Green Bay Packers: Brian Gutekunst has failed once again
The first round of the 2021 NFL Draft is now in the rearview, and the Green Bay Packers have failed MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers once again. General manager Brian Gutekunst has carried on a long tradition of the Green Bay Packers really failing to put the best possible team around Rodgers, at least in terms of their offensive weaponry.
The Green Bay Packers’ last 10 first-round draft picks have been either defensive players or Aaron Rodgers’ heir apparent (nice way to say replacement).
- 2012: Nick Perry, DE
- 2013: Datone Jones, DL
- 2014: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S
- 2015: Damarious Randall, DB
- 2016: Kenny Clark, DL
- 2017: No first-rounder, top pick was Kevin King, CB
- 2018: Jaire Alexander, CB
- 2019: Rashan Gary, DL/EDGE; Darnell Savage, S
- 2020: Jordan Love, QB
- 2021: Eric Stokes, CB
Not only have the Green Bay Packers really not drafted all that well in the first round over the last decade, but they have clearly done nothing to help Aaron Rodgers with their top selections.
You could argue and say that building the defense undoubtedly helps Rodgers, but think about this for a moment:
The only first-round pick that Aaron Rodgers has ever thrown a touchdown pass to is Marcedes Lewis, a veteran tight end who has only joined the team in recent years.
Although it’s not a requirement to spend every first-round draft pick on receivers, tight ends, or offensive linemen, there is no question that in recent years, players the Green Bay Packers could have actually acquired would be huge helps to the team and their MVP Rodgers.
Rodgers is a transcendent talent who elevates the level of everyone around him. And to be fair, the Packers have invested plenty of second and third-round picks on offense and their best skill player currently is a former second-round pick in Davante Adams, while former third-round pick David Bakhtiari has developed into arguably the league’s best left tackle.
The Packers have drafted and developed well on the whole, but Aaron Rodgers is demanding a trade for more than just contractual reasons. The team’s decision to take Jordan Love in 2020 was absolutely weird, nonsensical, and Rodgers was rightfully not thrilled about it.
Now, Rodgers is going to make the Packers put their faith in Jordan Love into practice. How much do they really love the guy? Rodgers isn’t going to let Green Bay have their cake and eat it too, not when he has the leverage to demand a trade.
It’s crazy to think this could have all been avoided if the Packers had just taken a receiver in 2020, and it may not be as simple as that, but we’ll never know.