The NFL and its fans are in full off-season mode. In just over 10 days the NFL combine kicks off. In mid-March, the new league year will start and then in April is the draft. There is a lot of time for discussing what the Packers will do with both of their first round picks. As fans have been seeing various mock drafts and prospects that would be good fits for the organization, I’ve been wondering who the Packers selected when they previously held the number 12 pick?

But first, let’s take a look at all of the picks the team has to work with this year. Taking into account that General Manager Brian Gutekunst doesn’t move any of these picks. There is a possibility that he could trade away some of them to move up. He has a lot of flexibility.

  • Round 1, Pick 12 (12th overall)
  • Round 1, Pick 30 (30th overall) – from New Orleans
  • Round 2, Pick 12 (44th overall)
  • Round 3, Pick 12 (76th overall)
  • Round 4, Pick 12 (108th overall)
  • Round 4, Pick 16 (112th overall) – from Washington
  • Round 5, Pick 12 (140th overall)
  • Round 6, Pick 12 (172nd overall)
  • Round 6, Pick 22 (182nd overall) – from Seattle
  • Round 7, Pick 12 (204th overall)

That is quite the arsenal of draft picks the GM Gutekunst has to work with. The Packers not only have two picks in the first round to work with but they have six picks inside the top 112 overall. This should definitely provide them with the assets to improve the overall depth and talent on the team.

The team has only drafted in the 12th position 4 other times since 1936. If they stay at number 12 this year, it will be the 5th time they are making a selection in that position. Their previous selections were:

  • 1961 – Herb Adderley, Cornerback, Michigan State
  • 1969 – Rich Moore, Defensive Tackle, Villanova
  • 1974 – Barty Smith, Running Back, Richmond
  • 1984 – Alphonso Carreker, Defensive End, Florida State

The most well known of that group is Herb Adderley. He is a three-time Super Bowl Champion, 5-time NFL Champion, 5-time Pro Bowler, part of the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team, a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, and also is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This is the type of accomplishments you hope your first round pick receives.

Rich Moore played two seasons with the Packers before tearing his Achilles tendon. Packer fans from the 1960s and 1970s remember Moore as one of the most disappointing draft selections in team history. Especially since there was Hall of Fame players selected after him.

Barty Smith played 7 seasons for the Green Bay Packers from 1974 – 1980. He ranks 22nd on the Packers all-time rushing list with 1,942 yards. He tallied 18 career rushing touchdowns. Smith was also the Packers offensive player of the year in 1977.

Alphonso Carreker was a defensive end who play 5 seasons for the Green and Gold. He ranks 22nd on the Packers all-time sack list with 18.5 sacks.

The Green Bay Packers as an organization have had some hits and misses in the limited selections they made from the 12th spot. Drafting that high should provide GM Gutekunst with the possibility of bringing in an impact player. There was a lot to forget from this past season, but the off-season, free agency and draft should provide Packer fans with plenty of reasons to be excited about next season.

Anthony Haag is a writer for PackersTalk.com. He has been a Packers fan since the day he was born and truly bleeds green and gold. He makes annual visits to Lambeau Field and has attended his fair share of games. You can follow Anthony on Twitter at @anthony_haag