The Green Bay Packers are heading into 2026 with hopes of chasing the NFC North crown after an early playoff exit last season, and the pressure on their young talent is obvious. If this year’s rookie class can hit, it could give Green Bay the kind of lift it needs to push itself into the NFC’s top tier.
That bigger picture is part of why Brian Gutekunst’s draft record is under the microscope. Jacob Westendorf of Sports Illustrated recently went through each of the Packers general manager’s draft classes, and his verdict on the 2021 group was brutal.
Westendorf called that class a failure from the start, pointing to injuries that derailed Eric Stokes in Green Bay and then to the Day 2 picks that followed.
“This class was a dud from the very beginning with injuries ruining Stokes’ career in Green Bay. That pick was followed up by the selections of center Josh Myers and receiver Amari Rodgers with the Day 2 picks,” the Packers insider wrote.
The rest of the class never gave the Packers much to build on. Westendorf noted that Rodgers “never found his footing and was released midway through his second season.
Myers never developed into the franchise center the team hoped he would be. Fourth-round guard Royce Newman piled up starts but never developed into an impact player.”
The most painful part, according to Westendorf, wasn’t just the production Green Bay got. It was the talent left on the board. He pointed to Creed Humphrey as the better choice than Myers and said Nico Collins was still there when the Packers took Amari Rodgers.
If 2021 was a miss, 2022 was the opposite. Westendorf gave that class a B+ and called it Gutekunst’s strongest draft, with Green Bay’s extra first-round pick from the Davante Adams deal helping shape the roster it has now. That group produced Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Zach Tom, and Rasheed Walker.
Westendorf did not hand out a final grade for the Packers’ 2025 draft class, saying one season isn’t enough to judge its long-term value. For now, the focus turns to the 2026 rookie class, with training camp later this summer set to provide the first real look at how those players might fit into Green Bay’s future.
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