Brian Gutenkunst FA and Draft Grades

[OldSchool101]

This really was not my intention to start a thread, but it’s also something worth mentioning.

Our GM has graded out pretty good overall in his drafts. As we’ve seen there are only 1 maybe 2 drafts that he scored more average to below average imo. Yet until 2025, his FA selections were not only refreshingly good, they had actually lifted his score up even more.

More recently, Banks and Hobbs have so far been a relative disappointment. Yet there are 3 things to factor. Brian also worked his magic and got Micah Parsons for what will like pair of 2nd half of Day 1 selections. It is highly doubtful that even a pair of 20 overall selections would add someone as dynamic as Micah and rarely do those players get Micah type usage in “Win Now” mode.

In 2024, Brian brought in Malik Willis and it cost him a natural RD7(23) in the 2025 draft. Here he got 2 seasons of some of the dynamic backup QB play. That alone was a good trade off and usage of a draft selection that often diminished his way off the roster.
Here good move gets better. There’s a real chance that GB converts Malik’s departure into a RD3 (top 100) Compensatory pick.

Then there’s Rasheed Walker. Rasheed is currently projected as the #22 highest graded FA by reliable sources. Based on positional usage and contract size for a starting LT, he’s arguably projecting between a RD4-RD5 area draft selection.

Here Brian spent two late RD7 selections (2022,2024) and got good combined production for 5 seasons, plus will likely realize a 3rd/4th combo or 3rd/5th combo in the 2027 draft. Our start to 2027 could very well include this draft collateral and feed the pipeline.
RD2
RD3, RD3 (projecting comp)
RD4, RD4 (projecting comp)
RD5
RD6, RD6 (projecting comp)
RD7, RD7 (projecting comp)

 

[tynimiller]

Yeah this was outlined in I believe the off season thread or the 2026 roster semi-live I cannot recall.

While the formula outside of the coaching hiring clause restricts teams to 4 compensatory picks we have a lot of FAs that will garner into the formula:

Malik Willis and Rasheed Walker were spoken to...
Doubs -
Quay Walker -
Sean Rhyan -
Kingsley Enagbare -

 

[OldSchool101]

Yeah this was outlined in I believe the off season thread or the 2026 roster semi-live I cannot recall.

While the formula outside of the coaching hiring clause restricts teams to 4 compensatory picks we have a lot of FAs that will garner into the formula:

Malik Willis and Rasheed Walker were spoken to...
Doubs -
Quay Walker -
Sean Rhyan -
Kingsley Enagbare -

Oh ok thanks. My main point here was to get an ongoing thread where we can drop grades on roster moves, but that directly apply to our GM. As you’ve seen recently @tynimiller, Often our Staff gets misrepresented by several “drive by” Posters.

Brian Gutenkunst just recently renewed his contract and he’s going to be here for some years. I think it’s important to take a season-by-season approach to grading his moves, but also not have that scattered around various threads so as to have a central spot. Not so much to the news of moves themselves, but to how Brian grades out on past moves. So this will mostly be affected by “FA departures”, “former trades” and “former draft picks” because we won’t have data for newer players (enough sample etc).

I kinda more searched threads involving Brian specifically, because if we’re grading him, he’s the nucleus of the FO moves. There really wasn’t anything past old antiquated threads.


Anyways on to the Combine! Tyni, I bet you’re drooling this weekend. It’s a fun small part of the bigger process

*PS
This would’ve been an ideal place to plop that well constructed, per season draft thoughts Brian graded out on (that you did several weeks ago)
I spent a minute trying to reflect on that but I couldn’t find it either and that was well constructed. Here on out I’ll just search Brian Gute Grades etc. it doesn’t infer we can’t have mini discussions scattered throughout

 

[Heyjoe4]

Oh ok thanks. My main point here was to get an ongoing thread where we can drop grades on roster moves, but that directly apply to our GM. As you’ve seen recently @tynimiller, Often our Staff gets misrepresented by several “drive by” Posters.

Brian Gutenkunst just recently renewed his contract and he’s going to be here for some years. I think it’s important to take a season-by-season approach to grading his moves, but also not have that scattered around various threads so as to have a central spot. Not so much to the news of moves themselves, but to how Brian grades out on past moves. So this will mostly be affected by “FA departures”, “former trades” and “former draft picks” because we won’t have data for newer players (enough sample etc).

I kinda more searched threads involving Brian specifically, because if we’re grading him, he’s the nucleus of the FO moves. There really wasn’t anything past old antiquated threads.


Anyways on to the Combine! Tyni, I bet you’re drooling this weekend. It’s a fun small part of the bigger process

*PS
This would’ve been an ideal place to plop that well constructed, per season draft thoughts Brian graded out on (that you did several weeks ago)
I spent a minute trying to reflect on that but I couldn’t find it either and that was well constructed. Here on out I’ll just search Brian Gute Grades etc. it doesn’t infer we can’t have mini discussions scattered throughout

Your assessment of Gluten is spot on. Until Banks and Hobbs, his FA acquisitions were incredible. And it's still possible Banks can be a starter at LG. He was injured and I think showed improvement at the end of the seaqson.

Hobbs would play better in the slot, if he plays better at all. The problem is that is where Bullard plays. And Hobbs was injured even more than Banks.

I think it was Ty who pointed out that cutting Hobbs doesn't affect the cap much. He's big enough to take snaps at safety and alternate at slot with Bullard. May as well keep him, even as an expensive backup.

As for Gluten and the draft, he's done a good job there as well. He seems to do better with mid-late round picks. No first round pick this year or next, but it was still worth trading those picks and Clark for Parsons, a generational talent (whatever that means.....). Parsons is a player who comes along once every twenty years or so. It's subjective......

 

[tynimiller]

*PS
This would’ve been an ideal place to plop that well constructed, per season draft thoughts Brian graded out on (that you did several weeks ago)
I couldn’t find that either. Here on out I’ll just search Brian Gute etc.

Yeah I remember that but no clue where...I might be able to pull it together in an advanced search.

Gute has been fantastic, and often I think folks bring forth a few main things when criticizing him:

- No Super Bowl
- First Round Pick Critics
- Third Round Picks specifically

I've debunked all of these to a point, but also provided measured justification for critique as well in each. Very briefly...

Super Bowl thing....IT ISN'T AS EASY TO WIN AS MOST FANS IMPLY. Yes, he had an aging phenom in Rodgers...and to be fair he built rosters WELL worthy of pushing for one. Gute never laid an egg in the playoffs, the team did. Gute's job is to keep us relevant and he absolutely has done that...and barely hiccuped going from a HOF QB to a new QB WITH MASSIVE DEBT and somehow we barely stopped being a true contender.

First Round Picks....fans have to stop believing a couple things; that first round picks are sure things and that if you're not getting an All Pro you have failed. Most of these arguments are purely hindsight driven. It is RARE for a team to continually hit on first round picks...even more so if into the later third of the first round. Now that isn't to say you don't potentially get good or even excellent players...but fans expect the freaking Micah Parsons or Patrick Mahomes level guys are there for the taking every time Gute picks (which is just not true).

Gute has picked Jaire Alexander / Darnell Savage / Rashan Gary / Jordan Love / Eric Stokes / Devonte Wyatt / Quay Walker / Lukas Van Ness / Jordan Morgan / Matthew Golden

Of those guys that have at least two years of experience you have NFL starters that were proven to be that both here in GB and in many places...and Morgan could very well still prove to be an NFL Tackle once the chance is there and Golden IMO showed fully capable of being an NFL starter someday. That is NOT easy to have a run of guys like that....especially when only TWO were taken before pick 15....and the average pick place of all of those was.... 21.7 or the 22nd pick.

Third Round Picks....ah the curse....which IMO was lifted for sure in 2022...but here's his run of those guys...Oren Burks / Jace Sternberger / Josiah Deguara / Amari Rodgers / Sean Rhyan / Tucker Kraft / Ty'Ron Hopper / MarShawn Lloyd / Savion Williams....again despite GB not getting a return out of Burks a ton he has proved fully NFL caliber guy that apparently just didn't fit us or the time with us....but over half of these guys are on rosters, and playing many with us still. Hopper will have a shot this year.



Recency bias will have guys screaming Banks and Hobbs....honestly the very first time Gute didn't hit a triple or home run in free agency....and both were injured and each played better down the stretch. So while the immediate return can be graded as a like D or so...still a ton of time left if they are still here to change that. I still think Banks can be a solid average level LG for us (overpaid but still)....and Hobbs is insurance if Bullard plays out of GB cuz he is special IMO.

 

[OldSchool101]

As ll really good points. I’ll admit I expected this last year to “pop” more. The Packers have a plethora of players that were 2nd year to 4th year capable starters. It’s an area where you count on growth overall, maybe not every last player, but as a unit for sure. Here we kinda fizzled in 2025 imo. We got zero from Lloyd for 2 straight years and that hurts.

We got some minimal fill in opportunities for Morgan, but I heard recently that he actually beat out Walker in Camp (I wasn’t aware of that) and Jordan was on schedule to take over LT last year.. well until he had a minor injury setback and they had to roll with the safer Rasheed approach and they don’t want musical chairs.

Hopper can’t seem to elevate off Teams, now some of that is relative to us contracting McDuffie, which puts him at best 4th in pecking order at iLB. Yet expectation for a Box LB as a top 80’s pick is higher than that imo. It just has to be.

The FIRST 2 draft sections of 2023 (Luke and Lucas brothers) have both shown flashes. Yet for 3rd year players are both missing a cylinder. They aren’t winning any races. Again, Lucas is buried behind Parsons and Gary and also did suffer a pretty substantial injury. Luke had his chance to shine and while he’s not bad, he’s also not living up to a top 40’s TE selection in year 3 either.

Travis Glover and Jacob Monk are excused. They were both season IR losses in their 2nd season. John Williams lost his Rookie season, but I expect he’s a medium high floor guy. Maybe just not past medium ceiling like Rasheed.

From 2025. Golden, Oliver, Savion, Belton. Kinda hard to grade in a Rookie season because of our style of ramping players. It’s not popular even at QB, but it’s 100% effective over the long term.

These seem like complaints. To a degree they are. However imo a complaint is also an opportunity. That’s a good size player list injected into the fray. It doesn’t even include our 2025 Free Agents maybe getting off their relative plateaus. We know Bsnks and Hobbs are capable but it’s gotta be more than projection now. It’s time to “Kevin Greene” up!! Not sure if they grasp it? But either has 1 or maybe 2 big seasons? into a deep playoff run? and their career takes a new trajectory. This is not a contract year but it is a major turning point year for both players if that makes sense? They either rise hard or fall hard in 2026. No inbetween.

 

[OldSchool101]

I think it was Ty who pointed out that cutting Hobbs doesn't affect the cap much. He's big enough to take snaps at safety and alternate at slot with Bullard. May as well keep him, even as an expensive backup.

Yeah well Banks and Hobbs both fall into category of a hard contract out. It’s just not advantageous to give up on either this early on.

Just a quick point on Hobbs. This DC loves to use an increased % of Dime. That 6th player? That’s Hobbs. This is his show and imo if you get Hobbs and Bullard both on the field together it has potential of being very dynamic. Really Hobbs is overlapped by Bullard but it doesn’t have to be that way. Both are strong Box Defenders. That’s what Hobbs really did well in LV. We kinda tried to get fancy and get him on the field and didn’t want to pull Bullard. The experiment kinda failed.
To a degree? Oladapo is in that mix also. Having the ability to rotate those guys in more will prove wise imo. Btw Oladapo was a complete menace to Caleb Williams in College. Idk why but he’s Got Caleb’s #

 

[tynimiller]

Yeah well Banks and Hobbs both fall into category of a hard contract out. It’s just not advantageous to give up on either this early on.

Just a quick point on Hobbs. This DC loves to use an increased % of Dime. That 6th player? That’s Hobbs. This is his show and imo if you get Hobbs and Bullard both on the field together it has potential of being very dynamic. Really Hobbs is overlapped by Bullard but it doesn’t have to be that way. Both are strong Box Defenders. That’s what Hobbs really did well in LV. We kinda tried to get fancy and get him on the field and didn’t want to pull Bullard. The experiment kinda failed.
To a degree? Oladapo is in that mix also. Having the ability to rotate those guys in more will prove wise imo. Btw Oladapo was a complete menace to Caleb Williams in College. Idk why but he’s Got Caleb’s #

1,000% on the description and potential lethality this defense could deploy in Dime. Oladapo really can be that swiss box safety/lb type in sub packages for sure I think.

 

[milani]

As ll really good points. I’ll admit I expected this last year to “pop” more. The Packers have a plethora of players that were 2nd year to 4th year capable starters. It’s an area where you count on growth overall, maybe not every last player, but as a unit for sure. Here we kinda fizzled in 2025 imo. We got zero from Lloyd for 2 straight years and that hurts.

We got some minimal fill in opportunities for Morgan, but I heard recently that he actually beat out Walker in Camp (I wasn’t aware of that) and Jordan was on schedule to take over LT last year.. well until he had a minor injury setback and they had to roll with the safer Rasheed approach and they don’t want musical chairs.

Hopper can’t seem to elevate off Teams, now some of that is relative to us contracting McDuffie, which puts him at best 4th in pecking order at iLB. Yet expectation for a Box LB as a top 80’s pick is higher than that imo. It just has to be.

The FIRST 2 draft sections of 2023 (Luke and Lucas brothers) have both shown flashes. Yet for 3rd year players are both missing a cylinder. They aren’t winning any races. Again, Lucas is buried behind Parsons and Gary and also did suffer a pretty substantial injury. Luke had his chance to shine and while he’s not bad, he’s also not living up to a top 40’s TE selection in year 3 either.

Travis Glover and Jacob Monk are excused. They were both season IR losses in their 2nd season. John Williams lost his Rookie season, but I expect he’s a medium high floor guy. Maybe just not past medium ceiling like Rasheed.

From 2025. Golden, Oliver, Savion, Belton. Kinda hard to grade in a Rookie season because of our style of ramping players. It’s not popular even at QB, but it’s 100% effective over the long term.

These seem like complaints. To a degree they are. However imo a complaint is also an opportunity. That’s a good size player list injected into the fray. It doesn’t even include our 2025 Free Agents maybe getting off their relative plateaus. We know Bsnks and Hobbs are capable but it’s gotta be more than projection now. It’s time to “Kevin Greene” up!! Not sure if they grasp it? But either has 1 or maybe 2 big seasons? into a deep playoff run? and their career takes a new trajectory. This is not a contract year but it is a major turning point year for both players if that makes sense? They either rise hard or fall hard in 2026. No inbetween.

This draft I expect very little. Gute will look into the UFAS. He will also look for what falls out there during preseason.

 

[Heyjoe4]

1,000% on the description and potential lethality this defense could deploy in Dime. Oladapo really can be that swiss box safety/lb type in sub packages for sure I think.

I don't know how often Hafley ran dime last season, and the stat isn't as important as why he (or any DC) uses dime.

The use of dime, or any other secondary scheme, is made better by the presence of Parsons (OK, stating the obvious.....). With no shutdown corner, seems dime is the call on 3rd and long downs.

From what I've read, Gannon isn't locked into any particular defensive scheme. He'll deploy talent where he thinks it will be best utilized, from play to play apparently.

That raises another question. If Q Walker leaves, who will wear the "green dot" for the defense? My guess would be Cooper. Is it uncommon to have a S do this? McKinney seems like a good candidate given his knowledge of defense.

 

[El Guapo]

It's funny. I was a Ford guy for a long time. However, they were always problematic for one reason or another. In 2015, I switched and bought a RAM truck. What an upgrade and I wouldn't have to deal with any of those Ford problems. Right off the bat however, the transmission pan was leaking. It was a good reminder that even buying new doesn't guarantee smooth sailing.

Gute took gambles on Banks and Hobbs - both players with injury histories and lost. He spent the big bucks on Parsons and also got hit by a major injury.

Sometimes you just can't win no matter what path you choose. In my case, I should have just bought a horse.

 

[El Guapo]

Idk why but he’s Got Caleb’s #

He's attracted to the shiny colors on Caleb's finger nails

 

[mradtke66]

Sometimes you just can't win no matter what path you choose. In my case, I should have just bought a horse.

Join us weirdos driving Ridglines.

 

[CarryTheG14]

I Love Brian Gutenkunst. One hell of a GM. Dude has made some incredible moves, big scale to small.

 

[OldSchool101]

Nothing wrong with that. I worked for Honda from 2003 to 2011. It’s a good little truck for light duty homeowner stuff.

 

[milani]

I Love Brian Gutenkunst. One hell of a GM. Dude has made some incredible moves, big scale to small.

At least he goes for it. Thompson took very, very few chances.

 

[CarryTheG14]

At least he goes for it. Thompson took very, very few chances.

Ted was too one dimensional. Draft and develop is the best way to do business, however you better be hitting at a VERY high clip which he didn't do in later years.

From 2011-2017 he gave us
Bahktiari
Adams
Aaron Jones
Linsley
Kenny Clark


The rest of the guys were meh, to bad. You can't win like that ignoring FA.

And then there are times where you have to sacrifice capital for an established guy.

How confident would anyone be if Ted would have spent 2 first rounders on Michah?

 

[Anti Koolaide drinker]

Why oh why are Packers fans such apologists? Face it. Post Ron Wolf this organization had had nothing short of a brain drain. “Gute hasn’t been bad”. Blah blah blah. He hasn’t been bad because he had A.Rod to lean on. We missed out on the 2 SB GM’s this year by letting them leave GB. Schneider & Wolf are light years ahead of Lindsey Graham sorry I meant Gute. Have to admit they look like brothers.

 

[tynimiller]

LOL to claim Gute has only been good because he had A Rod to lean on is laughable---

 

[OldSchool101]

Why oh why are Packers fans such apologists? Face it. Post Ron Wolf this organization had had nothing short of a brain drain. “Gute hasn’t been bad”. Blah blah blah. He hasn’t been bad because he had A.Rod to lean on. We missed out on the 2 SB GM’s this year by letting them leave GB. Schneider & Wolf are light years ahead of Lindsey Graham sorry I meant Gute. Have to admit they look like brothers.

Let’s start at the #1 most important position. The QB is weighted exponentially more than any other position. Mostly because a good one often plays 15+ years and affects the game as much or more than any other player.

Jordan was picked with #26 overall. Without too much debating I think we can reasonably label him a Top 10 area ranked QB. The challenge is this. How many QB’s are regularly ranked in the top 10-15 area or better and were bought with a #26 area selection or later??

The only recent QB’s I can think of are Brock Purdy (Mr Irrelevant RD7)
Lamar Jackson (#32)
Dak Prescott (RD4)
Jordan Love (#26 overall)
Jalen Hurts (RD2)


That puts those GM’s in a league of their own. That list of QB’s led their teams to a ton of combined Wins since they each entered the league.

 

[Heyjoe4]

It's funny. I was a Ford guy for a long time. However, they were always problematic for one reason or another. In 2015, I switched and bought a RAM truck. What an upgrade and I wouldn't have to deal with any of those Ford problems. Right off the bat however, the transmission pan was leaking. It was a good reminder that even buying new doesn't guarantee smooth sailing.

Gute took gambles on Banks and Hobbs - both players with injury histories and lost. He spent the big bucks on Parsons and also got hit by a major injury.

Sometimes you just can't win no matter what path you choose. In my case, I should have just bought a horse.

At first I didn't know where you were going with this EG. But hey, I trust you and was rewarded with a hilarious metaphor (or is it analogy? you know what I mean....).

Last year was a very rare double FA miss by Gluten with Banks and Hobbs. After reading some more comments, I think it's probably best to bring them back. I think it was Ty who pointed out there is very little cap room to be had by whacking Hobbs, and if he's healthy and they play him in the slot (where he's best), then might as well keep him. They'll have to sort out how he gets snaps with Bullard paying so well.

Banks, if memory serves, was nicked up on a few occasions, but showed improvement down the stretch. So right now, I think the starting OL, from left to right, would be - Morgan, Banks, Rhyan, Belton, Tom. Morgan finally gets to play a position he's good at, Banks continues his good play, Rhyan is the biggest ?, Belton had a solid rookie year, and Tom is the best assuming he gets better after surgery.

 

[Heyjoe4]

LOL to claim Gute has only been good because he had A Rod to lean on is laughable---

Agreed - and here is is my perspective on MLF and Gluten on this same topic - leaning on Rodgers:

While Rodgers was here, it was impossible to say just how good MLF was. He had the luxury of coaching a multiple MVP with a SB ring and a slam dunk into the HOF.

But MLF has proven to be well up to the task in the seamless transition away from Rodgers to Love. The team is still winning and making the playoffs. MLF (and Gluten for drafting Love) has to be acknowledged for a nearly impossible task, transitioning from a HOF first ballot guy to a new QB. What he and Gluten have done is amazing.

I think that before Caleb Williams, the Bears had like 30 different starting QBs over 30 years - or some ridiculous number. We fans of GB have a lot to be thankful for these last 30 plus years.

Was Policy correct in bringing back MLF and Gluten? We'll find out but I think it was an easy decision - along the lines of "don't mess with success".

 

[El Guapo]

Why oh why are Packers fans such apologists? Face it. Post Ron Wolf this organization had had nothing short of a brain drain. “Gute hasn’t been bad”. Blah blah blah. He hasn’t been bad because he had A.Rod to lean on. We missed out on the 2 SB GM’s this year by letting them leave GB. Schneider & Wolf are light years ahead of Lindsey Graham sorry I meant Gute. Have to admit they look like brothers.

That's a real "checkers or the wreckers" mentality on GM performance. If he isn't building a SB roster then he sucks. Nobody is saying that he is the best GM, but to imply that he is no good is disingenuous at best, an emotional response to not getting what you wanted that lacks objectivity.

Welcome to the forum

 

[milani]

Ted was too one dimensional. Draft and develop is the best way to do business, however you better be hitting at a VERY high clip which he didn't do in later years.

From 2011-2017 he gave us
Bahktiari
Adams
Aaron Jones
Linsley
Kenny Clark


The rest of the guys were meh, to bad. You can't win like that ignoring FA.

And then there are times where you have to sacrifice capital for an established guy.

How confident would anyone be if Ted would have spent 2 first rounders on Michah?

TT was not the type who would spend a nickel on Parsons. But he would look for a bargain deal on a Julius Peppers late in the player's career. Yes, one dimensional. TT would have made a better president for the country than a GM for a team. My argument is that he would fight Congress to cut every nickel and dime.

 

[tynimiller]

That's a real "checkers or the wreckers" mentality on GM performance. If he isn't building a SB roster then he sucks. Nobody is saying that he is the best GM, but to imply that he is no good is disingenuous at best, an emotional response to not getting what you wanted that lacks objectivity.

Welcome to the forum

I mean can we expect a mature and actual intelligent post from someone who created a profile solely to post that named @Anti Koolaide drinker ..... I feel like this would be like expected Trump to be humble or Lebron to not flop or Mahomes to not wine for a call...somethings we can just come to expect LOL