Let’s Go Wisconsin discusses the five best Green Bay Packers draft picks made by Brian Gutekunst.
Draft season is finally upon us, which means Christmas for NFL fans is finally here. No matter how last season ended up, it’s a new season, and it’s time to get the good vibes flowing again. The Green Bay Packers are one of the many teams that can’t wait to put last year behind them. However, it could be tough without their first-round pick this year.
With their first-rounder this year going to Dallas in the trade that landed Micah Parsons, Brian Gutekunst will have a tough job plugging holes from last year’s team. He’s done it before, though, and can certainly do it again.
Here are the five best Green Bay Packers draft picks made by general manager Brian Gutekunst.
Brian Gutekunst’s 5 Best Packers Draft Picks
Evan Williams, Round 4 Pick 111 (2024)
Back in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers found themselves with a defensive issue after losing a heartbreaker to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional round. After already taking Javon Bullard, Gutekunst took a flier on a lesser-known safety out of Oregon. Evan Williams started at Fresno State and was named to the First-team All-Mountain West and Second-team All-Mountain West in his two seasons there. He moved to Oregon and immediately produced as well, winning Second-team All-Pac 12 in 2023.
Gutekunst saw a safety that could play a role on this Packers team, and that’s exactly what he did. Although he only started six games, there was a stark difference in the defense of the Packers before and after he was named a starter. Williams was named to the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) All-Rookie Team and was a solid starter for the Packers last season, too. It’s hard to find good safeties in the NFL, and Gute managed to snatch one up in the fourth round.
Tucker Kraft, Round 3 Pick 78 (2023)
Honestly, I don’t even really need to explain this one, but I will anyway. The Packers came into the 2023 NFL Draft desperately needing not one, but multiple tight ends to help fill out their roster. While many thought second-round pick Luke Musgrave would be the better option, Tucker Kraft quickly established himself not just as the starter and the first choice, but as one of the elite tight ends in the NFL.
It took Kraft some time to get acclimated and find his role in 2023, but he looked great in 2024, totaling over 700 yards and seven touchdowns in his sophomore season. While his 2025 season was cut short due to injury, he still eclipsed over 450 yards and six touchdowns in just eight games. If Kraft can put another solid season together once he gets back from injury, there is no doubt he can flirt with a 900-yard season in 2026.
After a long history of third-round Green Bay Packers draft picks under Brian Gutekunst being busts, Tucker Kraft also found a way to break that trend.
Elgton Jenkins, Round 2 Pick 44 (2019)
Although his time with the Green Bay Packers didn’t end as well as some would’ve hoped, there is little doubt that Elgton Jenkins is one of the best Packers draft picks made by Brian Gutekunst. The only true success out of the 2019 NFL Draft from Green Bay was Jenkins, who immediately came in and made an impact. Not only was he named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2019, but he also made two Pro Bowls during his tenure with the Packers.
It says a lot that Aaron Rodgers trusted him on the offensive line, and it says even more that in the 2020 NFC Divisional Round, he put future first ballot Hall of Fame defensive lineman Aaron Donald in his pocket and even made him cry. Jenkins has been one of the best offensive linemen for the Packers in the last decade, and Gutekunst deserves credit for getting him in the second round.
Zach Tom, Round 4 Pick 140 (2022)
Sticking with the offensive lineman train, while Elgton Jenkins is probably the best pick on the line from Gutekunst, Zach Tom is right behind him. Taken in the fourth round in the 2022 NFL Draft, there weren’t super high expectations for him. He was thrust into action in Week 1 of his rookie year when Jon Runyan suffered a concussion and became a permanent starter for the Packers in 2023.
Tom has been one of the most reliable players on the Packers’ offensive line and was rewarded for it with a four-year, $88 million extension last summer. One of the biggest compliments an offensive lineman can get is that their name is never brought up in the game, and at times, you even forget they are out there.
To find a talent like Zach Tom in the fourth round was one of Gutekunst’s best Packers draft picks.
Jayden Reed, Round 2 Pick 50 (2023)
There were many good receivers available in the 2023 NFL Draft, and several have gone on to have successful starts to their career. When it comes to Jayden Reed, there is no doubt that he has been a perfect fit for Matt LaFleur and this Green Bay Packers team.
In Reed’s first two seasons, he combined for over 1,600 yards and 17 total touchdowns in a crowded Packers receiving room.
While 2025 didn’t go the way Reed or the Packers hoped, most of it was due to a broken collarbone injury that kept him out for the majority of the season. He didn’t make much of an impact last season, but there is no doubt he’ll be ready to hit the ground running when he’s fully healthy in 2026.
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