The Green Bay Packers have drafted over 1,000 players since the draft became a thing in 1936.
For a franchise that has drafted 13 pro football hall of famers, selecting the top-5 all-time Packers draft picks is no easy task.
In the 1940’s the draft had as many as 32 rounds. Today, the draft is a 7-round event in which 257 will be selected.
My criteria for selection includes the following: Longevity in a Packers uniform, production, accolades, championships won and draft position.
NOTE: Don Hutson would have been on this list, but he wasn’t drafted by the Packers. Hutson signed with the Packers in 1935, one year before the draft was implemented.
5. LEROY BUTLER (2nd Round pick, number-48 overall, in 1990)
Butler played all 12 of his NFL seasons with the Packers. He is the first defensive back in NFL history to join the 20/20 club, having recorded at least 20 sacks and 20 interceptions in his career. Butler finished his career with 38 interceptions and 20.5 sacks, showcasing his versatility and game-altering ability at the line of scrimmage and in the deep secondary.
A Super Bowl champion, Butler was a 4-time first team all-pro and member of the NFL’s 1990’s all-decade team. Butler was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
A difficult decision, but I chose Butler for this spot over Herb Adderley.
4. JIM TAYLOR (2nd Round pick, number-15 overall, in 1958)
Taylor played 9 of his 10 seasons in the league with the Packers. Officially listed as a fullback, Taylor was known for his hard-nosed style and knack for finding the endzone. Taylor is the Packers franchise leader in rushing touchdowns with 81. By comparison, Ahman Green is second on that list with 54, and Paul Hornung – Taylor’s backfield mate – is third with 50.
In 1964, Taylor became the first back in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in five consecutive seasons.
A Super Bowl champion and four time league champion, Taylor earned league MVP honors in 1962, was a three-time first team all-pro, and member of the NFL’s 1960s all-decade team.
3. FORREST GREGG (2nd Round pick, number-20 overall, in 1956)
Vince Lombardi famously referred to Gregg as “the finest player I ever coached.” Gregg played 15 of his 16 seasons in Green Bay and missed just one start over an 11-year stretch from 1959 to 1969. Gregg was also incredible versatile, sliding up and down the line playing all positions except center.
In 1965, one major media outlet named Gregg to the first-team all-NFL at guard while another outlet selected him as an all-NFL performer at tackle.
Gregg won two Super Bowls with the Packers, five NFL championships, and was a 7-time first-team all-pro and member of the NFL’s all-decade team of the 1960s. In 2019 Gregg was named to the NFL’s 100th anniversary team…becoming the only Packers draftee to be named to that squad.
2. AARON RODGERS (1st Round pick, number-24 overall, in 2005)
The only member of this list not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame…yet.
Rodgers fell to the Packers in 2005 and became the Packers starting quarterback in 2008. Rodgers remained the starter in Green Bay through the 2022 season earning 4 league MVP awards along the way.
Rodgers is the Packers all-time leader in touchdown passes thrown with 475. Rodgers holds the NFL record for single-season passer rating at 122.5 and his overall passer rating is the highest in NFL history.
With the Packers, Rodgers was a 4-time first-team all-pro selection and 4-time league MVP. Rodgers earned Super Bowl MVP honors after leading the Packers to a win over the Steelers in Super Bowl 45.
1. BART STARR (17th Round pick, number-200 overall, in 1956)
There are two reasons I chose Bart Starr over Rodgers for the title of “Greatest Packers Draft Pick of All-Time.”
Championships won and draft position.
A 17th round draft pick in 1956 (number-200 overall) Starr played all 16 seasons of his career with the Packers. In an era of ground-and-pound rushing, Starr held several NFL passing records. When he retired in 1972, Starr was the league’s all-time leader in completion percentage (57.4). Starr led the league in passer rating three times and was the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1966.
Starr won five NFL championships as the quarterback of the Packers and helped guide the Packers to wins in Super Bowl 1 and Super Bowl 2…he was named MVP in both games.
In total, Starr was 9-1 as a starting quarterback in the playoffs.
