When Brian Gutekunst was named the Green Bay Packers’ general manager in Jan., 2018, he inherited a football team coming off its first losing season in nearly a decade.
There were aging, declining players on both sides of the ball. There were several bad contracts. And it appeared the Packers were set to begin a mini-rebuild.
Instead, Green Bay rattled off three straight 13-wins seasons after going 6-9-1 in Gutekunst’s rookie year. While the Packers have been a perennial playoff disappointment, their 39 regular seasons wins in the last three years are the most in the NFL.
A major reason for Green Bay’s turnaround is that Gutekunst has aced the top of the draft.
“He’s been a boss,” an AFC executive told me this week.
Since conducting his first draft in 2018, Gutekunst has had nine picks in the first two rounds. Six of those players are starters today and a seventh is a co-starter.
Two of those players — cornerback Jaire Alexander and guard Elgton Jenkins — have already earned All-Pro honors and are among the best players in the league at their positions. Only second-round cornerback Josh Jackson and first-round quarterback Jordan Love have failed to live up to their lofty draft status — and there’s still time for Love to rescue his career.
Here’s a look at Gutekunst’s first- and second-round picks, and why they’ve been paramount to Green Bay’s recent success.
2018
Jaire Alexander, CB, pick No. 18 — Pro Football Focus gave Alexander its top overall grade (90.5) and top coverage grade (90.6) among cornerbacks in 2020. He was also named to the Pro Bowl and earned All-Pro honors that season. Alexander missed 13 games last year, though, due to a shoulder injury. The Packers would like to sign Alexander to a long-term contract before the 2022 season, one that figures to make him the highest paid cornerback in football. Grade: A
Josh Jackson, CB, pick No. 45 — Jackson was the fourth cornerback taken in the 2018 draft and was a colossal disappointment. Jackson had a solid rookie year, but struggled mightily in 2019 and 2020. Then midway through training camp last summer, Jackson was traded to the New York Giants for cornerback Isaac Yiadom. Jackson was waived by the Giants two months later without ever playing a game. Today, he’s out of the league. Grade: D-
2019
Rashan Gary, OLB, pick No. 12 — After a largely invisible rookie season, Gary has been a player on the rise. Gary had 6.5 sacks in 2020 (including playoffs) and 11.5 last year. Gary, a defensive end in college, has figured out his new positon and could be a star for several seasons to come. Grade: B
Darnell Savage, S, pick No. 21 — Green Bay traded a pair of fourth round picks to Seattle and moved up from No. 30 to 21 to make Savage the first defensive back selected in 2019. To date, he’s been mediocre, at best. Savage gives up far too many big plays, is out of position too often and misses too many tackles. The Packers have yet to exercise their fifth-year option with Savage, meaning this could be his final season in Green Bay. Grade: C
Elgton Jenkins, OL, pick No. 44 — If there was a re-do of the entire 2019 draft, Jenkins might be a top-5 pick. He was a Pro Bowler in 2020 when he became the first Green Bay offensive lineman to start a game at guard, center and tackle in the same season since the 1970 merger. Then with David Bakhtiari sidelined in 2021, Jenkins started at left tackle until late-November when he tore his ACL. Jenkins is still just 26, and if he makes a full recovery, should be a dominant presence the next four or five seasons. Grade: A+
2020
Jordan Love, QB, pick No. 26 — With Aaron Rodgers coming off mediocre 2018 and 2019 seasons, Gutekunst moved up and selected Love in 2020. Most expected Love to become the starter by 2022, but Rodgers responded with back-to-back MVP seasons and a contract extension. Today, Love’s career is in limbo. Grade: D
AJ Dillon, RB, pick No. 62 — Dillon led the Packers in carries (187), rushing yards (803) and rushing touchdowns (five) in 2021. The ultra-powerful Dillon and speedy Aaron Jones form one of the best rushing duos in football. At just 23, Dillon’s future is remarkably bright. Grade: B
2021
Eric Stokes, CB, pick No. 29 — Stokes had an up and down rookie year, but flashed enough potential to make most believe he'll be a solid starter for years to come. Stokes has blazing speed (4.24) and is terrific in press-man coverage. His hands are dreadful, though. Last season, he had one interception and dropped six others. Grade: B-
Josh Myers, C, pick No. 62 — Myers was drafted to replace Corey Linsley, who left in free agency. He was given the starting center job in training camp and was so-so early before a knee injury sidelined him for 11 games. Myers is bright and athletic and should grow into the job if he can stay healthy. Grade: C
