Green Bay has been a playoff team more often than not under Brian Gutekunst. But not every swing Gutekunst takes lands. In fact, one of his draft classes was such a dud that a Packers-focused writer for Sports Illustrated didn’t just give it a bad grade. He gave it an F.
Jacob Westendorf went through every Gutekunst draft class and handed out a failing mark to the 2021 group. That class, by the way, was headlined by cornerback Eric Stokes in the first round. Stokes has been a starter at times, but injuries wrecked whatever trajectory he had in Green Bay. He never became the shutdown guy they needed.
And it gets worse from there.
The Packers used Day 2 picks on center Josh Myers and receiver Amari Rodgers. Myers started games but never turned into the long-term answer at center the franchise hoped for. Rodgers? He was gone midway through his second season. He just never found his footing. Fourth-round guard Royce Newman started a bunch but never became an impact player. That’s basically the whole class in a nutshell.
Westendorf pointed out the real sting here isn’t just that these guys underperformed. It’s who Green Bay passed on. They could have taken Creed Humphrey, now an All-Pro center for the Chiefs, instead of Myers. They could have grabbed Nico Collins, who just broke out as a 1,000-yard receiver for the Texans, instead of Rodgers. Mistakes like that linger.
Compare that to the 2022 class, which Westendorf graded at B+. That’s the highest mark of Gutekunst’s tenure so far. The Packers had an extra first-rounder after trading Davante Adams, and they made it count. Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Zach Tom, Rasheed Walker. That’s multiple starters and a few players who look like building blocks.
The 2025 class got an incomplete grade, which is fair. One season is way too early to judge anybody.
As for 2026, the Packers are expected to push for the NFC North title after bowing out in the first round of the playoffs last season. If the rookies they bring in this summer can contribute right away, it changes the whole math. But the 2021 class is a reminder that draft misses don’t just cost you talent. They cost you years.
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