The Green Bay Packers have seen a lot of success via the NFL Draft over the years and a recent ESPN article is giving them the praise they deserve.

The four-letter network recently came out with a "Top-50 Draft Steals Since 2013" article that went through and listed, well, the top-50 draft steals over the last decade.

Several teams didn't make the cut and several teams looked really, really good. The Packers were of the latter and actually, tied for the most players, with four, on the list.



Who were they? Let's dive in.

Four Packers That Made ESPN’s Top-50 Draft Steals Since 2013

No. 3: WR Davante Adams

Drafted: No. 53 in 2014 (Green Bay Packers)Career stats: 769 receptions for 9,637 yards and 87 TDs in nine seasonsSince entering the NFL from Fresno State, Adams has been a constant in the conversation for the league’s best receiver. He has proven that great route-running and sticky hands are a winning recipe year in and year out, including in 2022 after being traded to the Raiders. In his first season without Aaron Rodgers, Adams caught 100 passes for 1,516 yards and 14 scores. NFL teams initially passed on Adams because of speed concerns, but that hasn’t been an issue in the pros. – Matt Miller, ESPN

Adams is easily the first player to make the list, even if he's currently with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Regardless, the Packers obviously struck gold with Adams. Since 2014, he leads the NFL with 87 receiving touchdowns and he's recorded the second-most receptions (769) for the fourth-most yards (9,637). He was a major part of the offense during his time in Green Bay and was obviously missed last year.

The Packers have some young wideouts in Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and others looking to fill Adams' shoes. Who knows? Maybe we'll see them in a  rendition of this post in a few years.

No. 11: LT David Bakhtiari

An extremely serious knee injury has caused Bakhtiari to miss 23 of 50 games since 2020 and it looked like his career was potentially over there for a little bit.

That fact alone makes his nearly-top-10 ranking on this list all the more impressive.

Drafted: No. 109 in 2013 (Green Bay Packers)Career stats: 130 starts, 94.6% pass block win rate and 77.7% run block win rate in 10 seasonsAs the ninth offensive tackle drafted in the 2013 NFL draft, Bakhtiari was slotted to backup longtime starter Bryan Bulaga. But Bulaga tore an ACL in training camp, and the Day 3 pick was thrust into the starting lineup and never left it. Since the 2013 season, he has been a five-time All-Pro, a three-time Pro Bowler and one of the league’s most consistent left tackles. – Matt Miller, ESPN

Before the injury, Bakhtiari signed a massive four-year, $92 million contract because of his four-straight All-Pro nods and two total Pro Bowl selections from 2016-2019. Hell, he even made a fifth-straight All-Pro and a second-straight Pro Bowl after the 2020 season despite missing four games and the Packers' postseason run.

Pre-injury, he was easily the best left tackle in the game and that is a very valuable asset to have in the NFL. Especially with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.

It'll be interesting to see how Bakhtiari plays this year. He's the healthiest he's been in years and he'll have Elgton Jenkins next to him, which should form one of the NFL's best -if not the best- left sides when it's all said and done.

And speaking of Jenkins… 

No. 36: G Elgton Jenkins

The versatile offensive lineman was given his proper respects, as well. There's a strong case to be made that Jenkins is the most underrated OL in the game. The dude has played all five positions since coming into the NFL and he's made a Pro Bowl as a guard and tackle. He even made the Pro Bowl last year after suffering his own knee injury in 2021.

Drafted: No. 44 in 2019 (Green Bay Packers)Career stats: 53 starts, 93.4% pass block win rate and 74.9% run block win rate in four seasonsJenkins was arguably the most versatile blocker in the 2019 class, and he became a starter during his second season in the pros. His ability to play all five spots up front has carried over into the NFL, as he has recorded starts at center, guard and tackle during his four-year career. Jenkins is a key part of the Packers’ line and earned a four-year, $68 million extension in December. – Jordan Reid, ESPN

The fifth-year player was also given a massive contract of his own last year, so he'll be around for a while. The Packers love versatile offensive linemen and Jenkins is a very good fit for what Matt LaFleur likes to do on the ground and through the air.

In other words: Jenkins should continue to climb this list as the years pass.

No. 46: C Corey Linsley

Linsley stormed onto the scene as a rookie and turned into one of the NFL's best centers over the next seven years of his career with the Packers. Unfortunately, that relationship came to an end when he signed a five-year, $62.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021.

Drafted: No. 161 in 2014 (Green Bay Packers)Career stats: 129 starts, 94.7% pass block win rate and 70% run block win rate in nine seasonsAfter being selected in the fifth round, Linsley was quickly forced into action after the Packers suffered injuries early in the 2015 season. He became Green Bay’s mainstay at center and held that spot for the next seven seasons before signing a lucrative free agent deal with the Chargers. Linsley has only been attributed six sacks allowed over the past three seasons. – Jordan Reid, ESPN

Linsley is still playing at a high level, too. He earned a second-straight All-Pro and his first Pro Bowl nod during his first year with the Chargers. Per Pro Football Focus, he finished with the eighth-best overall blocking grade among centers with at least 591 blocking snaps and he was one of seven centers to give up zero sacks out of the 32 qualifying players. His five total pressures allowed led all centers matching the above criteria, as well.

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It's pretty damn impressive to have the most players, here, but the biggest takeaway is the Packers' draft success is a big reason why they've had so much sustained success over the years. Sure, having a Hall of Fame quarterback in Rodgers helps, but at the same time, the franchise has done a very good job of scouting and landing some major steals in the draft.

You can check out ESPN's full article, here.

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Featured image via Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK