We ranked the 15 best NFL draft classes in Green Bay Packers history

Posted by author February 25, 2025 NFL

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The Green Bay Packers‘ 2025 draft class will always have the distinction of emerging from the “Green Bay draft,” though it’ll take years before anyone will know the depth of impact that group will have.

The 2024 draft, coming on the heels of some significant draft successes for the Packers in 2023 and 2022, offered a mixed bag. The draft yielded rookie breakouts like Edgerrin Cooper and Evan Williams, plus another starter in Javon Bullard, but also a number of players who battled injuries this season. That included first-round pick Jordan Morgan and third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd, plus some players we didn’t see many snaps from in 2024 (Ty’Ron Hopper, Jacob Monk, Travis Glover, Kitan Oladapo).

What’s the best draft class in Packers history? These are the options.

Drafts still to watch: 2023 and 2022

We don’t have a full enough view of these two drafts to place them in historical context.

The 2023 draft class took a step back this year after a deeply promising rookie season.

Receivers Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks bolstered the Packers passing game on a thrilling late-season run in 2023 but didn’t have the same level of success in 2024. Tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft appeared to have the position sewn up for the next several years, and while Kraft continued an ascent toward excellence, Musgrave was limited to seven games by injury in 2024 and played less than a third of the snaps when available.

Defensive tackle Karl Brooks has flashed, fellow defensive lineman Colby Wooden has shown some promise and seventh-round cornerback Carrington Valentine has become essential. But first-rounder Lukas Van Ness saw his production decline slightly in Year 2, kicker Anders Carlson didn’t make the team as a second-year player and intriguing seventh-rounders Grant DuBose and Anthony Johnson are elsewhere.

The 2022 group, meanwhile, features a number of current contributors, and the class could go down as one of the most special in franchise history.

First-rounders Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt are starters, albeit not yet at Pro Bowl caliber. Second-rounder Christian Watson was a major contributor again before an ACL tear felled him late in the season and put his future in doubt.

Fourth-rounder Romeo Doubs became a dependable part of the receiving corps, and the gem of the class has been fourth-rounder Zach Tom, who along with seventh-rounder Rasheed Walker became bookends of the offensive line. Third-round guard Sean Rhyan also emerged into a more permanent role in 2024 on the line, and fifth-round defensive end Kingsley Enagbare continued to make noise even after what looked like a major knee injury in the 2023 postseason.

The 2020 draft, of course, brought the Packers Jordan Love. But unless AJ Dillon comes back in 2025, none of the other players in the class are still with Green Bay, and only Dillon and guard Jon Runyan have made significant impact thus far. Love has been special at times, but he hasn’t quite yet risen to a level of making the overall draft a ringing success.

Here are the drafts that have stood the test of time.

15. 1963 (Dave Robinson, Daryle Lamonica, Lionel Aldridge)

The Packers hit on their first-round pick by taking Robinson, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer who appeared in 155 games, made three All-Pro teams and won three NFL championships. But it’s a draft with some depth, too, with Packers Hall of Famers Marv Fleming and Lionel Aldridge also in the fold.

And then there’s the 12th-rounder Daryle Lamonica, who never suited up for the Packers but did twice win AFL Offensive Player of the Year while quarterbacking the Oakland Raiders, part of five Pro Bowl seasons.

First-round pick: Robinson (14th overall, linebacker)
Packers Hall of Famers: Robinson, Aldridge (fourth round, defensive end); Fleming (11th round, tight end)
Other key contributors: Tom Brown (second round, defensive back); Dan Grimm (fifth round, offensive lineman)
Contributors elsewhere: Lamonica (12th round, quarterback who made five Pro Bowls playing in Oakland and Buffalo); Tony Liscio (third round, offensive lineman who played 83 games for Dallas and made second-team All Pro in 1966)
Other top-four round picks: Dennis Claridge (third round, quarterback); Carlton Simons (fourth round, offensive lineman)

14. 2013 (David Bakhtiari, Micah Hyde, Eddie Lacy)

The Packers secured a franchise left tackle in the fourth round, one who will have a borderline case for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in David Bakhtiari. Not only that, but the Packers landed a running back (Eddie Lacy) in the second round who would make a seismic impact in that 2013 season.

First-round pick: Datone Jones (26th overall, defensive end)
(Future) Packers Hall of Famer: Bakhtiari (fourth round, tackle)
Key contributors: Lacy (second round, running back); JC Tretter (fourth round, offensive lineman)
Contributor elsewhere: Micah Hyde (fifth round, defensive back who was also a strong player for the Packers for four seasons but has twice been second-team All-Pro with the Bills, officially retiring after the 2024 season. He’s a major “one that got away” in the Ted Thompson era).
Other top-four round picks: Johnathan Franklin (fourth round, running back)

13. 2014 (Davante Adams, Corey Linsley)

The Packers landed a pair of All-Pro choices by taking the wide receiver Davante Adams in the second round and the center Corey Linsley in the fifth. Though neither remain in Green Bay, both became arguably the best at their position in the league. Richard Rodgers and Jeff Janis both were responsible for some of the most memorable catches in franchise history, with Rodgers on the receiving end of an unforgettable Hail Mary in Detroit and Janis against Arizona in the playoffs.

First-round pick: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (21st overall, safety)
(Future) Packers Hall of Famers: Adams (second round, wide receiver); Linsley (fifth round, center)
Other key contributors: Rodgers (third round, tight end); Janis (seventh round, receiver)
Other top-four round picks: Khyri Thornton (third round, defensive tackle); Carl Bradford (fourth round, linebacker)

12. 2008 (Jordy Nelson, Jermichael Finley, Josh Sitton)

Josh Sitton became a four-time Pro Bowl guard, and Jordy Nelson caught 72 touchdowns in his career and became one of the best receivers in the league. Both are Packers Hall of Famers. Jermichael Finley became a force, though his career was cut short by injuries.

First-round pick: None
Packers Hall of Famers Sitton (fourth round, offensive line); Nelson (second round, wide receiver)
Other key contributors: Finley (third round, tight end); Matt Flynn (seventh round, quarterback); Pat Lee (second round, defensive back)
Contributor elsewhere: Breno Giacomini (fifth round, tackle who played in 94 career games, mostly for the New York Jets and Seattle).
Other top-four round picks: Brian Brohm (second round, quarterback); Jeremy Thompson (fourth round, defensive end)

11. 2009 (B.J. Raji, Clay Matthews, T.J. Lang)

There may not be a run to the Super Bowl in the 2010 season if not for this draft class. The Packers made a trade to acquire a second first-round pick, and it paid off handsomely when Clay Matthews became one of the most-feared defensive players in the league. B.J. Raji, of course, also returned an interception for a touchdown in the 2010 NFC championship game and played in 91 career games as a problem-generating defensive tackle. T.J. Lang made two Pro Bowls (one with Detroit) and, though he wasn’t a starter on the Super Bowl team, he evolved into a credible guard for the Packers offensive line.

First-round picks: Raji (ninth overall, defensive tackle); Matthews (26th overall, linebacker)
Packers Hall of Famer: Matthews
Other key contributors: Lang (fourth round, offensive lineman), Brad Jones (seventh round, linebacker)
Other top-four round picks: None

10. 2006 (Greg Jennings, Daryn Colledge, A.J. Hawk)

Thompson supplemented his strong 2005 draft with more pieces in 2006, starting with two-time Pro Bowl receiver Greg Jennings in the second round. He also picked up offensive lineman Daryn Colledge, who started 141 games in his career, and linebacker A.J. Hawk, who perhaps didn’t quite reach the standard of the No. 5 overall pick but did start in the league for 10 years.

First-round pick: Hawk (fifth overall, linebacker)
Packers Hall of Famer: Jennings (second round, wide receiver)
Other key contributors: Colledge (second round, offensive lineman); Jason Spitz (third round, offensive lineman), Will Blackmon (fourth round, defensive back/kick returner), Tony Moll (fifth round, offensive lineman); Johnny Jolly (sixth round, defensive tackle)
Other top-four round picks: Abdul Hodge (third round, linebacker); Cory Rodgers (fourth round, wide receiver)

9. 1990 (LeRoy Butler, Bryce Paup, Tony Bennett)

What a way to bolster the Packers defense. Not only did Green Bay get future Hall of Famer LeRoy Butler in the second round, it also drafted a future NFL Defensive Player of the Year in Bryce Paup (although, he was with the Bills when he won that award) in the sixth round. First-round pick Tony Bennett (the first of two first-round picks of the draft for Green Bay), who started 108 games, wasn’t too bad either.

First-round picks: Bennett (18th overall, defensive end); Darrell Thompson (19th overall, running back), Bennett
Packers Hall of Famers: Butler (second round, defensive back)
Other key contributors: Jackie Harris (fourth round, tight end); Lester Archambeau (seventh round, defensive end)
Contributor elsewhere: Bobby Houston (third round, linebacker who played 109 games for the Jets among others).
Other top-four round picks: None

8. 1952 (Babe Parilli, Billy Howton, Bobby Dillon)

Babe Parilli, the team’s first-round pick, made three Pro Bowls and threw for 178 career touchdowns, plus another 23 rushing, but most of that damage was done outside of Green Bay. Billy Howton caught 61 career touchdowns and made four Pro Bowls, and Bobby Dillon’s 52 interceptions remain the most in franchise history (he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020). Defensive tackle Dave Hanner played in 160 games and made two Pro Bowls and joins Howton and Dillon in the Packers Hall of Fame. So does Deral Teteak, a native Wisconsinite who made a Pro Bowl at linebacker in one of his three seasons as full-time starter.

First-round pick: Parilli (fourth overall, quarterback)
Packers Hall of Famers: Dillon (third round, defensive back); Howton (second round, end); Hanner (fifth round, defensive tackle); Teteak (ninth round, linebacker)
Other key contributors: None
Other top-four round picks: None

7. 1957 (Paul Hornung, Ron Kramer)

The draft format was different then, and the Packers won the first overall pick as a bonus choice in the final year of the draft lottery. They used it on Heisman Trophy winner Paul Hornung, who went on to a Hall of Fame career as a multi-dimensional player for the Packers.

With their original first-round pick (No. 4 overall), the Packers took tight end Ron Kramer, who made first-team All-Pro in 1962 and second-team in 1963.

First-round picks: Hornung (first overall, halfback); Kramer (fourth overall, tight end)
Packers Hall of Famers: Hornung and Kramer
Contributor elsewhere: John Nisby (sixth round, guard who made three Pro Bowls with Pittsburgh and Washington)
Other top-four round picks: Joel Wells (second round, halfback); Dalton Truax (third round, offensive lineman); Carl Vereen (fourth round, offensive lineman)

6. 2000 (Chad Clifton, Mark Tauscher, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, Bubba Franks)

Second-round pick Chad Clifton became a rock on the Packers offensive line, fighting through injuries and making two Pro Bowls in his decade as a starter. Mark Tauscher, a University of Wisconsin alumnus taken in the seventh round, became a major bargain and played 134 games. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, taken in the fifth round, became the franchise’s all-time sacks leader until Clay Matthews surpassed him. And that’s all in addition to first-round pick Bubba Franks, who made three Pro Bowls and caught 32 career touchdowns as a tight end over eight seasons.

First-round pick: Franks (14th overall, tight end)
Packers Hall of Famers: Clifton (second round, offensive lineman); Gbaja-Biamila (fifth round, defensive end); Tauscher (seventh round, offensive lineman)
Other key contributors: Nai’il Diggs (fourth round, linebacker)
Other top-four round picks: Steve Warren (third round, defensive tackle); Anthony Lucas (fourth round, wide receiver); Gary Berry (fourth round, defensive back)

5. 2005 (Aaron Rodgers, Nick Collins)

Any time you land a Hall of Fame franchise quarterback, you’ve won the draft. The first draft for Thompson included a risky gambit, selecting the fast-falling quarterback out of Cal with the 24th overall selection. You know what happened next.

But Thompson hit another home run with his second pick, selecting safety Nick Collins out of unheralded Bethune-Cookman. Collins would go on to make three Pro Bowls, return an interception for a touchdown in the Super Bowl and appear on track for a Hall of Fame career were it not for a career-ending neck injury.

First-round pick: Rodgers (24th overall, quarterback)
Packers Hall of Famer: Collins (second round, defensive back)
Other key contributors: Brady Poppinga (fourth round, linebacker); Mike Montgomery (sixth round, defensive tackle)
Other top-four round picks: Terrence Murphy (second round, wide receiver); Marviel Underwood (fourth round, defensive back)

4. 1995 (Adam Timmerman, Antonio Freeman, William Henderson)

A year later, many of the players taken in this draft were helping the Packers win the Super Bowl. Guard Adam Timmerman was a steal in the seventh round, as was wide receiver Antonio Freeman in the third round. Freeman finished his career with 7,251 receiving yards and 61 touchdowns. Third-rounders Brian Williams and William Henderson made an impact, with Henderson spending 12 seasons in Green Bay, as did first-round pick Craig Newsome, who started as a rookie in the secondary.

First-round pick: Newsome (32nd overall, defensive back)
Packers Hall of Famers: Henderson (third round, fullback); Freeman (third round, wide receiver)
Other key contributors: Darius Holland (third round, defensive tackle); Williams (third round, linebacker); Travis Jervey (fifth round, running back/special teamer); Timmerman (seventh round, offensive lineman)
Other top-four round picks: Jeff Miller (fourth round, offensive lineman)

3. 1992 (Edgar Bennett, Robert Brooks, Mark Chmura)

First-round pick Terrell Buckley eventually played the most games of anyone in the class with 209, though most of them were outside of Green Bay after he struggled at times in his first three seasons with the Packers.

But the Packers also acquired several building blocks to a Super Bowl run, including running back Edgar Bennett (6,237 yards from scrimmage and 31 touchdowns in his career) and wide receiver Robert Brooks (4,276 yards receiving and 32 touchdowns). Tight end Mark Chmura (2,253 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns) proved to be one of the great late-round steals in Packers lore as a sixth-round selection.

First-round pick: Buckley (fifth overall, defensive back)
Packers Hall of Famers: Brooks (third round, receiver); Bennett (fourth round, running back); Chmura (sixth round, tight end)
Other top-four round picks: Mark D’Onofrio (second round, linebacker)

2. 1956 (Bart Starr, Forrest Gregg, Bob Skoronski)

Packers scout Jack Vainisi, credited with procuring the talent that would set the Packers on a dynastic course, may have done his best work in 1956, when he took Alabama quarterback Bart Starr in the 17th round (200th pick overall). It seems staggering that a player who would become the iconic face of the franchise could be taken so low.

Forrest Gregg, the tackle who would eventually find a place in Canton alongside Starr, made nine Pro Bowls and was taken in the second round that season (20th overall).

Tackle Bob Skoronski, a Pro Bowler and five-time NFL champion, was taken in the fifth round. Hank Gremminger (seventh round) had 28 interceptions during his time with the Packers.

First round pick: Jack Losch (eighth overall, halfback)
Packers Hall of Famers: Gregg (second round, offensive lineman); Skoronski (fifth round, offensive lineman); Gremminger (seventh round, defensive back); Starr (17th round, quarterback)
Contributor elsewhere: Mike Hudock, (11th round, center who played 96 career games with New York Titans among others)
Other top-four round picks: Cecil Morris (fourth round, offensive lineman)

1. 1958 (Jim Taylor, Jerry Kramer, Ray Nitschke)

It’s just so hard to top a draft with three Pro Football Hall of Famers. In 1958, the Packers went on an absolute wild run in rounds 2-4, drafting (in order, with one other third-round pick in the middle) Jim Taylor, Ray Nitschke and Jerry Kramer, all of whom became staples of the Lombardi-era Packers.

Taylor ran for 8,597 yards in his career and won the 1962 MVP. Nitschke became the archetype of hard-nosed Packers defense during the era. Kramer threw a block that helped Bart Starr score the winning touchdown in the Ice Bowl.

For good measure, first-round pick Dan Currie wasn’t so bad, either. The linebacker made first-team All-Pro in 1962 and second-team in 1963, plus a Pro Bowl in 1960.

First-round pick: Currie (third overall, linebacker)
Packers Hall of Famers: Taylor (second round, fullback); Nitschke (third round, linebacker); Kramer (fourth round, offensive lineman), Currie
Contributors elsewhere: Dick Christy (third round, halfback who made a Pro Bowl with the New York Titans); Ken Gray (sixth round, offensive lineman who was a six-time Pro Bowler for St. Louis and others, making first-team All-Pro in 1964)
Other top-four round picks: None