Brian Gutekunst will oversee his ninth NFL Draft as general manager of the Packers next month. Quietly becoming one of the longest-tenured GMs in the league, Gutekunst has been able to create a roster completely within his own image. No one on the current roster was drafted by the previous Packers regime.
Over his nine years in charge, Gutekunst has drafted 80 players in total with a respectable strike rate over the course of his career, particularly on day three where Gutekunst has drafted well above average.
We'll start at the top. Gutekunst's first round choices over the years have been subject to plenty of scrutiny. This will likely be his first year in charge without a Day 1 pick.
With less expectations on the Packers' overall yield from the 2026 draft class compared to previous years, I would argue the pressure is somewhat off Gutekunst for the first time since he took charge. I don't think anyone can fault the deal the Packers made to acquire Micah Parsons.
**First Round: Jordan Love**
This one is a no-brainer. You could argue that prime Jaire Alexander ascended to higher levels of cornerback play than Jordan Love has at quarterback, but positional value must factor into this equation.
Undoubtedly Gutekunst's most controversial pick ever was also perhaps his best. Without this selection, the current iteration of the Green Bay Packers may look wildly different, and Brian Gutekunst may not be the general manager today six years on from this pick.
Recency bias hasn't been kind to Rashan Gary, but he still produced 362 pressures and the eleventh most sacks in franchise history. Regardless, Love takes the prize here quite easily.
**2nd Round: Edgerrin Cooper**
This is perhaps my boldest pick of the entire exercise. Comparing the careers of Edgerrin Cooper, Christian Watson and Elgton Jenkins really is apples to oranges to pineapples.
Jenkins has undoubtedly provided the most value over the course of his career to the Packers, logging over 6,000 career snaps with considerable playing time at four of the five offensive line spots.
That being said, his fellow Texas A&M alum Edgerrin Cooper is arguably the better overall player, despite being only two years into his career.
There's already a belief in league circles already believe Cooper is a top-ten caliber off-ball linebacker with room to grow into a multiple time Pro Bowler as he now steps into the primary role in the Packers defense with Quay Walker gone.
Watson is an interesting case as despite battling a litany of injuries, he's fresh off the strongest year of his career. Does this selection get docked some points though for being the objectively "obvious" selection at the top of the second round?
Either way, I believe Cooper is the brightest player of this trio, and I'm going to stand by his potential to be remembered as one of the great modern defenders to come through Green Bay's draft-and-develop framework.
**3rd Round: Tucker Kraft**
The third round was an infamous graveyard during the early years of the Gutekunst era with Oren Burks, Jace Sternberger, Josiah Degaura and Amari Rodgers selected in his first four years in charge.
The Packers then landed Sean Rhyan and Tucker Kraft in back-to-back years. The former has proved his worth having received a new contract this offseason, but let's not kid ourselves into believing this is close.
Tucker Kraft was absolutely extraordinary through the first nine weeks of his third season before suffering a torn ACL. The tight end practically never left the field over 2024 and early 2025 (a trend that arguably came back to bite the Packers when he sustained this injury on a mundane run play).
Kraft's 10.8 yards after catch on average was mouth-watering for a tight end who makes his fair share of plays beyond the sticks. Already 25-years-old, Kraft may have already reached his ceiling, but if he can return to the same player he was last October, he is unquestionably Gutekunst's top third-round selection.
**4th Round: Zach Tom**
No deliberation needed here. Gutekunst has been superb in this round with Tom and Romeo Doubs drafted in 2022 followed by Colby Wooden and Evan Williams in successive years afterwards. Most recently, Barryn Sorrell showed signs of promise as a rookie.
But the buck stops with Zach Tom. Despite looking like one of the best pass protectors in college football, Tom was knocked as a prospect for his slender build and questionable play strength.
Since arriving in Green Bay, he has looked every bit the elite pass protector he was at Wake Forest while also improving materially as a run blocker. Tom's 55.7 PFF run-blocking grade from his rookie season hasn't fallen below 80.0 since.
**5th Round: Dontayvion Wicks**
One of Gutekunst's many wide receiver draft picks had to feature here. The biggest challenger to Wicks here was the recently-departed Kingsley Enagbare who stands out as a clear second-best option among fifth-round picks.
Of course, it hasn't been totally smooth sailing for Wicks who dropped nine passes in his second season, but his landmark performance against the Lions on Thanksgiving stands out as a clear highlight — a game that probably justified this pick on its own.
While the majority of players available on day three boast older age profiles than premium prospects, it can be easy to forget that Wicks entered the league aged 21, and the room for growth is still there with one less mouth to feed in the receiving room after Romeo Doubs' departure.
**6th Round: Isaiah McDuffie**
Like the second round, the sixth was another difficult round to narrow down to one player. If you were to ask me before last year, I would've given this to Karl Brooks. But his immense struggles in a role that demanded more versatility than before opened the door for McDuffie.
While never outstanding, McDuffie has been a mainstay of the Packers locker room and produced the best football of his career this past season when plugging in for injured starters. McDuffie has also been one of the most loyal servants to Green Bay's special teams over his five years (and is consistently one of the unit's top performers).
Other options here included Jon Runyan Jr. who started for three seasons on the offensive line and Equanimeous St. Brown. I think McDuffie is full value for the nod.
**7th Round: Carrington Valentine**
The seventh comes down to head-to-head call and is just nudged by Carrington Valentine over now-Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Rasheed Walker, however I can certainly see the case for either one.
Walker tallied three respectable seasons protecting the blindside of one of the most expensive quarterbacks in the sport. That really shouldn't be overlooked, but I would argue Walker's performances have fluctuated just as much as Valentine.
Valentine has posted his fair share of ugly tape, particularly whiffing on tackles over his three seasons, but even finding an NFL-caliber athlete capable of lining up as a perimeter corner is exceedingly rare.
I really couldn't decide between the pair. As an ultimate tiebreaker, Valentine still has an extra year of football on his rookie contract, and I'm projecting somewhat to suggest he adds enough value to warrant his spot on this list.
**UDFA: Emanuel Wilson**
Allen Lazard and Keisean Nixon are perhaps the best success stories of undrafted free agents during the Gutekunst era, however, neither initially signed with the Packers following the draft.
Emanuel Wilson also signed elsewhere, with the Denver Broncos, but was waived within three days before the Packers picked him up in mid-May. Given his first NFL practice came as a member of the Packers, I'm within my rights to count him here.
Wilson has deservedly received his big break, earning potentially a leading role in the backfield of the reigning Super Bowl champions at least until Zach Charbonnet returns from injury.
The Fort Valley State alum did everything the Packers could've expected him to do, and has helped shoulder a much-needed load in recent seasons in light of Marshawn Lloyd's persistent injury crisis.
The Packers will miss Wilson. Ultimately, he was too good to remain trapped behind a bell cow back like Josh Jacobs.