Before to the Covid-era, the Green Bay Packers often used pre-draft visits, both under general manager Ted Thompson and Brian Gutekunst, as a recruiting arm of undrafted free agent recruiting. Once in-person meetings with prospects were more difficult over the 2020 and 2021 classes though — leading to an abnormal amount of “draft busts” league-wide — the Packers changed how they allocated the 30 prospect visits they are allotted each offseason by the NFL.
Don’t believe me? Below are all of the draft picks that Gutekunst has brought into the facility for a pre-draft visit over the last three years:
- #28, 2022: Devonte Wyatt, DT
- #34, 2022: Christian Watson, WR
- #45, 2024: Edgerrin Cooper, LB
- #91, 2024: Ty’Ron Hopper, LB
- #116, 2023: Sean Clifford, QB
- #132, 2022: Romeo Doubs, WR
- #159, 2023: Dontayvion Wicks, WR
- #169, 2024: Kitan Oladapo, S
- #179, 2023: Karl Brooks, DT
- #228, 2022: Tariq Carpenter, S
- #235, 2023: Lew Nichols III
- #249, 2022: Rasheed Walker, OT
- #258, 2022: Samori Toure, WR
Beyond just draft picks, the Packers signed five pre-draft visit players as post-draft free agents: Jahmir Johnson, Kadeem Telfort, Camren McDonald, Donovan Jennings and Omar Brown.