Place Your Bets: What Position for Packers’ First Draft Pick?
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)
Green Bay Packers Free Agency and Draft News
Study: Brian Gutekunst’s five years of drafts
Record-setting tight end visits Packers
NFL Draft: Top six defensive tackles
Packers show incredible amount of interest in tight end
Packers hosting receiver on predraft visit
Packers host standout cornerback on predraft visit
Packers should re-sign Marcedes Lewis
Top tight end, who’s been medically cleared, will visit Packers