| PACKERS 2016 NFL DRAFT PICKS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROUND | PICK | SELECTION | PLAYER | POSITION | COLLEGE |
| 1 | 27 | 27 | Kenny Clark | DT | UCLA |
| 2 | 17 | 48* | Jason Spriggs | T | Indiana |
| 3 | 25 | 88 | Kyler Fackrell | OLB | Utah State |
| 4 | 36 | 131 | Blake Martinez | ILB | Stanford |
| 4 | 21 | 137 | Dean Lowry | DE | Northwestern |
| 5 | 26 | 163 | Trevor Davis | WR | California |
| 7 | 25 | 200 | Kyle Murphy | T | Stanford |
*Traded R2 (#57), R4 (#125), R7 (#248) to acquire pick #48
AARON RODGERS
Ted Thompson grabbed the future Hall of Fame quarterback with the 24th overall pick in the 2005 draft, his first as the GM of the Packers. Rodgers remains the centerpiece of this team well over a decade after he entered the league.
AARON RODGERS
Ted Thompson grabbed the future Hall of Fame quarterback with the 24th overall pick in the 2005 draft, his first as the GM of the Packers. Rodgers remains the centerpiece of this team well over a decade after he entered the league.
CLAY MATTHEWS
The team traded up into the first-round to select the six-time Pro Bowler that still remains a starter now entering into his 11th season. The Packers traded their second-round pick (No. 41), and both of their third-round picks (No. 73 and No. 83) to the New England Patriots for their first-round pick (No. 26) and fifth-round pick (No. 162) in that year's draft. Matthews has proven that he can play in both the inside and outside linebacker roles and has been an elite pass rusher since coming into the league, in what could be a future Hall of Fame career.
JORDY NELSON
Thompson traded the team’s first-round pick to the New York Jets (No. 30) in 2008, moving back six spots to take the future All-Pro receiver out of Kansas State. Nelson had been one of Aaron Rodger’s favorite target in Green Bay since coming to Green Bay. Nelson was a First-Team All-Pro in 2010 and now owns multiple franchise records.
MIKE DANIELS/DAVID BAKHTIARI
Ted Thompson selected both players in the fourth-round of their respective drafts, (Daniels, 2012 & Bakhtiari, 2013). Both have become elite players in their positions in the NFL and both were recently resigned to long-term, multi-million dollar contracts.
MASON CROSBY
The team’s all-time leading points leader was taken in the sixth-round in the 2007 draft. Crosby has been one of the most consistent kickers in the NFL since coming to the Packers and has proven and continues to be a clutch performer.
JUSTIN HARRELL, DT, Tennessee
First-round (No. 16) 2007
Harrell is by far the biggest bust of the Ted Thompson draft era. Plagued by injuries, he participated in only 14 regular season games in four years after being the team’s first round selection in 2007.
BRIAN BROHM, QB, Louisville
Second-round (No. 56) 2008 (from Cleveland Browns for Corey Williams)
Brohm was selected to be the backup to Rodgers but failed and lost the battle for the backup spot to seventh-round pick Matt Flynn.
ABDUL HODGE, LB, Iowa
Third-round (No. 67) 2006
After a great season at Iowa, Hodge was supposed to be the next stud linebacker in the middle of the Packers defense. A knee injury kept him off the field in his second season and he ended up playing only 8 games in the Green and Gold.
ALEX GREEN, RB, Hawaii
Third-round (No. 96) 2011
Poised to be a great piece in the backfield, Green never amounted to much. In just two short seasons in Green Bay he saw limited playing time after being a third-round selection. He spent just three years in the NFL, two with Green Bay and his final year coming in 2013, he spent with the New York Jets.
DEREK SHERROD, T, Mississippi State
First-round (No. 32) 2011
The last pick of the first round in 2011, Sherrod was supposed to be starter for years with the Packers but played just 20 games in four seasons and made one start. He suffered a broken leg late in his rookie season and then missed all of 2012. Sherrod was waived during the 2014 season and never played in the NFL again. The definition of a bust.
JEREL WORTHY, DE, Michigan State
Second-round (No. 51) 2012
The Packers traded their second-round pick (59th pick) and fourth-round pick to move up to No. 51 to pick Worthy, a consensus All-American, who was rumored to be a first-round pick. Worthy was worth little for the Packers, never living up to his draft status, recording 15 tackles and 2.5 sacks in two-plus seasons before being traded to the Patriots.
| KEY ADDITIONS IN FREE AGENCY | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLAYER | POSITION | TEAM | ||||||
| Martellus Bennett | TE | New England | ||||||
| Lance Kendricks | TE | St. Louis | ||||||
| Davon House | CB | Jacksonville | ||||||
| Ricky Jean Francois | DT | Washington | ||||||
| Jahri Evans | OL | New Orleans | ||||||
| KEY LOSSES IN FREE AGENCY | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLAYER | POSITION | TEAM | ||||||
| T.J. Lang | OL | Detroit | ||||||
| Micah Hyde | CB | Buffalo | ||||||
| Eddie Lacy | RB | Seattle | ||||||
| Jared Cook | TE | Oakland | ||||||
| Julius Peppers | DE | Carolina | ||||||
| JC Tretter | C | Cleveland | ||||||
| Datone Jones | LB | Minnesota | ||||||
Following the Ted Thompson mantra of “taking the best player available,” these are areas of need on the roster that the Packers need to supplement entering into next season.
PASS RUSHER - This team needs to get younger, faster and more athletic up front on the defensive edge. Julius Peppers is now gone and Clay Matthews played most of last season with an injured shoulder. The ability to get to the other team’s quarterback is priority number one.
CORNERBACK - Despite spending first and second round picks in 2015 on Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins, this team needs help in the secondary on the outside. LaDarius Gunter was the team’s best cornerback on the team at the end of last season and he will need help. The Packers signed Davon House in the offseason, but this team never was the same in 2016 after Sam Shields went down in Week 1 with a concussion and did not return.
OFFENSIVE LINE - You can never have too many big guys up front to protect Aaron Rodgers. With the departure of TJ Lang and JC Tretter and an aging Brian Bulaga, an offensive lineman makes sense. The team traded up in the draft in 2016 to select Jason Spriggs and also took Kyle Murphy in the 6th round out of Stanford, but you have to protect your investment in Aaron Rodgers and it starts with the guys in front of him.