The last three first-round picks made by Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst all hailed from one of the most celebrated defenses in college football history.
After taking Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes at No. 29 overall last year, Gutekunst and the Packers went back to the well and double-dipped on Bulldogs, selecting linebacker Quay Walker at No. 22 overall and defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt at No. 28 overall in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Walker (6-3, 241) and Wyatt (6-2, 304) are both elite athletes who played a lot of football in Athens and thrived for Georgia’s star-studded defense during the 2021 season.
Walker was on the field for 52 games over his collegiate career, including 15 starts last season. He tested like one of the most athletic linebackers ever, running the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds and completing the short shuttle in 4.32 seconds and three-cone drill in 6.89 seconds. His Relative Athletic Score is 9.66 out of 10.0.
Wyatt played 49 games for Georgia, including 14 last season. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.77 seconds (1.60-second 10-yard split), covered 9-3 in the broad jump and finished the three-cone in 7.45 seconds at over 300 pounds. His Relative Athletic Score is 9.56 out of 10.0.
A record five players from Georgia’s defense went in the first round on Thursday night.
The Packers will insert both Bulldogs into Joe Barry’s defensive front and hope the young rookies can help turn the group into a Super Bowl-worthy unit. Walker, who starred next to Nakobe Dean, will be expected to be a Day 1 starter next to All-Pro De’Vondre Campbell at inside linebacker in the base defense and most subpackages. Wyatt is a three-down lineman who can contain the run and penetrate as a pass-rusher. He’ll immediately get a chance to play snaps as a rotational piece next to Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry with the idea of him becoming a starter in the three-man front.
Both picks helped break draft trends for Gutekunst. Walker is an inside linebacker, which isn’t considered a premium position and hasn’t been picked in the first round by the Packers since 2005. Wyatt is 24 years old, breaking a four-year, five-player trend of Gutekunst taking prospects 22 or younger in the first round.
The Packers didn’t get a receiver or a pass-catcher in the first round, but the run on receivers came early, so Gutekunst stayed patient and used his two first-rounders to further solidify his defensive front. There will be opportunities to get pass-catchers on Day 2, especially with two picks in the second round.
