Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst is one of the league’s top roster builders, but he bizarrely fails more often than not in the first round.
It hasn’t always been that way. Gutekunst hit home runs in his opening three draft classes, using his first-round selections on Jaire Alexander, Rashan Gary, Darnell Savage, and Jordan Love. Since then, he has enjoyed far more success after the opening round.
Gutekunst’s past five first-round choices: Eric Stokes, Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt, Lukas Van Ness, and Jordan Morgan.
Walker seems to have finally turned a corner, and Van Ness is also beginning to show promise. But can we honestly say any of those five players have lived up to their first-round potential?
Stokes is as good as gone after the season. Wyatt has become a solid contributor but not a star. Walker and Van Ness have improved in recent weeks, but they still have a lot to prove after a disappointing start to the season.
Then there is Morgan. It’s far too early to even consider calling him a first-round bust. He could still live up to his potential, and staying healthy is a part of that. But if we’re focused on the here and now and the Packers’ current Super Bowl chances, it hasn’t worked out. While Morgan has failed to beat Sean Rhyan for the right guard job, a prospect fans were pounding the table for has already become a star.
Pick a mock draft from the past offseason. Any mock draft. There’s a good chance it has Cooper DeJean going to Green Bay in the first round. One prospect Packers fans urged their team to select when they hit the clock with the 25th overall pick? Cooper DeJean.
They should’ve listened. Much like when the Packers passed on Christian Gonzalez in favor of Van Ness, not selecting DeJean is coming back to haunt them.
Even after having to wait until Week 5 to secure a starting spot in Philadelphia’s defense as he worked his way back from injury, he has quickly become one of the best rookies in the NFL. DeJean can play across the secondary but has found a home as the Eagles’ starting slot corner, a role he is perfect for.
Per PFF, DeJean has broken up five passes and allowed zero touchdowns in his coverage. Despite playing one of the most challenging positions in the secondary by covering receivers in the middle of the field, he is allowing a passer rating of just 79.8.
Entering Week 14, DeJean has the sixth-highest PFF grade among all cornerbacks while ranking fourth for coverage grade. He tackles well, is excellent in coverage, and can take on various roles in the secondary. DeJean is showing Pro Bowl potential in Philadelphia.
And he would’ve been perfect for the Packers’ defense. No matter whether he played at nickel, on the outside, or even safety (which was a need in the offseason), DeJean could’ve made a big impact in Jeff Hafley’s system.
Hopefully, Morgan becomes a home-run pick, but it’s unclear what his path to a starting job is. Elgton Jenkins and Sean Rhyan have locked down the starting guard jobs, and the Packers haven’t given Morgan many opportunities at tackle. Even if they had, it would take something special to overtake Rasheed Walker or Zach Tom on the depth chart.
Perhaps Josh Myers’ uncertain future could cause some offensive line reshuffling in 2025. We’ll see. But in the meantime, passing on DeJean looks like another first-round error by Gutekunst.
