You know the vibe. Every April, Packers fans gather around their screens, praying for a flashy wide receiver in the first round, and every year, the front office basically says, "Nah, we’re good," before drafting a defensive lineman from a school you’ve barely heard of. It’s a cycle. Honestly, it’s become part of the local religion in Wisconsin. But if you actually look at the Packers draft picks history, you’ll see that this weird, stubborn refusal to follow the "mock draft" experts is exactly why the team hasn't stayed bad for more than a few years at a time since the early 90s.
Drafting for the Green Bay Packers isn't just about grabbing the best athlete. It’s about finding guys who can survive a December game at Lambeau without losing their minds.
The heist of the century (and no, it wasn’t Aaron Rodgers)
Everyone talks about 2005. Aaron Rodgers sitting in the green room, the cameras zooming in on his face while 23 teams passed him by. It’s legendary. It’s the ultimate "I told you so." But if we’re being real, the biggest "theft" in the history of the draft happened way back in 1956.
The Packers took a kid named Bart Starr in the 17th round. Round seventeen!
He was the 200th overall pick. To put that in perspective, the modern NFL draft only has seven rounds. Starr wouldn't even have been drafted today; he would've been a guy fighting for a spot as an undrafted free agent. He had a mediocre college career at Alabama, but the Packers took a flyer on him because of a tip from a basketball coach. That "flyer" ended up winning five NFL championships and two Super Bowls.
That’s the thing about this team. They don’t just find stars; they find them in the couch cushions.
The 1958 class: The greatest ever?
Some people argue about which year was the best, but 1958 is pretty much the gold standard. Under talent scout Jack Vainisi, the Packers landed three future Hall of Famers in one single weekend:
- Jim Taylor (Fullback, 2nd Round)
- Ray Nitschke (Linebacker, 3rd Round)
- Jerry Kramer (Guard, 4th Round)
Imagine that. You walk out of a draft with the heart of your offense, the soul of your defense, and the guy who would eventually make the most famous block in football history. It’s basically impossible to replicate that in the modern era with all the scouting and data we have now.
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Why the first round is actually kinda cursed
If you look at the Packers draft picks history over the last thirty years, you’ll notice a bizarre trend. The first round is... hit or miss. Mostly miss if it’s a high pick.
Remember Tony Mandarich? 1989. The "Incredible Bulk." He was the second overall pick, supposed to be the best offensive line prospect ever. The Packers took him over Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders, and Derrick Thomas. Yeah. That one still stings.
But then look at the second round. That’s where the real magic happens in Green Bay.
LeRoy Butler? Second round. Davante Adams? Second round. Jordy Nelson? Second round. Randall Cobb? Second round. Greg Jennings? Second round. It’s like the team treats the first round as a "best player available" gamble but uses the second round to actually build the team.
There’s this weird pressure on first-rounders to be immediate superstars. In Green Bay, they often prefer the "draft and develop" model. They’ll take a guy like Rashan Gary at 12th overall (2019), let him sit behind veterans for two years, and then let him loose. Fans hate it at first. They want the immediate gratification. But by year three, everyone is wearing that guy's jersey.
The "Green Bay Type" is a real thing
Brian Gutekunst and Ted Thompson before him weren't just picking names out of a hat. They have a specific prototype. If you aren't versatile, you're probably not going to Green Bay.
They love offensive linemen who played tackle in college but have the "feet" to move to guard. Think Elgton Jenkins or Zach Tom. They love defensive players with high "Relative Athletic Scores" (RAS). Basically, if you aren't a freak athlete according to the math, the Packers probably aren't interested.
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The wide receiver drought
One of the biggest misconceptions is that the Packers "refuse" to draft receivers. They don't. They just refuse to draft them in the first round.
From 2003 until 2025, they didn't take a single wideout in the opening round. It became a national meme. Then, in 2025, they finally broke the streak with Matthew Golden. Why then? Because the value finally matched the board. They don't reach. If the guy they want isn't there, they’ll take a linebacker or a tackle and move on. It’s cold, it’s frustrating, and it usually works.
Recent history: The Jordan Love gamble
You can't talk about the Packers draft picks history without mentioning 2020. Taking Jordan Love while Aaron Rodgers was still at the top of his game was widely panned. Critics called it "organizational malpractice."
But honestly? It was the most "Packer" move ever.
They did the same thing with Rodgers when Brett Favre was still playing. The philosophy is simple: you draft the replacement before you need one. It’s why this team hasn't had a truly "dark" decade since the 80s. While other teams are selling their souls and future picks to move up for a rookie QB, Green Bay just waits. They let the game come to them.
Surprising gems you probably forgot
While the Hall of Famers get the statues, the Packers' survival depends on the late-round grinders.
- Donald Driver: 7th Round (1999). The all-time leading receiver in franchise history was nearly the very last pick of the draft.
- Mark Tauscher: 7th Round (2000). A local Wisconsin kid who became a cornerstone of the line for a decade.
- David Bakhtiari: 4th Round (2013). Became arguably the best left tackle in the league for several years.
These aren't accidents. The scouting department in Green Bay has this uncanny ability to find offensive line talent in the middle rounds. It’s their superpower. If you’re a tackle from a mid-major school with "heavy hands," Green Bay is probably stalking your film.
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What it all means for the future
So, what should you actually look for when the next draft rolls around?
First, ignore the "needs." The Packers don't care about your "needs." They care about their board. If they have a defensive end ranked higher than a safety, they’re taking the end, even if they already have five of them.
Second, watch the Senior Bowl. If a guy is a team captain and performs well in Mobile, he’s practically already on the plane to Austin Straubel Airport.
Packers draft picks history tells us that the team values character and athletic ceiling over "pro-readiness." They’d rather have a raw athlete they can coach up than a polished player with no room to grow. It’s a slow-burn strategy. It’s not built for the Twitter era where everyone wants a grade five minutes after the pick is made.
But hey, when you’re the only community-owned team in sports, you can afford to think about the next ten years instead of just the next ten games.
Key takeaways for fans
- Don't panic in the first round. If the pick feels "safe" or "boring," it’s usually because that player has a high floor and will be a starter for eight years.
- Watch the second and third rounds. That is where the playmakers—the Davante Adams and LeRoy Butlers of the world—are found.
- Trust the RAS. If a player has a low athletic score, the Packers almost certainly won't draft them.
- The QB room is always a priority. Don't be shocked if they take a mid-round quarterback even if they have a starter. They view that position as an asset, not just a player.
Next time you’re sitting there wondering why they didn't draft that flashy receiver from Ohio State, just remember Bart Starr. Seventeen rounds. 200th pick. The history of this team is written by the guys nobody saw coming.