The 2024 NFL draft is on the horizon, just around the corner, or whatever your favorite expression is when it comes to something that’s about to happen.
The Green Bay Packers have a lot to look forward to in the near future. The draft is their oyster right now, and for quite a few reasons why. Their future is centered around a young Jordan Love and the signings of Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney point towards an all-in mentality coming from the front office.
In order for the team to win one (or multiple) championships, though, it needs to knock this year’s draft out of the park. The last few drafts have been nice for the Green Bay Packers, but they need this draft to be like Detroit’s was last year. A couple of immediate impact players that can propel the Packers all the way to the promised land.
Part of that is because the last few drafts haven’t been too nice to the Packers, especially the early-round picks. This is a ranking of how the last 5 first-round picks stack up amongst each other, in a way revealing where the team really does stand right now talent-wise.
5. Green Bay Packers 2021: Eric Stokes
Is it safe to call Eric Stokes a bust yet? The 2021 first-round selection has missed a lot of games, and when he has played he hasn’t performed like Packers fans hoped. He can cover for sure, but he’s not a number 1 corner like a first-round CB is supposed to be. While everyone knows extremely hyped speedy corners have massive potential to be busted, Stokes hasn’t been outright terrible. Just disappointing. The team hasn’t let him go yet, so maybe he still can transform into that guy. If they draft a DB in the first 2 rounds, though, consider Stokes gone in the near future.
4. Green Bay Packers 2023: Lukas Van Ness
I’ll start off by saying it’s way too early to tell how good Van Ness is. As a rotational pass rusher in his rookie year, he garnered just 4 sacks, some of which were coverage sacks against Justin Fields (which is like taking candy from a baby).
He was seen as a developmental project, and once again, he was extremely limited as a rotational guy. So are though, he hasn’t done as much as the other guys on this list (aside from Stokes). Despite that, some fans are already considering him to be a bust.
3. Green Bay Packers 2022: Quay Walker
Packers fans don’t like Quay for some reason. Maybe it’s his attitude and how it results in poorly times penalties or the fact he has 4 sacks in 2 years despite having more snaps than most of the other edge rushers. He has one more year to prove it before he gets the bust label.
2. Green Bay Packers 2022: Devonte Wyatt
Wyatt is never brought up by national media. Analysts such as Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith likely don’t know or remember he exists. Wyatt’s gathered 7 sacks in 2 years as an interior run-stuffing DT, which is good. Once again, he doesn’t play every down as the Packers prefer to rotate their front seven a lot. But so far, he’s done good and could wind up as a centerpiece of the Jeff Hafley era.
1. Green Bay Packers 2020: Jordan Love
Sadly enough, Love and Wyatt are the only two big hits the team has had on this list. The teams did good with later picks, but the first round hasn’t been kind – outside of Love, who may just be the 3rd straight Hall of Fame QB the team has had. It’s early, but he looks great thus far.
