Falcons Have 10 Offensive Starters Who Were No. 1 Picks; What About Packers?

If you’re looking for a starting point to explain Green Bay’s sporadic production in 2019, the draft is a good starting point.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Atlanta Falcons have 10 first-round picks in their projected starting lineup on offense.

The Green Bay Packers?

Well, let’s just say if you’re looking for a starting point to explain Green Bay’s sporadic production and Aaron Rodgers’ fairly mediocre performance from 2019, the draft is a good starting point. In fact, with right tackle Bryan Bulaga leaving via free agency, exactly one-half of Green Bay’s regular first-round starters on offense from last season has departed this offseason.

Video: NFL winners and losers in free agency

As of today, this would be Green Bay’s starting 11:

QB: Aaron Rodgers, first round.

RB: Aaron Jones, fifth round.

WR: Davante Adams, second round.

WR: Allen Lazard, undrafted.

TE: Jace Sternberger, third round.

LT: David Bakhtiari, fourth round.

LG: Elgton Jenkins, second round.

C: Corey Linsley, fifth round.

RG Billy Turner, third round.

RT: Rick Wagner, fifth round.

Other: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, fifth round; WR Jake Kumerow, undrafted; TE Marcedes Lewis, first round.

Since drafting offensive tackles Bulaga (2010) and Derek Sherrod (2011) in back-to-back first rounds, Green Bay has used all eight first-round picks on defensive players. The Packers haven’t taken a skill-position player on offense in the first round since Rodgers in 2005, though Jordy Nelson was the team’s first pick in 2008. In fact, they haven’t taken a receiver in the first three rounds of any draft since Adams in the second round in 2014 and Ty Montgomery in the third round in 2015.

Over the previous five drafts, 16 teams have taken at least one receiver in the first round and 27 have taken at least one in the first two rounds. Over the previous four drafts, the Packers and Raiders are the only teams to not invest a pick in the first three rounds on a receiver. 

In the first three rounds from 2015 through 2019, the Packers’ breakdown is 12 defensive players and four offensive players. The only skill-position players were Montgomery and Sternberger, a pair of third-round selections.