Ranking The Top 10 Best And Worst Packers Of All Time

PackerfaninCarolina

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I don't rank them based on numbers necessarily, but how they impacted the team for each era they played in.

10 Best

10. TE - Keith Jackson: I put him up here because even to this day I say he's set the gold standard for TEs in Green Bay and could do a lot of everything

9. S - Leroy Butler: hands down the greatest safety to ever wear the green and gold, and of course invented the time-honored Lambeau leap tradition

8. QB - Brett Favre: some may object to his being this far down the list, but while he certainly was a big part of success here for 16 years, he was his own worst enemy who prevented the team from winning more Superbowls.

7. RB - Jim Taylor: his records may be broken by now, but I still gotta put him as the originator of the real Green Bay running game. He was the thundering bull while Hornung was the lightning ram.

6. WR - Donald Driver: we could pick any number of great receivers who brought the fire to Lambeau from Lofton, to Sharpe, to Brooks and Freeman, and even beyond that to Jennings, Cobb, and now Adams. But Driver was truly something else coming from obscurity at a little college called Alcorn State, to becoming one of our greatest targets who showed up week in and week out and was always ready to go. Gotta put him as the king WR here.

5. QB - Bart Starr: Still to this day the only QB in Green Bay with more than one SB win to his name

4. KR - Desmond Howard: there are only ever a few special teams return guys who come in either one generation or another and give you something truly spectacular to see, and this guy was one of them. He sealed the deal in SB XXXI and rightfully walked out of there with the MVP.

3. RB - Ahman Green: it was a shame we were never able to get this guy a SB ring, but even despite his fumble issues, Ahman Green should still be considered the best RB in Packers history. As soon as he touched that ball, look out.

2. QB - Aaron Rodgers: need I say any more?

1. DE - Reggie White: it continues to amaze me that he isn't talked about these days, and honestly, Mark Murphy needs to get on the ball and have a big 200 foot gold statue erected of him because yes, he is in fact the Greatest Packer of all time and anyone who says otherwise knows nothing about football and nothing at all for that matter. Not only was Reggie White the biggest sack machine and bull rusher in Packer history, he was the biggest catalyst for changing the culture here as the only voice in the locker room who demanded winning here. Everything the modern day winning Packers are built on was built by Reggie White.

10 Worst

10. LB - Datone Jones: likely forgotten in 10 years, but you know whenever his name is brought up, it's not for anything good.

9. QB - Rich Campbell: the Cal not-so-golden bear who unfortunately happened to don a Packer jersey

8. WR - Mark Ingram Sr: Actually did not realize he was the current NFL star RB's dad until looking him up, but ... he did practically nothing for us besides mouth off and give off toxicity here in Green Bay.

7. RB - Dijuan Harris: a guy with potential but no heart

6. DT - Jo Johnson: not sure whether he or Terry Glenn was the biggest disappointment as a free agent signing, but he sucked up a lot of money for nothing

5. S - Bewoh Jue: when you can make a guy like Kentrell Brice look like Troy Polamalu in his prime, you know you're a weak *** and a soft DB.

4. CB - Ahmad Carroll: if Reggie White was the icon of the greatest defense in Packers history, this guy was the exact opposite. Couldn't get rid of him quick enough.

3. QB - TJ Rubley: one simple job to do .... and he couldn't do it.

2. LB - Charles Martin: thankfully the culture he and his hoodlums promoted around here back in the 80s has long been eradicated. Unfortunately, his name is still known and makes you feel for Jim McMahon and his family.

1. QB - Brett Hundley: and taking home the award for being the biggest disgrace of a player here ... Brett Stinko Hundley. Any game film from this guy can be used as a teaching tool for Jordan Love on what not to do. Booyah!!!!
 

ARPackFan

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Got to put John Hadl on the 10 worst for his 22 game, 9TD, 29 INT, 52% completion performance while a packer for less than two seasons. Devine gave up two #1s, two #2s, and 1 #3 draft picks to the Rams for this clown.
 
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Tony Mandarich needs to be on the list of worst Packers of all time. I don't want to argue too much about lists like that as those are solely basedon subjective opinions but Howard is definitely ranked too high in my opinion.
 

AmishMafia

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Tough list to put together. You have two guys who only played 1.5 seasons for the Packers. You don't have Nitchke, Woodson, or Don Hutson all should be top 10. By your definition of impacting during their era, Hutson is clearly number 1. He would probably be No. 1 on the list of most impactful NFL player ever.

As far as worst ever, there are players who are udfa every season that we forget about quickly.
 

Pokerbrat2000

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As far as worst ever, there are players who are udfa every season that we forget about quickly.

Agreed. When I think of "worst" I think of either a guy we used a first rounder on and he did nothing or very little or a Free Agent/resign that also didn't earn the investment.

I will mention one that hasn't been mentioned yet, Bruce Clark. Technically, he never played for the Packers but they selected Clark in the first round (fourth pick overall) of the 1980 NFL Draft and he refused to play for them, opting to join the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL instead. I think if my memory serves me correct, they knew ahead of time that it was distinct possibility that he wouldn't play for the Packers, yet the Packers still wasted the pick on him. The only upside was that when Clark wanted to come back and play in the NFL, the Packers still had the rights to him. They ended up getting the Saints #1 pick (#11) in exchange for those rights. With that pick the took Tim Lewis, a stud CB that ended up having his career cut short after 4 years due to a neck injury.
 

Fredrik87

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I know it goes way back but I think Don Hutson NEEDs to be on the top 10 best list
 
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Poppa San

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I know it goes way back but I think Don Hutson and Curly Lambeau NEED to be on the top 10 best list
Curly Lambeau made the HOF as a coach and team owner not as a player. Even for his era I would think 12 TDs and 6 FGs over 77 games in 7 years as nothing special. Don't have many other stats to go on. One year as a 2nd team all pro is all the personal accolades he received at the time. Don Hutson wrote the primer on how to be a WR OTOH.
 

Pokerbrat2000

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Fyi Hundley was a 5th Rd pick who GB needed to step up in his 2nd year due to a Rodgers injury. He wasn't ready...but to be #1 worst? C'mon, man.

Agree. I think the OP was letting his bias taint his "worst" list.

I can think of a recent free agent that probably deserves to be on the "worst list" and that was Martellus Bennett. What a POS.
 

AmishMafia

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Agreed. When I think of "worst" I think of either a guy we used a first rounder on and he did nothing or very little or a Free Agent/resign that also didn't earn the investment.

I will mention one that hasn't been mentioned yet, Bruce Clark. Technically, he never played for the Packers but they selected Clark in the first round (fourth pick overall) of the 1980 NFL Draft and he refused to play for them, opting to join the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL instead. I think if my memory serves me correct, they knew ahead of time that it was distinct possibility that he wouldn't play for the Packers, yet the Packers still wasted the pick on him. The only upside was that when Clark wanted to come back and play in the NFL, the Packers still had the rights to him. They ended up getting the Saints #1 pick (#11) in exchange for those rights. With that pick the took Tim Lewis, a stud CB that ended up having his career cut short after 4 years due to a neck injury.
Clark was probably one of the worst draft picks ever. Technically he can't be on the list because he never was actually a Packer.

Campbell I would consider the worst draft pick. Not sure what Starr was thinking. I read a quote from zeke Bratkowski the OC at the time. He said he saw Campbell throw at the first practice and from his throwing motion, he knew he would never play in the NFL. Now why would you draft a QB and the OC never saw his throwing motion? And if your OC has no confidence in you, what chance do you have to ever suceed. What makes it worse is the Packers were set to take Ronnie Lott and opted for Rich in discussions late in the process.
 

gopkrs

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I was thinking that it might be better to ask on each position as to who are the best Packer players ever. Like name the two best wide receivers. (leave out the obvious Hutson). The best two tackles. The best center. Best special teamer etc etc. A poll for each position imho.
 

JKramer64

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Mandarich has to be #1 on worst players list. Never has a player had such high expectations on him and failed so miserably. He set the franchise back for years. The next 3 players drafted went on to HOF careers. Barry Sanders (3) Derrick Thomas (4) Deion Sanders (5). Imagine Barry Sanders on the mid 90's team. They may have won 3-4 Superbowls.
 

Pokerbrat2000

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Mandarich has to be #1 on worst players list. Never has a player had such high expectations on him and failed so miserably. He set the franchise back for years. The next 3 players drafted went on to HOF careers. Barry Sanders (3) Derrick Thomas (4) Deion Sanders (5). Imagine Barry Sanders on the mid 90's team. They may have won 3-4 Superbowls.

Yeah, I agree on Mandarich, but not sure if I could, I would change anything during that time frame, since that was the beginning of the Packers resurgence to dominance. Would be interesting to know what would have happened had we drafted Sanders instead. Maybe we win a few extra games and we don't get Ron Wolf and without Wolf, no Favre and .......

Same with winning that final game of the year against the Cardinals in 1988. If we lost that game, we get the #1 pick and probably select Troy Aikman instead of Mandarich. What would the Packers have ended up looking like with Aikman?

MSU's Tony Mandarich was big NFL bust, then he rebuilt his life (lansingstatejournal.com)
 

mradtke66

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]The next 3 players drafted went on to HOF careers. Barry Sanders (3) Derrick Thomas (4) Deion Sanders (5). Imagine Barry Sanders on the mid 90's team. They may have won 3-4 Superbowls.

I doubt it.

Mandarich busting is what ultimately lead us to getting Wolf as GM. We get any of the others, we might hover just above .500, never fire Infante, never trade for Favre. Never secure Reggie White.

In short, we needed Mandarich and we needed him to fail.
 

El Guapo

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As soon as I saw the title, I wondered how one would set the criteria for the "worst" list. None were set forth. As Amish said, you could call almost every try-out player or UDFA who never cracks the lineup as the worst. Worst draft pick (Mandarich)? Worst trade? Worst FA signing (Joe Johnson maybe???)? Worst player to start X games or be on the roster X seasons (Justin Harrell)? Lots of ways to chop that onion. Worst influence/impact on the team....then a Charles Martin, Mandarich, etc.

I'll drop another name out there for the *worst* list in Terrell Buckley. For the hype coming from the media, and the hype coming from the player, he was a great disappointment. He did fair better later in his career, for the Dolphins maybe? I can't remember.

I do like your description of why you put Favre down on the list. That is an extremely concise and accurate assessment of his impact on the team. He lived and died by his own sword.
 

El Guapo

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9. QB - Rich Campbell: the Cal not-so-golden bear who unfortunately happened to don a Packer jersey
I seem to remember **** Corrick saying that this pick by Bart left him dumbfounded. They had Ronnie Lott rated off the charts on their draft board, with Campbell much much lower, yet Bart pulled the trigger. Oh what could have been.

Don Horn was another 1st round whiff in '67. Maybe Vince would have been able to push Don to be a better QB but it just never happened under Bengston.

Jerry Tagge was yet another 1st rounder that floundered this time under Dan Devine. He didn't last long either.
 
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PackerfaninCarolina

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Agreed. When I think of "worst" I think of either a guy we used a first rounder on and he did nothing or very little or a Free Agent/resign that also didn't earn the investment.

I will mention one that hasn't been mentioned yet, Bruce Clark. Technically, he never played for the Packers but they selected Clark in the first round (fourth pick overall) of the 1980 NFL Draft and he refused to play for them, opting to join the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL instead. I think if my memory serves me correct, they knew ahead of time that it was distinct possibility that he wouldn't play for the Packers, yet the Packers still wasted the pick on him. The only upside was that when Clark wanted to come back and play in the NFL, the Packers still had the rights to him. They ended up getting the Saints #1 pick (#11) in exchange for those rights. With that pick the took Tim Lewis, a stud CB that ended up having his career cut short after 4 years due to a neck injury.


I was picking guys by worst performances memorable on the field, as opposed to unused draft picks like Brian Brohm if you will.
 
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PackerfaninCarolina

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Fyi Hundley was a 5th Rd pick who GB needed to step up in his 2nd year due to a Rodgers injury. He wasn't ready...but to be #1 worst? C'mon, man.

It was his 3rd year and yes I'm ranking him as the worst Packer of all time. Nothing but a dumb*** who barely was able to call signals.
 

lambeaulambo

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1. Reggie White - no question about it - super power could play any DL position and dominate and could do it in today's game, he would toss any one of our OL right now like a rag doll.
2. Don Hutson - the man brought the legacy to the packers.
3. Brett Favre - 16 years of gunslinger - the epitomy of blood and guts.
4. Ray Nitschke - the man was a war horse...he might be the MOST underrated LB of all time.
5. Aaron Rodgers - the skill he brings puts him in the top 10 easily.
6. Sterling Sharpe - a shortened career does not deny him a seat at this table, just an absolute freak physically and skill wise.
7. Donald Driver - super fly in his prime was absolutely electric.
8. Herb Adderley - the guy could literally do it all
9. Devante Adams - Sorry Lofton, he is so much better
10. Charles Woodson - this man was a football player's football player...cat-like skills, coverage and being able to react.

and now for the bad:

1. Bruce Clark - refused to play in gb, enuff said.
2. Tony Mandarich - roid use and overblown scouting set him up.
3. Charles Martin - disgraced the team with his extracurriculars
4. Haha Clinton Dix - sorry but there is a reason why he is no longer in the league, uncoachable
5. Joe Johnson - the packers org got little on this investment
6. Jamal Reynolds - got no push, or very little
7. Justin Harrell - big and beefy but had little impact
8. Barry Smith - the early 70's pick that was a complete wash
9. Jerry Tagge - wow its amazing he was a 1st rounder
10. Ahmad Carroll - toasty...again what were the scouts looking at?
 
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PackerfaninCarolina

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Tony Mandarich needs to be on the list of worst Packers of all time. I don't want to argue too much about lists like that as those are solely based on subjective opinions but Howard is definitely ranked too high in my opinion.

No he isn't. He holds the record in Green Bay for punt return yards (875), most punt return TDs in a season (3), and of course a SB MVP. He definitely stands as Green Bay's greatest special teams return guy apart from possibly Roell Preston.
 

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No he isn't. He holds the record in Green Bay for punt return yards (875), most punt return TDs in a season (3), and of course a SB MVP. He definitely stands as Green Bay's greatest special teams return guy apart from possibly Roell Preston.
Travis Williams
 

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1. Reggie White - no question about it - super power could play any DL position and dominate and could do it in today's game, he would toss any one of our OL right now like a rag doll.
2. Don Hutson - the man brought the legacy to the packers.
3. Brett Favre - 16 years of gunslinger - the epitomy of blood and guts.
4. Ray Nitschke - the man was a war horse...he might be the MOST underrated LB of all time.
5. Aaron Rodgers - the skill he brings puts him in the top 10 easily.
6. Sterling Sharpe - a shortened career does not deny him a seat at this table, just an absolute freak physically and skill wise.
7. Donald Driver - super fly in his prime was absolutely electric.
8. Herb Adderley - the guy could literally do it all
9. Devante Adams - Sorry Lofton, he is so much better
10. Charles Woodson - this man was a football player's football player...cat-like skills, coverage and being able to react.

and now for the bad:

1. Bruce Clark - refused to play in gb, enuff said.
2. Tony Mandarich - roid use and overblown scouting set him up.
3. Charles Martin - disgraced the team with his extracurriculars
4. Haha Clinton Dix - sorry but there is a reason why he is no longer in the league, uncoachable
5. Joe Johnson - the packers org got little on this investment
6. Jamal Reynolds - got no push, or very little
7. Justin Harrell - big and beefy but had little impact
8. Barry Smith - the early 70's pick that was a complete wash
9. Jerry Tagge - wow its amazing he was a 1st rounder
10. Ahmad Carroll - toasty...again what were the scouts looking at?
Speaking of bad, shouldn’t Mossy Cade be getting some mention?
 

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