Much like the Broncos with John Elway, the Packers saw their franchise fortunes turn around after making a trade for a quarterback. In Green Bay’s case, the acquisition of little-used Falcons backup Brett Favre led to 10 postseason berths and two Super Bowl appearances from 1993-2004. Although the team’s other star passers, Bart Starr and Aaron Rodgers, came to Green Bay through the draft, several other trades on the team’s top 10 list included quarterbacks.

1. (Part One) April 29, 1956:

Packers acquired: DT Don King and G Gene Donaldson

Browns acquired: A fifth-round pick in the 1957 NFL Draft

(Part Two) September 15, 1959:

Packers acquired: DT Henry Jordan

Browns acquired: A fourth-round pick in the 1960 NFL Draft

King, a defensive tackle from Kentucky, was signed by the Browns as an undrafted free agent in 1954. He appeared in nine games with Cleveland as a rookie and was traded to Green Bay after taking a year off in 1955. King played six games with the Packers after the trade, then was released and signed with the Eagles for the rest of the season. His last action came as a member of the AFL’s Denver Broncos, where he made two starts and had two interceptions in the league’s inaugural season of 1960. Donaldson, a guard, was King’s teammate at Kentucky and was drafted by the Browns in the third round of the 1953 NFL Draft. He played 11 games with Cleveland as a rookie and never appeared in the NFL again.

Although there is some spotty history about NFL trades before 1960, especially those involving draft picks, the consensus is that a fifth-round pick was sent back to the Browns. Cleveland used the selection on Henry Jordan, a defensive tackle from Virginia. Jordan played every game in his first two seasons with Cleveland as a reserve before he was shipped back to Green Bay before the 1959 season. He overcame his “small size” (248 pounds) according to Browns coach Paul Brown to become one of the best defensive tackles of his era. In 11 seasons with Green Bay Jordan made four Pro Bowls and was a five-time All-Pro while also posting 20 fumble recoveries. He was also a part of five Packers championship teams, including starting in the first two Super Bowls. Jordan retired after an injury-filled 1969 season and started Summerfest, a Milwaukee-based event that is billed as the “World’s Largest Music Festival.” He passed away in 1977 after suffering a heart attack during a workout and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame posthumously in 1995.

In exchange, the Browns received a fourth-round pick in 1960 that they used on Johnny Brewer, a tight end and linebacker from Mississippi. He chose Cleveland despite also being selected by the AFL’s franchise in Minnesota (the ownership group was lured away to the NFL and became the Vikings, while the AFL replaced the team with the Oakland Raiders). Brewer spent seven seasons with the Browns, and was part of the team’s last championship in 1964. He switched to linebacker in 1966 and made his only Pro Bowl that season. After one more year with Cleveland, Brewer was traded to the Saints, where he played three seasons before retiring in 1970. After a long career in the insurance industry, he passed away in 2011.

Assessment: Although Brewer was a solid player and made a Pro Bowl, Jordan showed his detractors in Cleveland wrong by becoming one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL and earning a spot in the Hall of Fame. PACKERS

2. July 7, 1967:

Packers acquired: A first-round pick in the 1967 NFL Draft and a player to be named

Saints acquired: FB Jim Taylor

Despite having two-star linebackers already in Ray Nitschke and Dave Robinson, the Packers used the first-round pick on Fred Carr, a 1967 All-American at the University of Texas at El Paso. Although he just missed playing in those first two Super Bowls, Carr was selected to three Pro Bowls while amassing 15 fumble recoveries and eight interceptions. He retired in 1977 and died in 2018 after suffering from prostate cancer and dementia. The player to be named was Phil Vandersea, a linebacker and defensive end from the University of Massachusetts, who Green Bay originally drafted in the 16th round in 1965. Vandersea earned a title as a reserve in his rookie season, then spent a year in New Orleans after the Saints selected him in the Expansion Draft. He played 24 games in two seasons after returning to Green Bay and retired after the 1969 season.

Taylor was an All-American at LSU, and was drafted by the Packers in the second round the following year. He was a four-time champion and a five-time Pro Bowler who earned league MVP and All-Pro honors after leading the NFL with 1,474 yards and 19 touchdowns in 1962. Taylor showed his toughness in that season’s championship game, overcoming frigid conditions, a stout Giants defense, and a bout of hepatitis to rush 31 times for 85 yards and a score in a 16-7 win at Yankee Stadium. He is also Green Bay’s all-time leader with 81 touchdowns, and ranks second with 8,207 rushing yards. When Taylor was traded to the Saints, he was reunited with Tom Fears, a former tight end who also was a former Packers’ assistant coach. In 1967, Taylor caught 38 passes out of the backfield, but ran for just 390 yards, the lowest total since his rookie season. As a result, Fears wanted to use Taylor mostly on special teams in 1968, but he retired at the end of training camp. After his playing career, he turned to the world of business, including a stint as commissioner of the ill-fated United States Rugby League in 1977 (which never got off the ground due to lack of funding). A 1976 Pro Football Hall of Famer, Taylor passed away in 2018 at age 83.

Assessment: While Carr did not have the same impact as Jordan in the trade before, he was selected to three Pro Bowls while Green Bay traded away Taylor, who was clearly in the twilight of his career. PACKERS

3. September 2, 1970:

Packers acquired: C Malcolm Walker and DE Clarence (Sweeney) Williams

Cowboys acquired: CB Herb Adderley

Walker was a 1964 All-American center at Rice University in Houston. He spent his first four seasons with the Cowboys, playing in 48 games and starting every game in both 1968 and ’69. In his first two years, he was a reserve in two Dallas losses to Green Bay in NFL Championship Games. After the trade, Walker played 11 games with Green Bay and was released in 1971 after suffering due to knee issues, retiring soon after. Williams was a defensive end from Prairie View A&M who spent his rookie season on Dallas’ practice squad before the trade. He played 111 games, starting 94 during his eight-year run with the Packers before he was released, which led to his retirement in 1978. Williams was an assistant coach at St. Norbert College and Southeast Missouri State, and he passed away in 2017.

Adderley was a former Michigan State running back who the Packers drafted in the first round in 1961. Despite his talent, Adderley was moved to cornerback because the Packers already had Taylor and Paul Hornung on the roster. The move paid off, as Adderley became a five-time Pro Bowler, a four-time All-Pro and a star on five Green Bay championship teams in the 1960s. His 29 interceptions rank third in team history, and his seven touchdown returns are second. Adderley had issues with Vince Lombardi’s replacement, Phil Bengtson, and the rift eventually led to a trade. With Dallas, Adderley played in 39 games and had nine interceptions in three seasons before retiring in 1972. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

Assessments: Walker was a non-factor, but Williams started for seven years in Green Bay, while Adderley played just three more in Dallas before he retired. PACKERS

4. (Part One) June 24, 1971:

Packers acquired: A first-round pick in 1972

Chargers acquired: DT Kevin Hardy

(Part Two) October 22, 1974:

Packers acquired: QB John Hadl

Rams acquired: First-, second- and third-round picks in the 1975 NFL Draft, as well as first- and second-rounders in 1976

Here is a case that sums up Green Bay’s decade of mediocrity in the 1970s. The team was still unable to recover from the retirement of most of its stars from the ’60s, especially quarterback Bart Starr. The Packers made one bad trade for a quarterback, and then another, to try and fix the position. With the first-round pick in 1972, Green Bay selected Jerry Tagge, a star on Nebraska teams that won back-to-back National Championships in 1970 and ’71. He could not imitate his college success however, posting a 6-6 record with the Packers in three seasons while totaling just three touchdowns to 17 interceptions. He was backing up Scott Hunter when Green Bay made it’s only playoff appearance during the decade in 1972. Tagge played one year in the World Football league with the San Antonio Wings, but was intercepted five times in his only start. From there, Tagge went to the CFL, where he was an All-Star with the BC Lions in 1977.  He retired in 1979, after three years in Canada.

Tagge’s lack of production directly led to Green Bay having to make another trade, this one with the Rams. The Packers acquired Hadl, a veteran in his 13th season who was named to six Pro Bowls and was coming off an All-Pro selection in his first season with the Rams in 1973. He lasted just 22 games in Green Bay, posting a 7-12 record and amassing an awful 9-to-29 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Hadl finished his career with two seasons in Houston before retiring in 1977. He was a coach after his playing career before returning to Kansas and serving at his alma mater until his retirement in 2018.

Hardy is best known for getting drafted in the first round by the Saints in 1968 (seventh overall) and being released in training camp. He spent one year as a reserve with the 49ers and another with the Packers before the trade that brought him to San Diego. Hardy started 10 games with the Chargers in 1971, but was out of the NFL after the following season.

The Rams pulled in quite a haul of picks for Hadl: First, Los Angeles selected Notre Dame defensive tackle Mike Fanning ninth overall in 1975. A 1974 All-American, Fanning played eight seasons in L. A., mostly as a reserve. He did start in the 1979 season, and had a sack in the NFC Championship Game to help the Rams reach Super Bowl XIV. Fanning was traded to the Lions in 1982 and finished his career with the Seahawks the following year. The second-round pick was Monte Jackson, a cornerback from San Diego State. Jackson was made two Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro in 1976, when he led the NFL with 10 interceptions and three returned for touchdowns. He signed with Oakland in 1978, and won a title with the Raiders two years later in Super Bowl XV. Jackson returned to the Rams for one final season in 1983 before retiring with 23 career interceptions. With the final pick in 1975, Los Angeles selected Washington State center Geoff Reece, who played 14 games in 1976 with the Rams and three the following year with the Seahawks before he retired.

The Rams traded the 1976 first-round pick (Wisconsin tackle Dennis Lick) to the Lions as compensation for signing wide receiver Ron Jessie, who spent his first four seasons in Detroit. Jessie played five years with the Rams, including 1976, when he made his only Pro Bowl after posting career highs with 779 yards and six touchdowns. His final season with the team was in the Super Bowl season in 1979, but he was not active for any playoff games. Jessie spent two years with the Bills before retiring in 1981. The Rams used the second-rounder on Pat Thomas, a two-time All-American cornerback from Texas A&M. Thomas played his entire seven-year career with the Rams, earning two Pro Bowl selections and an All-Pro nod in 1980 while posting 26 career interceptions. After retiring in 1982, Thomas coached for the next 20 years in college, the NFL and the USFL.

Assessment: The Packers needed to make two trades in a failed attempt to shore up the quarterback position. After Tagge’s stunningly poor career, Green Bay needed to overpay for an aging Hadl, who also did not produce. Meanwhile, Los Angeles made the playoffs eight straight years from 1973-80, including five appearances in the NFC Championship Game and a trip to Super Bowl XIV. RAMS

5. April 14, 1987: Packers acquired:

A third-round pick in the 1987 NFL Draft and a fourth-rounder in 1988

Raiders acquired: WR James Lofton

Green Bay used the third-round pick on Frankie Neal, a wide receiver at Fort Hays State University in Kansas. Neal played just one season in the NFL, totaling 36 receptions, 420 yards and three touchdowns with the Packers in 1987. The fourth-rounder was Oregon defensive tackle Rollin Putzier, who was cut by Green Bay in training camp. He played five games with the Steelers in 1988 and 11 with the 49ers the following year as his only NFL experience. Putzier played with the World League of American Football (the precursor to NFL Europe) in 1992 before retiring at the end of the season.

Lofton, a Stanford graduate, spent his first nine seasons with the Packers, earning seven Pro Bowl selections, being named an All-Pro in 1981, and posting five 1,000-yard seasons. He ranks second in team history with 9,656 yards, fourth with 530 catches and eighth with 49 touchdowns. After the trade, Lofton played just two years with the Raiders, posting 69 catches, 1,429 yards, and five scores. He spent four seasons with the Bills, making the Pro Bowl in 1991 and playing in three Super Bowls. He split his final year between the Eagles and Rams before retiring in 1993 as the NFL leader in receiving yards with 14,004 (he now ranks 12th all-time). The 2003 Hall of Famer has spent most of his post-playing career as an analyst for NFL coverage on Westwood One radio and CBS.

Assessment: Despite Lofton only playing two years in Oakland, he was still a productive player, and posted better numbers in both seasons than Neal did as a rookie. RAIDERS

6. February 11, 1992:

Packers acquired: QB Brett Favre

Falcons acquired: A first-round pick in the 1992 NFL Draft

This trade was the one referenced in the opening. Favre, a Southern Mississippi product, was third on the Atlanta quarterback depth chart behind Chris Miller and Billy Joe Tolliver in 1991. He threw just four passes, completing none to Falcons receivers but two to the other team. Favre supplanted both Mike Tomczak and Don Majkowski in Green Bay, and the rest was history. The Packers made the playoffs 11 times over the next 16 seasons, including four NFC Championship Game appearances and two trips to the Super Bowl (with a 35-21 win over the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI). Favre racked up individual accolades with the Packers as well: three straight MVP awards (1995-97), nine Pro Bowl and three All-Pro selections, as well as Offensive Player of the Year honors in 1995. He holds team records with 61,655 yards and 442 touchdowns (he is fourth in NFL history in both categories for his full career), and also holds the league record with 297 consecutive regular-season starts. Favre was finally supplanted on Green Bay’s depth chart by Aaron Rodgers, and was traded to the Jets in 2008, making the Pro Bowl in his only season with New York. He signed with the Vikings in the following year and was selected to his 11th and final Pro Bowl in 2009. He retired (for maybe the fourth or fifth time, depending upon the source) in the 2011 season and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

No one from the 1992 Draft even came close to Favre’s 11 Pro Bowls (four players led the way with five selections each), so it would take a lot to make this trade even remotely level. The Falcons traded the acquired selection to the Cowboys for first- and fourth-round picks that became Tony Smith and Frankie Smith. Ironically, Tony Smith was a running back who was Favre’s teammate at Southern Mississippi. He had 329 yards as a rookie with the Falcons, but was used solely as a kick returner for the following two years. The back signed with the expansion Panthers in 1995, but spent two seasons on injured reserve after breaking his tibia and fibula during a preseason game. Smith spent 1998 with the CFLs Toronto Argonauts and was signed by the Eagles the following year. However, he injured his hamstring during offseason workouts and retired. Frankie Smith, a cornerback from Baylor, was released by the Falcons in training camp. He played in 103 games in an eight-year NFL career with the Dolphins, 49ers and Bears, totaling 116 tackles and four sacks. Smith is now a teacher and coach with the Mexia Independent School District in eastern Texas.

Assessment: I said it would take a lot to make this trade level. That’s certainly not Tony and Frankie Smith. PACKERS

7. April 22, 1995:

Packers acquired: Third- and fifth-round picks from both Browns and Jaguars in the 1995 NFL Draft in separate deals (thirds are Freeman and Henderson)

Browns acquired: A third-round pick in 1995

Jaguars acquired: QB Mark Brunnell

The Packers completed two Draft-day trades in 1995 that brought in third- and fifth-round picks from both the Browns and the Jaguars. Green Bay’s deal with Jacksonville resulted in fullback William Henderson and running back Travis Jervey. Henderson was a North Carolina product who played all 12 NFL seasons with the Packers. He served as the main blocker for Dorsey Levens and then Ahman Green. Henderson became a champion in his second year when the Packers won Super Bowl XXXI, and he was also named a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 2004. He retired in 2007 after totaling 320 catches and 19 total touchdowns (14 receiving and five rushing). Jervey, a product of The Citadel, joined Henderson as part of the Super Bowl-winning squad in 1996 and became Green Bay’s first Pro Bowler on special teams the following year. He spent his first four years with the Packers, then two with the 49ers and three with the Falcons, retiring in 2002.

Green Bay found another talented player after making the trade with the Browns. Antonio Freeman was a star at Virginia Tech who was taken in the third round. He became one of Favre’s favorite targets, catching 431 passes for 6,651 yards and 57 touchdowns in eight seasons with the Packers. He was one of the stars of Super Bowl XXXI, posting three receptions for 105 yards and a score in a 35-21 win. Freeman earned the only Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections of his career in 1998, when he set career highs with 84 catches, 14 touchdowns, and a league-leading 1,424 yards. He signed with the Eagles in 2001, but returned to Green Bay after one season. Freeman had a failed tryout with the Dolphins in 2004, but didn’t officially retire until he signed a one-day contract in 2007 to leave the NFL as a member of the Packers. Despite all of his accolades, Freeman is best known for a catch in overtime against the Vikings in 2000. He dove for the ball, which popped off his body several times before he got control. The Vikings player, thinking it hit the ground, stopped defending, and Freeman got up and ran into the end zone for a game-winning touchdown that left Al Michael yelling “He did WHAT?!” The other pick from that trade was used on Jay Barker, a quarterback from Alabama who was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 1994. He split his rookie season between the Packers and Patriots and spent 1996 with the Patriots, but he never appeared in an NFL game. Barker played four seasons with the CFLs Toronto Argonauts (1998-2001) and one in the original XFL with the Birmingham Thunderbolts in 2001. He is now a sports talk show host in Alabama.

The Browns used their acquired pick on Eric Zeier, a 1994 All-American quarterback at Georgia. Zeier spent his rookie year with the Browns and was with the franchise for the move to Baltimore. He went to Tampa Bay in 1999 and played two years with the Buccaneers before retiring. Zeier totaled 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in his six-year career while posting a 4-8 record as a starter.

Jacksonville fared a little bit better with the quarterback acquired in a trade from Green Bay. Brunell played two games with the Packers and spent the next nine years as the Jaguars’ starter. He was a three-time Pro Bowler who topped the NFL with 4,367 passing yards and led Jacksonville to the AFC Championship Game in just its second season in 1996. Brunell is the team’s all-time leader with 25,698 yards and 144 touchdowns, and he was also a dangerous runner who had 38 scores on the ground. He was traded to Washington in 2004, spent three years with the Redskins, then two with the Saints and two with the Jets before retiring in 2011.

Assessment: Despite Brunell’s stellar career with Jacksonville, Green Bay found three players who contributed to a championship, with two calling the “Frozen Tundra” home for around a decade. PACKERS

8. April 15, 2000:

Packers acquired: RB Ahman Green and a fifth-round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft

Seahawks acquired: CB Fred Vinson and a sixth-round pick in 2000

Green was a high school All-American and a member of two National Championship teams with Nebraska (1995 and ’97). He was selected in the third round by Seattle in 1998, and spent his first two years as a reserve with the Seahawks. Green started right away in Green Bay, posting six 1,000-yard rushing totals in seven seasons, including a Packers record 1,883 yards, as well as a 15 touchdown season in 2003. He signed with the Texans in 2007, but returned to Green Bay for one final season in 2009. Green is the Packers’ all-time leader with 8,322 rushing yards, while also amassing 350 receptions and 68 total scores (54 rushing and 14 receiving). He played with the United Football League’s Omaha Nighthawks in 2010, and had a tryout with the CFLs Montreal Alouettes the following year, but was released due to an injured hamstring and retired. He was named the first esports coach at Lakeland University in Wisconsin in February 2020. The Packers used the pick on Joey Jamison, a wide receiver from Texas Southern who never appeared in the NFL.

Vinson was a Vanderbilt product who was taken by Green Bay in the second round in 1999. He played every game as a rookie, totaling two interceptions, four passes defensed, 21 tackles and a sack. Vinson tore his ACL and missed the 2000 season, however, and he never played for Seattle. He couldn’t find a home until 2004, when he played one season with the Arena Football League’s Carolina Cobras before retiring. Seattle used the sixth-round pick on Tim Watson, a defensive tackle from Rowan College, a Division III school in New Jersey. Watson had his career ruined before it began thanks to a freak injury. During training camp, he slipped and punctured his knee on an exposed hook on a training sled, which removed nearly two inches of cartilage. He never was able to pass a physical, and he never played in the NFL.

Assessment: Green had a solid career, while none of the other players in this trade had any prolonged success, although Watson could have if not for the injury. PACKERS

 9. March 5, 2001:

Packers acquired: First- and third-round picks in the 2001 NFL Draft

Seahawks acquired: QB Matt Hasselbeck and a 2001 first-round pick (Steve Hutchinson)

Green Bay selected Jamal Reynolds, a 2000 All-American defensive end at Florida State, in the first round. Reynolds played just 18 games in three seasons with the Packers, amassing three sacks and 18 tackles. He signed with the Browns in 2004, but was released before the season began and retired. In the third round, Green Bay took Torrance Marshall, a linebacker from Oklahoma. Marshall also played some fullback with the Packers, but was primarily used on special teams. He had 77 tackles, four fumble recoveries, and one sack in 51 games. After a year off, Marshall played one season each with the Arena Football League’s Austin Wranglers (2005) and Tampa Bay Storm (2006).

With Brett Favre around, Hasselbeck had no chance to start with the Packers. He threw just 29 passes in two seasons, but spent the next 10 years as Seattle’s starter. Hasselbeck hit the 3,000-yard mark seven times, and was a three-time Pro Bowler. He went 26-for-49 passing for 273 yards and a touchdown, but the Steelers spoiled the Seahawks’ first appearance in the “Big Game” with a 21-10 win in Super Bowl XL. Hasselbeck was recently eclipsed by Russell Wilson for the most passing yards in team history, but he still ranks second with 29,434 yards and third with 174 scoring passes. He signed with Tennessee in 2011 and spent two years with the Titans and three with the Colts before retiring in 2016. The first-round pick was used on Steve Hutchinson, a guard who was a member of Michigan’s National Championship team as a freshman in 1997 and an All-American as a senior in 2000. With Seattle, Hutchinson quickly became one of the best guards in the NFL. He earned three Pro Bowl and two All-Pro selections, helped pave the way for running back Shaun Alexander’s MVP campaign in 2005, and was a starter for the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL. Hutchinson signed with the Vikings in 2006 and was a four-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro over the next six years. He was reunited with Hasselback in Tennessee before retiring after the 2012 season. Hutchinson was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

Assessment: Hasselbeck proved his worth after getting out of Favre’s shadow, and Hutchinson was one of the main reasons for that success. This was a rare miss on a trade by Ron Wolf, a Hall of Fame general manager who retired from the Packers three months after this deal was made. SEAHAWKS

10. (Part One) August 30, 1999:

Packers acquired: A seventh-round pick in the 1999 NFL Draft

Bears acquired: RB/KR Glyn Milburn

(Part Two) April 29, 2006:

Packers acquired: Second- and third-round picks in the 2006 NFL Draft

Patriots acquired: A second-round pick in 2006

(Part Three) April 26, 2008:

Packers acquired: Second- and fourth-round picks in the 2008 NFL Draft

Jets acquired: A first-round pick in 2008

Let’s try something a little unorthodox here, shall we? The Packers have had a knack for finding wide receivers after the first round and turning them into standout players, so here are three examples rolled into one spot. Rarely do seventh-round picks have the impact of choice 213 in 1999. That spot is where the Packers found Donald Driver, from Alcorn State. Driver was a top target of both Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, posting seven 1,000-yard seasons during his 14-year career. He is the all-time franchise leader in receptions (743) and yards (10,137), and he ranks fourth with 61 touchdowns. Driver was a starter in Super Bowl XLV, which the Packers won 31-25 over the Steelers. He retired in 2013.

A 2006 trade with the Patriots provided the Packers two selections, which they used on Greg Jennings and Jason Spitz. Jennings was a star receiver at Western Michigan and continued to produce opposite Driver with the Packers. Jennings was a two-time Pro Bowler who hit the 1,000-yard mark three times in seven seasons in Green Bay. He had more than 100 yards receiving twice in the 2010 playoffs, and caught four passes for 64 yards and two touchdowns in the Super Bowl XLV win. Jennings ranks high on Green Bay’s all-time list with 53 scores (sixth), 6,537 yards (eighth), and 425 receptions (10th). He signed with Minnesota in 2013 and spent two years with the Vikings and one with the Dolphins before retiring in 2016. Spitz was a center out of Louisville who played 65 games in five seasons with the Packers, ending his time with Green Bay after the Super Bowl victory. He played 10 games with the Jaguars in 2011, but missed all of the next season with a foot injury. Spitz signed with the Seahawks in 2013, but was released after two weeks without appearing in a game.

Two years after that deal, the Packers acquired a pair of picks from the Jets. Green Bay used the second-rounder to select Jordy Nelson, a 2007 All-American at Kansas State. Nelson developed into a solid slot receiver in Green Bay, posting four 1,000-yard seasons, including a career-high 1,519 in 2014, when he was selected to his only Pro Bowl. He was a star in Super Bowl XLV, totaling nine catches for 140 yards and a score and helping Aaron Rodgers take home game MVP honors. Despite missing 2015 with a torn ACL, Nelson finished his career second in Packers history with 69 touchdowns, third with 550 receptions and fifth with 7,848 yards. He signed with the Raiders in 2018 and played his final season in Oakland before retiring. The fourth-round pick was used on Dwight Lowery, a safety from San Jose State, who was cut by the Packers in training camp and signed with the Jets. He played with five teams in his nine-year career, amassing 17 interceptions, 395 tackles, and 67 passes defensed.

Milburn was acquired from the Lions early in 1998 and never played a game with the Packers before being sent on to the Bears in late August. He starred as a returner in Chicago, totaling 4,596 kick return years in four seasons, including a league-leading 1,550 in 1998. Milburn earned his only Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections in 1999, but was released two years later after the emergence of Devin Hester. He played six games with the Chargers before retiring in 2001.

After moving up 16 spots in 2006, the Patriots selected Chad Jackson, a former Florida receiver. Jackson totaled just 544 yards (268 on kickoff returns, 171 receiving, 83 on punt returns, and 22 rushing) in three seasons with New England and Denver. He had failed tryouts with the Bills and Raiders before playing with the United Football League’s Omaha Nighthawks in 2011 before he retired.

In 2008, the Jets traded back into the first round and grabbed Dustin Keller, a solid tight end at Purdue who continued his productive ways in New York. Keller totaled 241 catches, 2,876 yards and 17 touchdowns in five seasons and helped the Jets reach back-to-back AFC Championship Games. He caught a touchdown in each game during the 2009 playoffs, and amassed eight catches for 64 yards in the 2010 title game. Keller signed with the Dolphins in 2013, but his career ended after he suffered a torn ACL, PCL and MCL, as well as a dislocated knee during a preseason game.

Assessment: Milburn was a fantastic kick returner, but Driver set two Green Bay receiving marks, giving the Packers the edge in the first trade. There is no contest in the second trade, since Jackson was a complete bust with New England. The third trade was the closest, but Nelson had better production over a longer career span. PACKERS

Unless otherwise indicated, all NFL statistics and awards courtesy of https://www.pro-football-reference.com/

Next: Houston Texans

-By: Kevin Rakas

Writer

The Green Bay Packers have been in existence for 99 of the NFL’s 100 seasons and won 13 league championships, including four Super Bowl titles. Their most productive stretch was from 1960-67, when they won five championships in an eight-year stretch and also lost in the 1960 NFL title game. Nine players on the team's best draft pick list were key participants in at least one of those championship seasons, topped by the MVP of the first two Super Bowls. 

BEST

10. (tie) Ray Nitschke, LB (Round 3, Pick 36 in 1958), Dave Robinson, LB (Round 1 Pick 14 in 1963) and Clay Matthews, LB (Round 1, Pick 26 in 2009) - Nitschke moved from quarterback to running back and linebacker at Illinois in an era when two-way players were often the norm. Despite being a Bears fan growing up, Nitschke went on to play 15 seasons with the rival Packers, becoming a starter on all five Green Bay title teams of his era and the MVP of the 1962 NFL Championship Game after recovering two fumbles and deflecting a pass that was intercepted by fellow 1958 draftee Dan Currie. Nitschke was one of the toughest players of his era. “Wildman” had two teeth knocked out defending a kickoff while at Illinois, and he continued to play even though two other teeth were hanging by the roots. During training camp in 1960, Nitschke had a steel coaching tower fall over on him, driving a steel bolt into his helmet. He retired before the 1973 season with 23 fumble recoveries, a team record among defensive players, as well as 25 interceptions. The two-time All-Pro and 1964 Pro Bowler was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978. Nitschke eventually owned a car dealership, and appeared in the 1974 original version of movie “The Longest Yard.” He died of a heart attack in 1998. 

Robinson was Nitchke’s teammate on three Green Bay championship teams from 1965-67. He was a 1962 All-American at Penn State, and chose the Packers over the Chargers, who took him with the 17th pick in the 1963 AFL Draft. After moving from defensive end to linebacker as a rookie, Robinson earned three Pro Bowl selections and was an All-Pro in 1967. He missed 10 games with a torn Achilles tendon in 1970, but recovered and spent two more years in the green and gold before being traded to Washington in 1973. Robinson finished his 10-year Packers career with 21 interceptions and nine fumble recoveries. He retired in 1975, and worked for the Campbell’s Soup company, Schlitz Brewery among other business ventures. Robinson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013. 

Although he was only a part of one championship team with Green Bay, Matthews is one of the most productive Packer players in the past 40 years. He was a member of three Pac-10 championship teams while at USC, and he earned the Butkus Award as best college linebacker in 2010. Matthews was a Pro Bowler in his first four seasons, and was selected to participate in the NFL’s all-star showcase six times overall. He earned his only All-Pro honor to date in 2010, when he posted a career-high 13½ sacks. Overall, Matthews holds the all-time franchise record with 83½ sacks, including four seasons with 10 or more. He is tied for second in Packers history with 15 forced fumbles, and also has 482 tackles and three defensive touchdowns (two on interceptions and one fumble return). After 10 seasons in Green Bay, Matthews signed with the Rams in 2019 and posted eight sacks in 13 games. He is part of a football family that has seen his grandfather (Clay Sr.), father (Clay Jr.), uncle (Bruce), brother (Casey) and two cousins (Kevin and Jake) all play in the NFL. 

9. (tie) James Lofton, WR (Round 1, Pick 6 in 1978) and Donald Driver, WR (Round 7, Pick 213 in 1999) - Lofton played football and was a long jumper at Stanford. He made the Pro Bowl and the All-Rookie Team in 1978, and was an All-Pro in 1981. Lofton was selected to seven Pro Bowls, including six straight from 1980-85, and he amassed five 1,000-yard seasons in Green Bay. After posting 49 touchdowns and setting Packers records with 530 catches and 9,656 yards, Lofton was traded to the Raiders in 1987. Two years later, he signed with the Bills, where he made a Pro Bowl and played in three Super Bowls. Lofton spent his final season with the Rams and Eagles, and retired in 1993. After his playing career, the 2003 Pro Football Hall of Famer spent six years as a wide receivers coach with the Chargers and Raiders before working as a radio and television football analyst on CBS. 

Driver was a star receiver and champion high jumper who attended Alcorn State right after Steve McNair left in 1995. He turned his seventh-round selection into seven 1,000-yard seasons, three Pro Bowl selections and a Green Bay title victory over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV. Driver retired in 2012, and he owns Packers records with 743 receptions and 10,137 yards, and he ranks fourth in team history with 61 touchdowns. Since his playing career ended, Driver has been involved with several charitable organizations, written children’s books and won Dancing with the Stars.

8. Paul Hornung, RB (Round 1, Pick 1 in 1957) - Hornung was a great all-around player at Notre Dame, excelling at running, passing, blocking, and returning kicks. “The Golden Boy” was a two-time All-American, and won the Heisman Trophy in 1956 as the only player to win the award on a losing team (the Fighting Irish went 2-8). He was a four-time champion with Green Bay, but did not play in Super Bowl I due to a pinched nerve in his neck. Hornung was a two-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro and the league MVP in 1961, when he ran for 597 yards and eight touchdowns. That season, he set an NFL Championship Game record with 19 points (four extra points, three field goals and a rushing touchdown) in a 37-0 win over the Giants. Unfortunately, Hornung and Detroit’s Alex Karras were suspended for the entire 1963 season due to their gambling on NFL games. He retired after the 1966 season with 3,711 yards and 50 scores, including a league-high 13 in 1960. Hornung was a football analyst on radio and television for 15 years, and was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986. 

7. (tie) Bobby Dillon, S (Round 3, Pick 28 in 1952) and Herb Adderley, CB (Round 1, Pick 12 in 1961) - Dillon lost an eye as a result of multiple accidents when he was a child, but it didn’t stop him from becoming one of the best defenders in NFL history. He was a safety, punt returner and track sprinter at Texas. Although his professional career lasted only eight seasons, he holds the Packers all-time record with 52 interceptions, including six straight years with six or more. Nicknamed “the Hawk” for his ability to track down the ball on defense, Dillon was a four-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro who also returned five picks for scores. He suffered a leg injury and retired after the 1959 season, eventually working for the Wilsonart manufacturing company for 36 years. He died due to complications from dementia in 2019, barely missing the announcement that he would enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the 2020 Centennial Class. 

Adderley began his career as a running back at Michigan State, but converted to cornerback after being drafted by the Packers in 1961. He was a five-time Pro Bowler, a four-time All-Pro and a five-time champion in nine years with Green Bay. Adderley ranks third in team history with 39 interceptions, and second with seven returned for touchdowns. He returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown in a Super Bowl II win over the Raiders. Adderley was then traded to the Cowboys in 1970, and was part of a Super Bowl VI win. Dallas later traded him to the Los Angeles Rams in 1973, but he decided to retire instead. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

6. Jerry Kramer, G (Round 4, Pick 39 in 1958) - Kramer was a star guard at Idaho, and he was on a college All-Star team that defeated the NFL champion Lions in 1957. Kramer played on five Packers championship teams, although he missed the 1961 title game due to an ankle injury. The five-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler overcame many injuries throughout his life: he developed actinomycosis, a rare bacterial disease, from wood splinters embedded in his abdomen while working on his family’s farm as a teenager. Kramer also was involved in a car accident, suffered muscle damage after backing into a lathe during shop class and required plastic surgery his shotgun exploded during a hunting trip. He became an author after his retirement in the NFL in 1968, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018, 50 years after his playing career ended. 

5. Jim Taylor, FB (Round 2, Pick 15 in 1958) - Taylor was a 1957 All-American at LSU, where he shared backfield duties with future Heisman Trophy winner and Houston Oilers star Billy Cannon. He started his pro career in a platoon, where he was the “Thunder” to Hornung’s “Lightning,” But Taylor soon became the full-time starter on Green Bay’s five championship teams. He was selected to five straight Pro Bowls from 1960-64, running for at least 1,000 yards in each of those seasons. Taylor was an All-Pro and league MVP in 1962, when he ran for a league-high 1,474 yards and 19 touchdowns. He ran for 56 yards and a score in a Super Bowl I win over the Chiefs, which was his last game in Green Bay. Taylor signed with the expansion Saints in 1967 and spent one year with New Orleans, but retired during training camp the following year because he was upset that he would only be used on special teams. Taylor is the Packers’ all-time leader with 81 rushing touchdowns, and ranks second with 8,207 yards. He was the first of the Lombardi era players elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame (in 1976), and was the commissioner of the United States Rugby League in 1978. Taylor died in 2018 at age 83. 

4. Forrest Gregg, T (Round 2, Pick 20 in 1956) - Another of the many Hall of Famers that graced Green Bay’s roster during the 1960s, Gregg was a Southern Methodist product who was a reserve as a rookie and missed the 1957 season because he was serving in the Army. He returned and appeared in 176 straight games from 1958-70. Gregg was selected to nine Pro Bowl and seven All-Pro teams, and he started on five Packers championship squads. He signed with the Cowboys in 1971, but retired after one season in Dallas. Gregg then became a coach, starting as an offensive line coach in San Diego and Cleveland before the Browns named him head coach in 1975. He spent three years with Cleveland and also had four-year stints in Cincinnati and Green Bay, amassing a 75-85-1 record and leading the Bengals to Super Bowl XVI. Gregg took over coaching his alma mater in 1989 and led them out of a pay-for-play booster scandal that resulted in a “death penalty” that included the canceling of the 1987 season, a bowl ban, lost scholarships and led to almost all of their current players transferring. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2011, and died from complications of the condition in 2019. 

3. Jim Ringo, C (Round 7, Pick 80 in 1953) - Ringo was a Syracuse product who earned seven straight Pro Bowl selections, and six All-Pro nods as a member of the Packers. He was the starting center on two championship teams before being traded to the Eagles in May 1964, where he was selected to three more Pro Bowls before retiring after the 1967 season. He spent the next 20 years coaching primarily on the offensive line, and he helped create the “Electric Company” line that blocked for O. J. Simpson’s 2,003-yard campaign with Buffalo in 1973. Ringo took over after Lou Saban resigned as Bills head coach in 1976, but only managed a 3-20 record in two seasons. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981 and died in 2007, two days before his 76th birthday. 

2. Aaron Rodgers, QB (Round 1, Pick 24 in 2005) - The lone current Packer on this list, Rodgers did not have any scholarship offers at college, so he played one season at Butte Community College in California before transferring to Cal. He waited to hear his name called at the 2005 Draft, only to see the others in the green room leave one by one until he was the only one left. Rodgers barely played his first three years behind Brett Favre, but became a star once he began starting in 2008, earning league MVP awards in 2011 and ’14. He led Green Bay to three NFC Championship Games, and earned MVP honors after a 304-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 31-25 win over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV. The eight-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro ranks second in team history behind Favre with 46,946 yards and 364 touchdowns to just 84 interceptions. Outside of football, Rodgers has been in ads for State Farm insurance and Pizza Hut, and he even has an ownership stake in the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. 

1. Bart Starr, QB (Round 17, Pick 200 in 1956) - Before Favre and Rodgers came along, Starr was the holder of all Green Bay’s passing records. He started only two seasons at Alabama due to a back injury from hazing and a platoon situation as both a junior and a senior. Because of this, Starr was selected in the 17th round, and wasn’t a full-time starter in the NFL until his fifth season in 1960. His promotion on the field coincided with the Packers’ rise in the standings, with Starr leading the team to five championships. He has the distinction of being the game MVP of the first two Super Bowls. Starr was a four-time Pro Bowler, and he also earned MVP and All-Pro honors in 1966. Two surgeries on his throwing arm in 1971 ended his career, and Starr turned to coaching. He was the quarterbacks coach in Green Bay in 1972 and posted a 52-76-3 record as Packers head coach from 1975-83. The 1977 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee has an NFL award named after him that is given to the player who best shows character and leadership. Starr suffered from many health ailments, as he had multiple strokes, a heart attack and a broken hip. He died in 2019 at age 85. 

WORST

10. Ahmad Carroll, CB (Round 1, Pick 25 in 2004) - Caroll was a two-time All-SEC selection in football at Arkansas, and a two-time All-American track sprinter. Despite his speed, he was penalty-prone and not good in coverage, resulting in the Packers cutting him four games into the 2006 season. The Jaguars signed Carroll later in the season, but he was released the following year after being arrested on weapons and drug possession charges. He played with the Jets in 2008-09 and spent the next three years between the United Football League and the CFL, retiring after winning the Grey Cup with the Toronto Argonauts in 2012. 

9. John Michels, T (Round 1, Pick 27 in 1996) - Michels was an All-Pac-10 selection in 1995 after converting from defensive end to offensive tackle at USC. He made the NFL All-Rookie team the following year, and was a part of a Packers squad that defeated the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. Michels missed six games with a right knee injury in 1997, and was out all of the next season after reaggravating the injury. He was traded to the Eagles in 1999, but his knee forced him to retire after just a few weeks of training camp. Michels earned a medical degree in 2008 and now works at a center in Dallas, helping others with therapy and injury rehabilitation. 

8. Larry Elkins, WR (Round 1, Pick 10 in 1965) - A player appearing on a best- or worst-drafted player list for multiple teams is rare, let alone when those teams pick consecutively in this year’s draft. That is the case with Elkins, a Baylor product who was taken by both the Oilers and Packers, but chose to play with the fledgling AFL team rather than an NFL squad that was about to win three straight championships. Elkins also was a safety and kick returner at Baylor, but his career was derailed by knee and collarbone injuries and he retired in 1969. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994. 

7. Jamal Reynolds, DE (Round 1, Pick 10 in 2001) - Reynolds was an All-American and Lombardi Award winner (for best lineman in college football) with Florida State in 2000. He spent most of his three seasons in Green Bay dealing with knee and back injuries. After posting three sacks in 18 games, Reynolds was traded to the Colts, but failed a physical after doctors found a slipped disc in his back. The Packers released Reynolds and he was picked up by the Browns in 2004, but was cut during training camp and has not played in the NFL since. 

6. Brent Fullwood, FB (Round 1, Pick 4 in 1987) - Fullwood was an All-American at Auburn in 1986. He finished his four-year career with 1,702 yards and 18 touchdowns, but he also had 15 fumbles. Fullwood led the Packers with 821 yards, and made the Pro Bowl in 1989. Despite his production, new Green Bay coach Lindy Infante said he did not fit into the team’s system, and he was traded to the Browns in 1990. Fullwood did not have a carry in one game with the Browns, and the team waived him at the end of the season. Fullwood’s main problem was focus. He stopped going to classes during his senior season at Auburn, and pulled himself out of what turned out to be his last game with Green Bay due to being “sick” (but managed to will himself to a nightclub after the game). 

5. Justin Harrell, DT (Round 1, Pick 16 in 2007) - Harrell was a Clemson product, but suffered a torn bicep tendon while with the Tigers that affected his early days in Green Bay. He missed 10 games in 2008, and then all of the following year, due to two surgeries to repair a herniated disc in his back. Harrell suffered a torn ACL in the opening game of the 2010 season, forcing him to miss the rest of the year. He was released by the Packers and then retired in 2011 after missing more games (50) than he played (14) in his four-year career. Harrell now serves as the defensive line coach for Lebanon High School in Tennessee. 

4. Randy Duncan, QB (Round 1, Pick 1 in 1959) - Duncan was an All-American and Heisman Trophy runner-up (to Army running back Pete Dawkins) after leading the nation with 1,397 yards and 12 touchdowns with Iowa in 1958. He spurned the Packers to play for more money with the CFL’s British Columbia Lions. Duncan played two seasons in Canada, and then spent one year with the Dallas Texans, who eventually would become the Chiefs. After the Texans traded for future Super Bowl-winner and Pro Football Hall of Famer Len Dawson, Duncan retired from football. He operated a successful law practice in Iowa until he died from brain cancer in 2016.

3. Bruce Clark, DE (Round 1, Pick 4 in 1980) - Clark was another high pick who chose Canada over the Packers. Bart Starr was head coach and general manager at the time, and he wanted Clark to play nose tackle in the team’s 3-4 defense, something Clark hadn’t done in college. A series of miscommunications ended with Clark signing with the Toronto Argonauts, where he played two seasons. He returned to the U. S. in 1982, but the Packers still held his rights. The Saints traded their 1983 first-round pick for Clark, and he amassed 39½ sacks with New Orleans, including 10½ in his Pro Bowl season in 1984. After seven seasons with the Saints, he signed with the Chiefs in 1989, playing one year in Kansas City. He spent one year each with the Arena Football League’s Detroit Drive and the Barcelona Dragons of the World League of American Football before retiring in 1992. 

2. Rich Campbell, QB (Round 1, Pick 6 in 1981) - Campbell was an All-American in 1980 at California, but he threw just 68 passes in four seasons with Green Bay while backing up Lynn Dickey. He signed with the Raiders in 1985, but never played for Los Angeles and retired. After his playing career ended, Campbell became a columnist for Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers in Florida. He was the last quarterback taken by the Packers in the first round before Aaron Rodgers in 2005. 

1. Tony Mandarich, T (Round 1, Pick 2 in 1989) - A two-time Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year and a 1988 All-American, Mandarich was one of the most-hyped NFL prospects in recent memory. He even had a Sports Illustrated cover story calling him “The Incredible Bulk.” Mandarich let all the attention get to his head, holding out until a week before the season and putting up lackluster performances, even on special teams (leading to another SI cover with him labeled “The NFL’s Incredible Bust”). Green Bay cut Mandarich in 1991 after three seasons, and he checked into a rehab clinic to deal with drug, alcohol and steroid addiction. He signed with the Colts in 1996, and played three seasons before retiring due to a shoulder injury. Mandarich has now beaten his addictions, and runs his own photography studio. 

All NFL statistics and awards courtesy of https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ and college football statistics and awards courtesy of https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/

Next: San Francisco 49ers

-By: Kevin Rakas

Writer

Divisional Round Preview: NFC

Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers

This matchup was one of the most surprising for people. Even with all the bad luck, the Saints have faced the last few postseasons, this one looked the most promising. They had a solid run defense and an offense that was one of the most dangerous as any in the league. Yet, as the saying goes any given Sunday someone can win or lose. This happened to be the week that Kirk Cousins vindicated himself. He rode himself of some of his past demons when it comes to playing in the primetime games. Now that he has won, this becomes a very difficult matchup for both teams. If you looked at the records the teams seem different. Although if you watch both teams play, they have won the same way. Both have top-notch running games. The Vikings have Dalvin Cook and the ground game, while the 49ers have the three-headed backfields that many teams haven’t been able to figure out yet. Both teams possess a quarterback that been are solid in the regular season but are mysteries in the postseason. Cousins has been tested a few times with bad results until last week while Garoppolo is untested in the postseason as a starter. This matchup is the most important because I have a feeling this game will come down to which team gets the ball last in a close one-score game. The other thing that is highly similar in this matchup though is the defenses. Both are top ten units; the only slight difference is one closer to the top three in terms of overall defense while one is closer to the lower end of the top ten. The Vikings have been playing better defense of late and keeping their team in many games down the stretch. While the 49ers defense has been more up and down of late. They had a shootout with the saints just a few weeks ago and loss to the Falcons because they couldn’t make the stops needed. On the flip side, they did make the key stops against other teams to seal different wins and keep the team in the game. In all, this game will come down to be a one-score game with the win landing the quarterbacks hands. Due to both being relative mysteries I will pick the Vikings in the end only because as a team they have more postseason experience and you can’t knock have experience in difficult situations like this. 

Minnesota 24 – San Francisco 20

Seattle Seahawks vs Green Bay Packers

This is a rematch I personally wanted to see again because every time they have played recently, it has been an instant classic duel of heavyweight teams. In corner wearing the green and yellow trunks you have Aaron Rodgers and in the other corner wearing the blue and green trunks you have Russell Wilson. Both quarterbacks have been playing at a high level for the last eight years and have willed their teams to wins both in the regular season and the postseason. Since Russell Wilson has entered the league the two quarterbacks have both won over 70 games. Which is in the top ten over that time frame. Now this year, in particular, has been a bit different. The Packers are in a philosophy change becoming more of a running based team with an aerial attack to complement it rather than the other way around. While also having a defense that can stop the run, cover all over the field and cause havoc for the quarterback. The Seahawks have been in constant flux for years since the end of the Legion of Boom. Luckily, they still Pete Carroll at the helm so the team is still a running first team with Russell Wilson doing his magic to complement. Unfortunately, the defense still isn’t what it used to be. They have issues stopping the run and getting after the passer. The still playmakers at all the levels and get turnovers but are vulnerable overall as a group. This team also has one major flaw, the injuries late in the season. Its first, second and third-string RB’s are done for the season. Also, they are without starting left tackle Duane Brown. This matchup can be either a competitive one or a blowout for the Packers. All this being said, I’m going with the Packers for the win this round. 

Seattle 20 – Green Bay 31

-By: Darren Braxton

Writer/Interviewer