Final 2021 NFL Draft Grades Include Two A's, Three F's

With the 2021 NFL Draft complete, 20 national pundits have weighed in on the Green Bay Packers’ nine-man class. Some loved it. Some hated it.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – When you were a kid, did you ever stick your tongue on a 9-volt battery? You know you shouldn’t but you did, anyway. Same thing with draft grades. You know you shouldn’t click but, here you are, ready for a tiny jolt of lunacy for your brain cells.

With that strong recommendation, here’s a bunch of draft grades from the national punditry that are sure to be right on the money when we look back at this group of players in a year or three.

SI.com’s Conor Orr gave the Packers an A-minus. The Packers continue to put together high value draft boards under Brian Gutekunst who, despite being the target of his franchise quarterback’s ire, has an exceptional sense of where good players tend to fall. Eric Stokes was one of our favorite players of the draft; a corner with long arms who has extensive experience against all the SEC talent at wideout that populated the early portion of the first round. He’s only been playing the position for a few years and has a ton of room to develop. The former Fastest Man in Georgia, Stokes is not just a typical track burner. There is a real functional element to his speed and should help the Packers modernize their secondary and prevent the kind of home run breakdowns that underlined their last two conference title game losses.

NFL.com’s Chad Reuter gave the Packers an A overall, with an A for Day 1, A-minus for Day 2 and an A for Day 3. Writing about the Day 3 picks, Reuter said, “The Packers found their right tackle in Newman, who isn’t a plus athlete but can move defenders off the ball and is reliable in pass protection. Van Lanen is another solid late-round lineman. The defensive line got a big man up front in Slaton, who was unblockable at times for the Gators when fresh. Jean-Charles should contribute in the slot and outside, always fighting through the receiver to knock away passes. McDuffie was a great value for a team needing an active inside linebacker. Hill could stick as a third back and provide real value if Aaron Jones and/or AJ Dillon get hurt.”

The Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer gave the Packers a B-plus with his 15th-ranked draft. Wrote Iyer: GM Brian Gutekunst did his best to balance making some key defensive upgrades and giving Aaron Rodgers some needed extra help after the lingering disaster that was taking Jordan Love in the 2020 first round. Myers and Newman are solid reinforcements for the interior line, while Amari Rodgers was the missing big-play cog in the slot to complement Davante Adams. Stokes can be quick upgrade over Kevin King with ballhawking to better complement Jaire Alexander. Hill is nice to replace Jamaal Williams behind Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon.

Pro Football Network gave the Packers a B. This story grades every pick, then wraps it up with: “Another draft, another year of Green Bay’s strategy lacking any identity outside of selecting multiple guys at the same position. The Packers went heavy on the offensive line, which makes sense given their losses there. Amari Rodgers is a nice value add to their receiver room. Eric Stokes upset many fans, but he’s a good addition to their secondary. They acquired the necessary depth on both sides of the ball, but they didn’t make any picks that scream out at me. It’s a good haul, but one that I’m sure Packers fans are iffy over.”

The Ringer’s Danny Kelly gave the Packers a B. “Reports that Aaron Rodgers wants out of Green Bay hung like a dark cloud over the team all weekend, but overall I thought the Packers did a nice job in this draft. Stokes should start for this defense, and Myers replaces Corey Linsley at center. Amari Rodgers is a Randall Cobb-like pass catcher who can line up all over the formation and make plays, giving the team some much-needed depth at receiver.

Luke Easterling at USA Today’s Draft Wire gave the Packers a B. “While the Aaron Rodgers situation stole all the headlines, the Packers quietly put together a solid class here. Eric Stokes has rare physical traits, and Josh Myers gives them a starting-caliber center to replace Corey Linsley. Amari Rodgers could excel in a Randall Cobb role, and the Day 3 picks were all solid values that added quality depth. Their last pick was the best value, landing one of the most underrated running backs in the class with Kylin Hill. Who knows what happens at quarterback, but the Packers got better this weekend on both sides of the ball.”

Tim Bielik from the host city Cleveland Plain Dealer gave the Packers a B. “The Aaron Rodgers news seemed like a shout for help; it would be so tough to trade him. They spent three of their first four picks on offense, including getting him another receiver at last in Amari Rodgers. Eric Stokes was a fringe first-round pick, so that makes some sense. Day 3 wasn’t anything great, but it was far from awful.”

The Draft Network's Ryan Fowler gave the Packers a B. "Despite the rumors of Aaron Rodgers’ departure prior to the first round, general manager Brian Gutekunst predicated his draft on protecting his three-time MVP, as he should."

ESPN.com’s Mel KIper Jr. gave the Packers a B-minus, with only three teams worse. Part of what he wrote for ESPN Insiders: “That Amari Rodgers pick likely saves this class from a C because nearly all of Green Bay’s Day 3 picks went higher than I ranked them on my board. Again, though, with the uncertainty around Rodgers’ situation, this is a tough team to gauge.”

Pro Football Focus handed out a C-minus. Focusing on Day 3, it said, “Jean-Charles locked up everyone he saw on the outside at App State in 2020, allowed just 17 catches across 52 targets while making 18 plays on the ball. He may not make up for his size with elite-level athleticism — as someone like Asante Samuel Jr. does — which will likely kick him inside in Green Bay, but Jean-Charles will bring the physicality and eyes needed to hold up in the slot.

DraftKings gave the Packers a C-plus. Focusing at the top of the draft, it said, “First-rounder Eric Stokes has a tremendous athletic profile, but he played in a press-man scheme and must now transition to a zone-heavy defense. On offense, Amari Rodgers becomes the first wideout Green Bay has taken in the first three rounds since Davante Adams but might see most of his early action on jet motions and other gadgetry rather than a dedicated receiving role. Both draft choices have upside, but their Year 1 impact remains highly uncertain.”

The New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy gave the Packers a C-plus. He wrote, “Nine of the Packers’ last 10 first-round picks are defense. The other is a backup QB, making Aaron Rodgers angry. Stokes better be more than a track star. Myers fills a big need after free agency and the Packers are tempting fates with another mid-round WR.”

Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski delivered two Bs, three Cs and one D for the Day 3 haul. The D came for the Hill pick: “Why the Packers need him behind Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon is confusing.”

Yahoo!’s Eric Edholm gave the Packers a C-minus. He had a favorite pick and a worst pick. Let’s focus on the negative with a snippet of Edholm’s thoughts on Eric Stokes in the first round. “When Stokes ran a sub-4.3 40-yard dash at his pro day, one NFL talent evaluator in attendance predicted: ‘You watch, someone will take him in the first. We frankly didn’t believe it. Yes, he has makeup speed, a nose for the ball and big-play ability, but Stokes’ clunky hips and tendency to be extra grabby make this a fearful pick with a notable bust quotient.”

Nate Davis of USA Today gave the Packers a C-plus. After an early focus on Rodgers, Davis wrote: “GM Brian Gutekunst managed to fill needs at corner (Eric Stokes, Round 1) and center (Josh Myers, Round 2), though there were arguably better ways to address those positions. Then Gutekunst moved up in Round 3 for slot WR Amari Rodgers, who might significantly benefit Aaron Rodgers ... if he's still around in September.”

The Washington Post’s Mark Maske gave the Packers a C-minus. “The picks, taken individually, were fine. But this was about the bigger picture. If ever there was a moment for the Packers to attempt to mollify QB Aaron Rodgers by using a first-round choice on an offensive player, this was it. The Packers didn’t, instead going with CB Eric Stokes. They did get a replacement at center for the departed Corey Linsley with second-rounder Josh Myers, and they added a WR in the third round in Amari Rodgers. But it may have been far too little, far too late for the Packers to repair their relationship with the NFL’s reigning MVP.”

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle also went with a C-minus. “Their draft didn’t get much attention because of stories about Aaron Rodgers wanting to be traded. They reached with CB Eric Stokes, but he’s fast and tough and should help as a rookie. C Josh Myers could start in place of Corey Linsley, who was lost in free agency. WR Amari Rodgers should fit nicely into their offense.”

WalterFootball.com gave the Packers an F. Here’s the last of three paragraphs: “I liked some of Green Bay's later picks, but this entire ordeal was a disaster for them. They largely failed to address needs; they reached on players; they allowed the Bears to land a franchise quarterback; and they drove Aaron Rodgers out of town. How is that not worthy of a failing grade?”

Thor Nystrom of NBC Sports gave the Packers an F. “Packers GM Brian Gutekunst appears to be in over his head. Green Bay's 2021 draft didn't feature a flashy, controversial pick to light up talk radio as Jordan Love did. What lingered was Gutey's receiver-aversion and habit of reaching. This class was four-deep in Tier-1 corners. When Greg Newsome, the last of the four, got popped three slots ahead of Green Bay, Gutey could have regrouped by gobbling up picks to trade out of R1 with an idea of getting a corner in the next tier anywhere in the top-half the R2. Instead of being okay with a consolation prize of extra picks and a choice of most Tier-2 corners, Gutey had to get his favorite of the group, Eric Stokes. Only one corner would go on to be selected over the next 14 picks. I'm clearly lower on Stokes than Green Bay is, but what was more concerning to me was seeing another example of rotten board management.”

Saving the worst for last: FanSided’s Matt Lombardo gave the Packers an F. Lombardo, who apparently had top-secret knowledge all 32 teams’ draft boards, wrote: “In the first-round, cornerback Eric Stokes was among the biggest reaches of the draft, because he might have been available last late as the late second-round. Meanwhile, the Packers didn’t add a wide receiver until Amari Rodgers in Round 3.”