The Green Bay Packers Are Closer To Greatness Than You Might Realize

In April, 1995, Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf had arguably the best draft of his Hall of Fame career.

Wolf landed cornerback Craig Newsome, wideout Antonio Freeman, linebacker Brian Williams, guard Adam Timmerman and fullback William Henderson that spring. All five were starters by their second year in the league — and combined with a solid 1994 class led by standout running back Dorsey Levens and starting guard Aaron Taylor — gave Green Bay a treasure trove of young talent.

With Hall of Famers Brett Favre and Reggie White already in place, the gifted youngsters were instrumental in helping the Packers pass NFC stalwarts Dallas and San Francisco and win the 1996 Super Bowl.

In 2009, Packers general manager Ted Thompson drafted elite talents in linebacker Clay Matthews and nose tackle B.J. Raji, along with guard T.J. Lang. Thompson also shined in 2008 when he drafted standouts Jordy Nelson, Jermichael Finley and Josh Sitton.

With stars Aaron Rodgers and Charles Woodson anchoring their sides of the ball, the Packers took monumental leaps and won the 2010 Super Bowl.

Believe it or not, current Packers G.M. Brian Gutekunst has compiled two consecutive drafts that could rival — and even surpass — those elite classes assembled by Wolf and Thompson. And with high level players such as Rashan Gary, Jaire Alexander, Aaron Jones and perhaps Jordan Love already in house, Green Bay’s 2022 and 2023 draft classes could have them back in the Super Bowl hunt sooner than anyone imagined.

“Obviously we want to win every game and we don’t ever want to sacrifice that,” Gutekunst said at the end of training camp. “But the goal here is to win a championship, right? We’re not here to just win some games. We’re here to win a championship and sometimes you have to create room to get better, right? And you can’t get better without playing. So that’s part of it.

“It’s not easy. Growing pains are never easy. But if we’re going to win a championship, we have to get better. We weren’t good enough last year. We have to get better and sometimes you have to create opportunities for that to happen.”

The way Gutekunst did that was waving goodbye to a bevy of veterans such as Rodgers, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Adrian Amos, Mason Crosby, Dean Lowry, Jarran Reed, Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis this past offseason and assembled the NFL’s youngest roster. By the looks of it, Green Bay’s youth movement could pay enormous dividends.

The Packers’ 2022 draft has already produced five starters — linebacker Quay Walker, defensive end Devonte Wyatt, wideouts Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, and right tackle Zach Tom. Linebacker Kingsley Enagbare is a key backup, Rasheed Walker is Green Bay’s No. 3 tackle and wideout Samori Toure has flashed.

Amazingly, Green Bay’s 2023 class could be just as good.

Tight end Luke Musgrave, wideout Jayden Reed and kicker Anders Carlson are already starting. Outside linebacker Lukas Van Ness figures to crack the starting lineup by next season, while current reserves such as defensive linemen Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks, cornerback Carrington Valentine, wideout Dontayvion Wicks and safety Anthony Johnson all have promising futures.

“Green Bay has a ton of young talent and it sure looks like those two classes will be really good,” an NFC scout told me Friday. “That’s what gets you over the hump.”

The key to everything, of course, is Love.

When Wolf and Thompson had their difference-making drafts, they had the quarterback firmly in place to take full advantage.

Favre won the second of his three consecutive MVPs in 1996 and led a team that ranked No. 1 in both total offense and total defense — something no one has done since. Those Packers went 16-3, outscored their regular season foes, 456-210, and won their three playoff games by an average of 17.3 points per contest.

Rodgers was a year away from winning his first MVP when Green Bay won the 2010 Super Bowl, but he was beginning his ascension to greatness. Those Packers were among the NFL’s most injured teams, but used their sensational depth to overcome that challenge and finish the year with six straight wins and a Lombardi Trophy.

No one is expecting Love to be Favre or Rodgers. There are signs, though, that he could become a top-10 quarterback sooner than later.

Love has poise beyond his years, something he displayed time and time again in Green Bay’s 38-20 Week 1 win at Chicago. His accuracy and decision making improved dramatically during the three years he sat behind Rodgers. He can throw from unique arm angles that many quarterbacks can’t. While his athleticism isn’t in the class of Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes, Love has plenty of speed and elusiveness to be more than just a pocket passer. And his work ethic and study habits have impressed teammates and coaches alike.

“There’s a big-time belief in that locker room for Jordan Love,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “I think the guys, they’re going to rally around him. They’re excited for him. They love him. They respect him. He comes to work every day, great attitude, great energy.”

If Love continues to prove he’s Green Bay’s long-term answer at the quarterback position, Gutekunst has certainly given him plenty of talent to win — and win big with — courtesy of his last two drafts.

Let’s examine:

2022

• Quay Walker — The first of Green Bay’s two first round draft picks led the Packers in tackles as a rookie and has the speed and skill set to become a Pro Bowler.

• Devonte Wyatt — Another first round pick who ran the 40-yard dash in a blazing 4.77 seconds coming out of Georgia. Wyatt is one of the Packers’ most athletic defensive lineman in years, and after a largely invisible rookie year, the light seemed to go on in Week 1 when he had 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss.

• Christian Watson — The Packers’ second round draft pick ran the 40 in 4.28 seconds at the 2022 NFL Combine and his 10-yard split of 1.45 seconds ranked in the 99th percentile. Those rare skills helped Watson score eight touchdowns in the final eight games last year. The biggest question with Watson remains his inability to stay healthy.

• Zach Tom — A fourth round draft pick, Tom looks like a steal. Tom bounced around the line in 2022, giving the Packers help wherever necessary. This year, he won the right tackle job in training camp and was so dominant in Week 1 that many believe a Pro Bowl appearance could be in his near future.

• Romeo Doubs — Another fourth round pick, Doubs appears to be the perfect complement to Watson, but also must prove he can stay healthy.

2023

• Luke Musgrave — The second round pick is Green Bay’s most athletic tight end since Jermichael Finley a decade ago. The Packers will feed him the ball all season, and he could become the NFL’s next big thing at his position.

• Jayden Reed — Another second rounder who won the slot job this summer, then showed why with a big day against Chicago both catching passes and returning punts.

• Lukas Van Ness — Green Bay’s first round pick is behind both Preston Smith and Gary for now. But he’s an athletic freak — something he showed by running down Bears speedy quarterback Justin Fields and dumping him for a 7-yard loss last week — and his snap count will likely rise throughout the season.

• Wooden and Brooks have given Green Bay its deepest and most athletic defensive line in years. The speedy Valentine (4.44) was one of the stars of training camp and has the makings of a future starter. Carlson had an up and down summer, but has the leg talent to become one of the league’s better kickers.

“We’ve got a lot of rookies and a lot of young guys,” Aaron Jones said before Week 1. “But give the front office credit. These guys can play.

“I know most people don’t think we’re going to be very good, but we’re excited to prove them wrong. I’ve been around awhile, so I know good players and we’ve got a lot of good players. A lot of them just happen to be young players.”

And that’s what should have Packer Nation so excited.

Wolf and Thompson watched their gifted youngsters grow up and eventually win Super Bowls. These Packers could be in the middle of a similar development.

Green Bay is happy to give its young standouts on-the-job training and let them learn from their mistakes. That means greatness is unlikely in 2023. Instead, this will be a year of growth, maturation and learning on the fly.

By 2024, though, and certainly 2025, all of that potential could become big time production. And that’s when Gutekunst’s youth movement could lead to another Lombardi Trophy coming to Green Bay.