Unpacking the Green Bay Packers project strategy Originally appeared on Sports Athlon.
Green Bay’s packers have struggled to find sustained success in the playoffs lately, but they have always been one of the most successful teams of the regular NFL season, winning 41 games since the loss of the match for the NFC title at the end of the 2020 season.
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They did this while going through another change in high-level quarter-rear, exchanging Aaron Rodgers and raising the first-round successor Jordan Love at the starting work, and aligning one of the youngest lists in the NFL.
At the head of the construction of the alignment, the general manager Brian Gutekunst, who is more than ready for the packers to reflect this success of the regular season in constantly competition for the championships.
On the last episode of “Best Podcast available,” I sat with Aaron Nagler de Cheeseheadtv to decompose how Gutekunst built the current version of the Packers list.
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Brian Gutekunst wants to take the packers of regular season stalls to the contenders for the title.
(Tork Mason / USA Today Network-Wisconsin)
“His first drafts were quite difficult,” said Nagler about Gutekunst. “There is no sugar sugar. I think Brian did it.
When monitoring the models of what Gutekunst and his staff are looking for in college perspectives, Nagler says there are clearly favorite features and data points.
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“The team’s captain’s thing is certainly noticeable in the past four years,” said Nagler. “Last year, I think each guy they took was a team captain.”
“The other thing you know with certainty: if you go to the senior Bowl, and you produce, and you have a very good week of practice, you will probably be on the set of packers,” continued Nagler, referring to the annual stars game held at Mobile, Alabama. “They like guys who, where they come from … if you go to this event, and you compete with the best, and show that you belong … they will certainly be intrigued.”
Christian Watson is the typical prototype of a packers receiver on the day of the draft. (Dan Powers-USA Network Images / Imagn Today) Dan Powers-USA TODAY NETWORK & SOL; Imagn images
With regard to physical features, Nagler recognizes that even if the packers had clearly developed unwavering thresholds in certain positions under the previous direction, current decision -makers were more malleable with regard to the players they target in the project.
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“Especially in the past two years, Brian has surprised us much more,” said Nagler. “When Ted Thompson was in charge, you could define your watch by the type of player. With Brian, he was a little more ready to break this mold, maybe get out of the expected things.”
Nagler uses the example of how Green Bay has historically targeted the wide receivers who must check certain boxes with regard to the size and ability to manage the physicity of playing in the middle of the field.
“During the longest to Green Bay, the MO was … and that goes back, I am talking about Ron Wolf in the early 90s, and they legitimately operated in this way for 30 years … ‘We want receivers who have more than 6-1 contact,” said Nagler. “It was their MO forever. During the project process, inevitably, there would be a large wide receiver which is at the senior Bowl, and you say to yourself:” Well, it is on the painting of packers. There is no doubt. ‘”
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Matthew Golden is another break from tradition for packers as a smaller receiver. (Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) © Mark Hoffman & Sol; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel & Sol; USA Today Network via Imagn Images
But in recent projects, Gutekunst was clearly willing to target small passers -by who bring a wide range of different skills to the table, compensating for their imposing lack of size with explosiveness, road prowess and the ability to create explosive games on the ground.
“You look at the last two drafts two years ago with Jayden Reed, and now this year with Matthew Golden … They certainly do not correspond to the type of traditional thresholds that packers have sought at the position,” said Nagler. “So, up to a certain point, I think Brian has reached a place where he said:” I care much more about the guy as a football player than a lower perspective or as an athletic threshold. So, it seems that it is ready not to fold these things, but at least outside these kind of rigid thresholds at least a little later. “”
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Packers have been one of the most competitive and successful teams in the NFL for more than three decades, but Gutekunst has not been clearly dissatisfied with that of the franchise ceiling under his watch. His desire to change their team consolidation approach to certain ways clearly shows that he wants to bring the team to another level and lead them to another championship.
To check the whole conversation, watch the full episode of BPA here:
This story was initially reported by Sports Athlon On August 4, 2025, where he appeared for the first time.
