In the span of just three drafts, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst selected players in the third round that wouldn’t even play two seasons’ worth of games for the franchise.
Wide receiver Amari Rodgers, the 85th overall pick in the 2021 draft, joined tight end Jace Sternberger, the 75th overall pick in the 2019 draft, as failed third-round picks who caught a combined 20 passes over 38 total games in Green Bay.
The Packers released Rodgers on Tuesday. The second-year receiver fumbled away another punt as a returner on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, which finally led to his removal as the team’s primary punt returner. With little value on offense (nine touches over 201 snaps) and his job on special teams stripped, Rodgers no longer had functional value on the 53-man roster.
Rodgers played in 26 games for the Packers. He had nearly as many fumbles (seven) as caches (eight).
It’s a bit of deja vu for the Packers.
Sternberger caught 12 passes over 18 games between the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He was suspended to start his third season and then waived from the roster after being reinstated. Now out of football, Sternberger did deliver this viral tweet last month.
Gutekunst and the third round haven’t been compatible over five years of drafting.
He traded up in his first draft to get linebacker Oren Burks, who lasted four years in Green Bay but struggled with injuries early and was never dependable in a role bigger than special teams.
Sternberger was a massive bust.
Gutekunst’s third third-round pick, tight end Josiah Deguara, has 37 career catches in 28 games but at least has some value on the offense as a move tight end.
Rodgers was a massive bust.
This year’s third-round pick, Sean Rhyan, has been active for one game. He’s been a healthy scratch nine times, suggesting he’s in a true redshirt year as a rookie.
That’s not a lot of return for five top-100 picks, plus the draft pick capital used to trade up to get Burks and Rodgers.
The Packers also released running back Kylin Hill on Tuesday, meaning three picks from the 2021 draft are already out of Green Bay. Cole Van Lanen was traded to Jacksonville for a draft pick in August.
