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Re-grading Packers’ 2020 offseason: Draft picks, free agency, etc

By Brian Sampson

Dec 4, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) and quarterback Jordan Love (10) listen to head coach Matt LaFleur during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. The Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears 28-19. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) and quarterback Jordan Love (10) listen to head coach Matt LaFleur during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. The Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears 28-19. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports /
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The 2020 offseason was a controversial one for general manager Brian Gutekunst and the Green Bay Packers.

They selected the apparent heir to Aaron Rodgers by moving up in the first round and angering him in the process. They also let a couple of veterans walk in free agency, which drew the ire of the fan base at the time.

In an attempt to review every move Gutekunst has made in his current role, I went draft-by-draft and am now working my way through the offseasons to hand out grades for every move. Here are the previous articles in the series:

Let’s review the Green Bay Packers’ laid-back 2020 offseason and grade their draft, free agency signings, departures, and more.

Draft Picks

QB Jordan Love, RB AJ Dillon, TE Josiah Deguara, LB Kamal Martin, OL Jon Runyan Jr., OL Jake Hanson, OL Simon Stepaniak, S Vernon Scott, OLB Jonathan Garvin

Jordan Love’s play over the next year-plus will significantly sway this grade one way or another. He’s the gem of the draft class and could make this Gutekunst’s best class or one of his worst. Most of this class is still around heading into Year Three, but there are no studs. Runyan was a steal.

Grade: C

Offseason Losses

FB Dan Vitale, WR Geronimo Allison, TE Jimmy Graham, OT Bryan Bulaga, DE/OLB Kyler Fackrell, LB Blake Martinez, LB B.J. Goodson, CB Tramon Williams.

The Packers had to make some tough decisions, waiving Jimmy Graham and letting Bulaga, Fackrell, and Martinez walk in free agency. However, they were mostly the right ones. Green Bay’s salary cap has begun tightening already with the contracts of Rodgers, Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith and others ramping up.

Grade: B

Free Agency Signings

WR Devin Funchess, OT Ricky Wagner, LB Christian Kirksey.

This is a very underwhelming class. Devin Funchess didn’t play due to covid and was released the following year. Ricky Wagner was a solid swing tackle but didn’t stick around for long. And Christian Kirksey was a miss at the inside linebacker position. He was brought over due to his familiarity with defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s scheme.

Grade: D+

Overall Grade

Other notable moves include signing Krys Barnes and signing Kenny Clark to a contract extension.

The Packers went 13-3 and reached the NFC Championship for the second straight season. Unfortunately, they couldn’t get over the hump and lost narrowly to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Head Coach Matt LaFleur defied the odds in his second year, as most critics believed 2019 was a fluke. The drafting of Love also lit a fire under Rodgers, who won the MVP award by throwing for 4299 yards and 48 touchdowns. Maybe Gute deserves a higher grade for finding a way to improve the best player on his team.

Grade: C

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