9 Best Draft Picks in Green Bay Packers History

For a franchise that’s been to five Super Bowls and has the second-most Pro Football Hall of Famers, it’s not hard coming up with the best draft picks in Green Bay Packers history.

Of course, the NFL draft is an inexact science, so the Packers certainly do have their fair share of bad picks. We’ve chronicled the team’s worst picks already, so now it’s time to check out the best.

For this exercise, we’re not including first-round picks — which automatically eliminates the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Sterling Sharpe or Herb Adderley. We also didn’t want to go past 1960, since scouting departments were so undeveloped prior to that. Still, we had to include a few future Hall of Famers from the late ‘50s… 

Best draft picks in Packers history

1. Bart Starr, QB, 1956

So much has been made of Tom Brady being the 199th player drafted when his amazing career began. Well, Bart Starr was the 200th player taken in 1956 — in the 17th round. All the Alabama product did was win five NFL titles and be named MVP of the first two Super Bowls.

2. Jerry Kramer, G, 1958

The offensive lineman who paved the way for Starr’s game-winning touchdown in the Ice Bowl was the third of three Hall of Famers taken by the Packers in the 1958 draft. Kramer, a fourth-round pick (39th overall) out of Idaho, was a staple of the Packers’ offensive line in the ‘60s, and he was the final member of that dynasty to be enshrined in Canton.

3. Ray Nitschke, LB, 1958

Ray Nitschke was perhaps the most fiery leader of the Packers dynasty. A third-round pick (35th overall) out of Illinois, Nitschke’s leadership continued beyond his playing days. After earning his place in the Hall of Fame, Nitschke became famous for his inspiring messages to the newest Hall members every summer before their induction. So much so that the event was named the Ray Nitschke Luncheon.

4. Jim Taylor, RB, 1958

Well, it’s not that big a deal to call Jim Taylor a second-round pick. With only 12 teams in the NFL at the time, he was still the 15th overall pick in the draft. Still, 11 other teams had a chance draft the LSU running back, who went on the earn NFL MVP honors in 1962. In the NFL title game that season, Taylor rushed for 85 yards and scored the Packers’ only touchdown.

5. Donald Driver, WR, 1999

A seventh-round pick (213th overall) out of Alcorn State, Donal Driver played all 14 years of his NFL career with the Packers, retiring as the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards. Driver was a favorite target for both Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, ending his career with 743 catches for 10,137 yards and 61 touchdowns.

6. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, DE, 2000

Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila was a fifth-round pick, 149th overall, out of San Diego State. In nine seasons, all with the Packers, KGB had 74.5 sacks and 17 forced fumbles.