As the 2021 NFL Draft gets closer and closer, speculation abounds about who will be taken and when. After all, the futures of each of the NFL’s teams depends on drafting well. However, there will be players not taken in any of the seven rounds who may end up having long, effective careers in the NFL. As the history of the Packers shows, many of these players will have careers that surpass those drafted in their class. Here, we take a look at the best undrafted free agents in Packers’ history.
Undrafted Free Agent #1- Willie Wood
One of the best safeties in the history of the NFL, let alone the Packers, went undrafted in the 1960 NFL Draft. The Packers picked him up and what followed was a championship-filled career that ended in a Hall of Fame induction.
Willie Wood went on to win five NFL Championships with the Packers, including the first two Super Bowls. In addition, he was an eight-time Pro Bowler and five-time First-Team All-Pro. He ended his career with 48 interceptions and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989. Wood is one of just 13 undrafted free agents to end up in Canton.
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Undrafted Free Agent #2- Paul Coffman
The name of Paul Coffman came to the forefront in the minds of current Packers’ fans during the 2020 season. Robert Tonyan, the Packers’ breakout tight end, tied Paul Coffman’s team record for most touchdown receptions in a season by a tight end. Also like Tonyan, Paul Coffman was not drafted by any NFL team.
Paul Coffman went undrafted in the 1978 NFL Draft. After signing with the Packers, he went on to have a long 11-year NFL career with three teams. He spent eight of those seasons with the Packers, making the Pro Bowl in three straight seasons between 1982-1984. In 1983, he set the franchise record for touchdown receptions by a tight end.
Undrafted Free Agent #3- John Kuhn
John Kuhn went undrafted in the 2006 NFL Draft. Unlike other players on this list, Kuhn first played for a different NFL team before playing for the Packers. He spent the 2006 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers before signing with the Packers in 2007.
Kuhn went on to have a highly successful career in Green Bay. In nine seasons, he made three Pro Bowls and one First Team All-Pro. In 2010, he was a member of the Packers’ Super Bowl XLV winning team. Often overlooked due to his roll as a fullback, John Kuhn was very much the unsung hero of many Packers’ victories over the years.
Undrafted Free Agent #4- Sam Shields
Sam Shields went undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft. Fortunately for him and the Packers, he was picked up by Green Bay. In his first season, he started six games and helped the Packers win Super Bowl XLV.
In 2014, Shields was named to his first and only Pro Bowl. Throughout his career in Green Bay, he was consistently tasked with guarding the opponents’ number one receiver, and he held his own very well. A neck injury in 2016 unfortunately ended his time in Green Bay. He came back to the NFL with the Rams for one season in 2018.
Undrafted Free Agent #5- Johnnie Gray
Johnnie Gray went undrafted in the 1975 NFL Draft. He was picked up by the Packers, with whom he spent his entire ten-year NFL career. Throughout his time with the Packers, Gray had a reputation as a fearsome hitter from the safety position. In addition, he acted as the team’s punt returner for some time. Due to the Packers’ lack of team success in that era, however, he was constantly overlooked for Pro Bowl honors.
Despite the lack of national recognition, Gray’s greatness did not go unnoticed by the franchise. He was inducted into the Packers’ Hall of Fame in 1994.
Honorable Mention
There are almost a dozen players who could have been on this list, but the two that stick out most as possible snubs are Cullen Jenkins and Ryan Longwell. Other undrafted free agents include: Atari Bigbi, Ed West, George Koonce, and Evan Dietrich-Smith.
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Tramon Williams?
You can’t make this list without Tramon Williams. One of the most important players of the past decade+