5 best draft moves the Packers have made with Brian Gutekunst as GM

It's almost draft time, so it's the perfect moment to evaluate past selections. Brian Gutekunst has been the general manager of the Green Bay Packers since 2018, so his six draft classes already offer us some valuable insight and a relevant sample size to discuss.

We are going to divide the topic into two: here, the five best moves Gutekunst has made in his draft history. And another one about his five worst decisions.

1) Trades and Jaire

Brian Gutekunst's first impression couldn't have been better, and it's still his best draft move all things considered. In 2018, he traded down from 14 to 27 with the New Orleans Saints, adding a 2019 first-rounder. Then, he used a third-rounder to move back up to 18, selecting cornerback Jaire Alexander.

At the end of the day, Gutekunst was able to add significant draft capital and still got in a range to select a high-end defensive player, who turned out to be an All-Pro piece at a premium position.

2) Jordan Love

Most people, myself included, didn't expect that the Packers would take a quarterback in 2020 because Aaron Rodgers had four years left in his contract. But Brian Gutekunst liked Jordan Love so much that not only he took the quarterback, he also gave up a fourth-round pick to move up from 30 to 26 before making the selection.

It is still a questionable process to a certain degree because the Packers lost 75% of Love's rookie contract on the bench. However, it doesn't matter that much after all. Finding a really good quarterback is so valuable and difficult that Gutekunst made the correct decision. Now, Love is finally the starter, and in one year he's already shown the Packers were right.

3) Fourth round in 2022

It's pretty tough to find two good players in the same round, even if a team has two first-round picks. It's just the nature of the draft. Now, imagine taking two really good players in the fourth round. And it was particularly impressive because both were late fourth-rounders.

That's exactly what Brian Gutekunst did in 2022, selecting wide receiver Romeo Doubs with the 132nd pick, the Packers' original selection, and offensive lineman Zach Tom with the 140th choice, a compensatory pick.

Tom is already a high-level right tackle and has five-position versatility. Meanwhile, Doubs is a solid starting-level receiver who is second among wide receivers of the 2022 class in touchdowns — guess what, he's only behind Christian Watson.

4) Back, back, boom

In 2023, Gutekunst wanted to add more day 3 picks. With two close picks at 42 and 45 because of the Aaron Rodgers' trade, he decided to move back from 45 to 48, adding a fifth-round pick, and then again from 48 to 50, adding a sixth-rounder.

The results couldn't have been much better. With the 50th overall pick, the Packers selected Jayden Reed — and he broke the Packers record of receptions for a rookie in 2023. With the extra picks on day 3, Green Bay got wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks and defensive tackle Karl Brooks, two players who also provided significant contributions as rookies.

5) Double shot at tight end in 2023

Brian Gutekunst does like to attack needs in the draft. And when he does, he takes multiple chances. That's what he did in 2023, taking two tight ends on day 2 to fill a huge need on the roster.

It's hard to have an immediate impact from tight ends, because it's one of the most difficult positions to transition from college to the NFL. However, both Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft have shown excellent signs as rookies, and their potential is extremely high.