his inability to stay healthy. Jones lasted only two seasons and started 12 games. Adams started three games in four seasons. Biegel lasted one season. The draft was saved by the dynamic duo of Williams and Jones.

Eighth: 2018

1, CB Jaire Alexander; 2, CB Josh Jackson; 3, LB Oren Burks; 4, WR J’Mon Moore; 5, G Cole Madison; 5, P JK Scott; 5, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling; 6, WR Equanimeous St. Brown; 7, DT James Looney; 7, LS Hunter Bradley; 7, OLB Kendall Donnerson.

Best pick: Jaire Alexander. Worst pick: Josh Jackson.

Gutekunst’s first draft class was a swing and a miss beyond his masterful navigating of the trade market to get Alexander and a bonus first-round pick. For a few seasons, Alexander was one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. The Packers are still looking for someone even half as good. Jackson, Burks, Moore and Madison are about as bad of a four-pick stretch as you can possibly put together. Picking a punter in the fifth round and a long snapper in the seventh round couldn’t have worked out worse. Valdes-Scantling saved this draft from the bottom.

Ninth and Worst: 2021

1, CB Eric Stokes; 2, C Josh Myers; 3, WR Amari Rodgers; 4, G Royce Newman; 5, DT TJ Slaton; 5, CB Shemar Jean-Charles; 6, G Cole Van Lanen; 6, LB Isaiah McDuffie; 7, RB Kylin Hill.

Best pick: TJ Slaton. Worst pick: Amari Rodgers.

It’s not that this draft didn’t land a star. It didn’t even land an above-average starter. Stokes had a superb rookie season but a sophomore slump ended in a foot injury that ruined his time in Green Bay. It’s beyond belief that he didn’t break up a pass during his final three seasons, even while starting 18 games.

Instead of Creed Humphrey, Gutekunst drafted Myers. Instead of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Gutekunst drafted Rodgers. Newman started as a rookie before being shoved to the side. Slaton and McDuffie were quality Day 3 picks. Van Lanen found new life with Jacksonville, like Stokes did last season with the Raiders.

Too Soon: 2025

1, WR Matthew Golden; 2, OL Anthony Belton; 3, WR Savion Williams; 4, DE Barryn Sorrell; 5, DE Collin Oliver; 6, DT Warren Brinson; 7, CB Micah Robinson; 7, OL John Williams.

Too-early best pick: Matthew Golden. Too-early worst pick: Collin Oliver.

The Packers appear to be putting a lot of eggs into the basket of Golden by letting Doubs go in free agency and trading Wicks. Golden, Belton and Sorrell could be Week 1 starters. Savion Williams was slowed for weeks by a foot injury, Oliver played in only one game due to a series of hamstring injuries, John Williams didn’t play at all due to a back injury and Robinson didn’t make the team.

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