It’s been a pretty profitable quarter-century for the Green Bay Packers in the NFL draft. As a team that has developed a reputation for building through the draft process, rather than signing big-ticket free agents, the Packers have made 18 playoff appearances since the year 2000, including a Super Bowl, five additional trips to the NFC championship game, and 12 first-place finishes in the division.

Since the calendar turned to the 21st century, we’re betting you can guess the pick we’d rate as the No. 1 selection in the past 25 years. But here’s a rundown of other great choices, judged based on impact but also value in the draft (as in, the lower the pick, the better marks for turning out an impactful player).

25. James Jones, wide receiver, third round (No. 78), 2007

In nine seasons with the Packers, Jones racked up 433 receptions, 5,861 yards and 51 touchdowns, including a league-leading 14 during the 2012 season. He was seldom unavailable, playing in all 16 games in all but two seasons, with 14 and 10 games in the other two. Coming from San Jose State, he has the third-most receiving yards of any wideout taken in 2007, behind only Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson and Kansas City’s Dwayne Bowe.

24. Zach Tom, tackle, fourth round (No. 140), 2022

Too soon? Tom has become an invaluable asset on the Packers offensive line, and he just turned 26 years old in late March. The versatile player from Wake Forest has appeared in all 17 games each of the past two seasons, often playing right tackle, and he earned a spot on the Pro Football Focus first-team All-Pro squad last season. Pretty good for a fourth-rounder. He’s the only player on this list from the past three drafts.

23. Mike Daniels, defensive tackle, fourth round (No. 132), 2012

The 2017 Pro Bowler out of Iowa was a wrecking ball in seven seasons in Green Bay, appearing in all 16 games for four straight seasons and 14 during his Pro Bowl campaign. He racked up 29 sacks in a Packers jersey and 47 tackles for loss. His 30 career sacks are the most of any player from the draft beyond the top 90 picks, save for Malik Jackson of Denver, who finished with 35.5 and was taken at No. 137.

22. Nick Barnett, linebacker, first round (No. 29), 2003

Barnett won’t jump to mind as one of the top success stories among Packers first-round picks, but he was steady. The Oregon State alumnus finished third in the AP defensive rookie of the year voting that first season and was a second-team All-Pro choice in 2007. All told, he played eight years in Green Bay, won a Super Bowl ring (granted, he was injured most of that season) and finished with seven fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, nine interceptions, 52 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks in his Packers career.

21. Elgton Jenkins, offensive lineman, second round (No. 44), 2019

About as versatile as they come, Jenkins has been a fixture at multiple places on the offensive line since he joined the Packers, making two Pro Bowls and appearing in 85 games before his 30th birthday just after Christmas of 2025. The Mississippi State alumnus immediately started games upon his arrival in Green Bay.

20. Jermichael Finley, tight end, third round (No. 91), 2008

It’s a case of “what-if” for Packers fans, with a neck injury dramatically shortening what Finley would contribute. But the Texas alumnus was a menace for opponents over his six seasons when he was available, catching 223 passes for 2,785 yards and 20 touchdowns. Even with the shortened career, only one tight end caught more touchdowns from the 2008 draft (Martellus Bennett), and only two had more yards (Dustin Keller and Bennett).

19. Kenny Clark, defensive tackle, first round (No. 27), 2016

Clark won’t turn 30 until October but has already logged nine NFL seasons, with three Pro Bowl nods and general dominance from the nose tackle position. The first-rounder out of UCLA came into the league with lofty expectations but has met the challenge, missing zero games over the past three seasons and just one the year before that. He has 35 sacks and 51 tackles for loss.

18. Bryan Bulaga, tackle, first round (No. 23), 2010

“Bryan Bulaga, Iowa.” It’s a first-round pick, so expectations are high, but you’ve done well if you drafted your right tackle for a decade. He spent nine seasons suiting up for the Packers (not counting the 2013 season that he missed), and he became one of the youngest players to appear in a Super Bowl when Green Bay won it all during his rookie year. All told, he appeared in 115 games for the Packers.

17. T.J. Lang, offensive lineman, fourth round (No. 109), 2009

A career two-time Pro Bowler (once with Detroit), Lang was a deeply reliable presence at guard during his nine years with the Packers, including seven as a regular starter. Despite his fourth-round status, the Eastern Michigan alumnus has the third-most games played of anyone in his draft class.

16. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, defensive end, fifth round (No. 149), 2000

Chosen out of San Diego State, Gbaja-Biamila became the franchise’s official all-time sacks leader with 74.5, a record he held until Clay Matthews broke the mark. He made the Pro Bowl in 2003 and played nine NFL seasons, all in Green Bay, with 124 career starts, 17 forced rumbles and 74 tackles for loss. Today, he’s in the Packers Hall of Fame, inducted in 2013.

15. Scott Wells, center, seventh round (No. 251), 2004

It was one of the great “value” picks in Packers history, turning a seventh-round pick into a player who started seven seasons on the offensive line, often at center. In all, he played in 111 games for the Packers (100 starts), making the Pro Bowl in 2011 and winning a Super Bowl in the 2010 season before joining the Rams for the final three seasons of his career. With 146 in his career, he racked up the most games played of any offensive lineman selected in the draft. He won’t be the last offensive lineman from Tennessee on this list.

14. Mark Tauscher, tackle, seventh round (No. 224), 2000

And yet, Wells wasn’t even the first time the Packers had turned a seventh-round pick into a staple on the offensive line. Tauscher, hailing from Auburndale and the University of Wisconsin, spent 11 seasons with the Packers, starting 132 games and appearing in 134. He finished his career in 2010 with a Super Bowl ring (though, like Barnett, suffering through injuries that year) and became a staple at right tackle. He was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2018.

13. Aaron Kampman, defensive end, fifth round (No. 156), 2002

The Iowa alumnus played in 112 games for the Packers, making 104 starts, and twice earning a nod for the Pro Bowl (plus second-team All-Pro both seasons). He racked up 58 sacks for the Packers, reaching double digits in those two premier seasons, and posted 66 tackles for loss. The fifth-rounder was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2024. He’s third in his draft class in sacks, behind only Pro Football Hall of Famers Julius Peppers and Dwight Freeney.

12. Corey Linsley, center, fifth round (No. 161), 2014

The Packers used a fifth-round pick to draft one of the best centers in football, named first-team All-Pro in 2020 and finally making a Pro Bowl in his first year with the Chargers after leaving before the 2021 season. It was seven rock-solid seasons in Green Bay, though, with 132 starts for the Ohio State product.

11. Nick Collins, safety, second round (No. 51), 2005

Like Finley, there’s an element of “what-if” here, but Collins already registered a remarkable career when a neck injury derailed the years that were left. The safety famously returned a pick-6 in the Super Bowl, along with the 21 regular-season interceptions in his seven years (and really just barely more than six) with the Packers. Until his injury, he had started all but three games in his Packers career, making three second-team All-Pro teams and three Pro Bowls. Not bad for a player out of little-known Bethune-Cookman. He joined the Packers Hall of Fame in 2016.

10. Randall Cobb, wide receiver, second round (No. 64), 2011

The Kentucky alumnus made only one Pro Bowl in his career, but Cobb became a staple for Green Bay, first during his eight initial seasons and then for two more seasons in 2021-22. He tied an NFL record when he returned a kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown in his very first game and never slowed from there, catching 532 passes for the Packers for 6,316 yards and 47 touchdowns. Behind only Julio Jones and A.J. Green, he has the most career receptions of anyone selected in 2011. Who can forget Cobb’s reception to beat the Bears at the end of the 2013 season?

9. Aaron Jones, running back, fifth round (No. 182), 2017

Jones wasn’t even the first running back selected by the Packers in 2017, but he left a lasting legacy, punctuated by a brilliant performance after the 2023 season when Green Bay defeated Dallas in the playoffs. In seven seasons with Green Bay, the fifth-rounder out of Texas-El Paso ran for 45 touchdowns (including a league-leading 16 in 2019), caught another 18 and ran for nearly 6,000 yards. His departure was painful for Packers fans when he signed with the Vikings before the 2024 season after Green Bay had signed Josh Jacobs.

8. Greg Jennings, wide receiver, second round (No. 52), 2006

The Packers got a good one out of Western Michigan, a player who went on to spend seven seasons in Green Bay, catch 425 passes for 6,537 yards and haul in 53 touchdowns. In his full career, including years with the Vikings, he caught 64 touchdowns, behind only Brandon Marshall and Marques Colston for most in his draft class. Jennings made two Pro Bowls and caught two touchdowns in Super Bowl XLV. He became a Packers Hall of Famer in 2022.

7. Chad Clifton, tackle, second round (No. 44), 2000

As tough as they came, Clifton played 165 games for the Packers (starting 160), overcoming a serious hip injury at one point to solidify the offensive line. The Tennessee alumnus made two Pro Bowls in his 12 years with the Packers. He moved to left tackle during his rookie year and never left, playing that all-important spot for a Super Bowl champion in 2010. He was added to the Packers Hall of Fame in 2016. According to Pro Football Reference’s “weighted career approximate value,” he was the fifth most-valuable player taken in that draft, and two of the players ahead of him (Tom Brady and Brian Urlacher) are Pro Football Hall of Famers.

6. Jordy Nelson, wide receiver, second round (No. 36), 2008

The familiar refrain has always yo-yoed like this: Folks criticize the Packers for not supplementing their Hall of Fame quarterbacks with first-round receivers. The retort: But look what they’ve done in the second round. The star wideout from Kansas State became a Packers fixture for nine years, catching 69 touchdown passes and 550 passes overall, good for 7,848 yards. The reliable target for Aaron Rodgers was named second-team All-Pro in 2014 and was named Comeback Player of the Year in 2016 after he missed the preceding season with a torn ACL. Including a touchdown in the Super Bowl, Nelson made a number of massive catches in his career. He became a Packers Hall of Famer in 2023. His 72 career touchdowns are the most, by far, of anyone in his draft class.

5. Josh Sitton, guard, fourth round (No. 135), 2008

Drafted out of Central Florida in the fourth round, Sitton became one of the most dominant guards in the NFL. He spent eight of his 11 NFL seasons with the Packers, making three Pro Bowls in Green Bay and three times earning second-team All-Pro (including one year in which he didn’t make the Pro Bowl). He appeared in 121 games for the Packers (112 starts), part of the offensive line that won Super Bowl XLV. In 2023, he was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame.

4. Clay Matthews, linebacker, first round (No. 26), 2009

He was the team’s second first-round pick in 2009, after B.J. Raji, making it one of the most productive first rounds in Packers history. Raji was elite in his own right, but Matthews became an NFL superstar, making six Pro Bowls in his decade with Green Bay, including a first-team All-Pro season in 2010 and a second-team All-Pro nod in 2012. The runner-up for defensive player of the year in 2010 set the franchise’s official sacks record with 83.5, and he also notched six interceptions, 15 forced fumbles and 121 tackles for loss in his career. The USC alumnus was added to the Packers Hall of Fame in 2024.

3. Davante Adams, wide receiver, second round (No. 53), 2014

As we were saying, the second round is where the Packers made magic happen in the receiving corps. Drafted out of Fresno State, Adams didn’t start his career looking like a future Hall of Famer, but he went on to make five straight Pro Bowls before the team traded him to the Las Vegas Raiders before the 2022 season (when he made another one). The three-time first-team All-Pro choice caught 669 passes for the Packers, good for 8,121 yards and 73 touchdowns. His 957 receptions are by far the most in his draft class, plenty more than the eight receivers drafted ahead of him.

2. David Bakhtiari, tackle, fourth round (No. 109), 2013

It’s hard to imagine a better selection than drafting a second-team All-Conference player in the Pac-12 in the fourth round and watching him become arguably the best offensive lineman playing in the NFL at one point. Coming out of Colorado, the Packers found an immediate gem, a player who started all 16 games that first year and never looked back. He was twice named first-team All-Pro and named second-team three times, with three Pro Bowl appearances sprinkled in. The rock at left tackle played in 131 games with the Packers, a tally that would have been much higher without the injuries that dramatically shortened the final three years of his career.

1. Aaron Rodgers, quarterback, first round (No. 24), 2005

How could we argue for anyone else at No. 1? Sure, the Cal star came into the league with the expectations of a first-round pick, albeit one that famously fell from potentially the top player selected to No. 24, where first-year general manager Ted Thompson pounced despite already having quarterback Brett Favre playing at a high level. But Rodgers went on to a career that would make the decision one that altered the course of the franchise.

Advertisement

The drama that unfolded took some turns, but when Rodgers took the helm in 2008, he became one of the finest NFL quarterbacks to ever play the game, an 18-year ride with Green Bay that included a Super Bowl championship and five other NFC championship games. His 8.22 average yards per attempt are the best in NFL history, as is his 1.4% interception percentage. In his 18 seasons with the Packers, he completed more than 5,000 passes, racked up nearly 60,000 yards, passed for 475 touchdowns and threw just 105 picks.

What about Jordan Love? Plus, a few others we considered strongly

Should Jordan Love be on this list? We’re talking about (arguably?) a franchise quarterback, and what could have more value than that? The Packers traded up to No. 26 in the 2020 draft to get him, a bold move that mirrored almost exactly what happened 15 years earlier, choosing a first-round quarterback when a high-level incumbent (this time, Rodgers) remained in place.

Advertisement

Love sat for three seasons waiting his turn, then delivered on an excellent 2023 season, with some signs in 2024 that he could sustain that level of play. We ultimately decided that just wasn’t enough of a sample to call the pick one of the 25 best of the quarter-century yet (yes, even though Zach Tom is on this list with just one additional year of playing time). We’re prepared to look foolish, and if we make this list next year, there’s a good chance Love isn’t just on it, but high on the list.

We really thought about:

• Jordan Love, quarterback, first round (No. 26), 2020

• Jaire Alexander, cornerback, first round (No. 18), 2018

• Morgan Burnett, safety, third round (No. 71), 2010

• BJ Raji, nose tackle, first round (No. 9), 2009

• Mason Crosby, kicker, sixth round (No. 193), 2007

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 25 best Green Bay Packers NFL draft picks since 2000