The Green Bay Packers’ Draft Legacy: Hits and Misses That Shaped a Franchise
The Packers took Bart Starr with the 200th pick in 1956. They took Tony Mandarich second overall in 1989. Between those two picks sits most of what you need to know about the draft in Green Bay.
The smallest market in the NFL can’t buy its way out of mistakes. It has to draft well. Here are the best and worst picks in team history.
The best
Bart Starr (1956, 17th round, 200th overall). The Alabama quarterback was an afterthought in a draft that ran 30 rounds. Under Vince Lombardi, he led Green Bay to five NFL championships, including the first two Super Bowls. In the Ice Bowl against Dallas, in subzero cold, his quarterback sneak in the final seconds won the 1967 NFL title, 21-17.
Herb Adderley (1961, first round, 12th overall). Adderley was a halfback at Michigan State. Lombardi moved him to cornerback, and he became a Hall of Famer. He won five championships in Green Bay and a sixth with Dallas. In Super Bowl II, his 60-yard interception return put away Oakland. It was the first interception returned for a touchdown in Super Bowl history.
Aaron Rodgers (2005, first round, 24th overall). The Cal quarterback was projected to go near the top of the draft and slid to 24th. He waited three years behind Brett Favre. Then he won four MVP awards and was the MVP of Super Bowl XLV, a win over Pittsburgh in February 2011.
Honorable mentions
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James Lofton (1978, sixth overall). The Stanford receiver left Green Bay as the team’s all-time leader with 9,656 receiving yards and made the Hall of Fame in 2003.
Clay Matthews III (2009, 26th overall). The Packers traded up with New England to get him. He left as the franchise’s career sack leader with 83.5.
The worst
Tony Mandarich (1989, second overall). Sports Illustrated called the Michigan State tackle “The Incredible Bulk” and the best offensive line prospect ever. After a long holdout, he barely played as a rookie. He started every game in 1990 and 1991 and was overmatched. He missed 1992 with a concussion and was cut. He later said he was addicted to alcohol and painkillers while with the Packers.
What stings is who came next. Troy Aikman went first. The next three picks were Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas and Deion Sanders. All three are in Canton.
Rich Campbell (1981, sixth overall). He was the only quarterback taken in the first round that year. Campbell played in seven games over four seasons and threw three touchdown passes and nine interceptions. His high point was a 43-yard touchdown pass to Phillip Epps with 34 seconds left to beat the Bears 20-14 in December 1984. The Packers traded him to the Raiders after that season. He never played again.
Justin Harrell (2007, 16th overall). The Tennessee defensive tackle came in with a torn biceps from college and showed up to his first camp out of shape. He played 14 games in four seasons and made 28 tackles. He was released in July 2011.
Dishonorable mentions
Bruce Clark (1980, fourth overall). The Penn State defensive lineman refused to play for Green Bay and signed with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts. He never played a down for the Packers.
Jamal Reynolds (2001, 10th overall). Green Bay traded quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and the 17th pick to Seattle to move up for the Florida State defensive end. He had three sacks in 18 games.
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