Green Bay Packers Dream Team

As players get bigger, stronger and faster coupled with rules of

the game being in constant change, conventional wisdom

suggests that players from different eras cannot be compared.

However, I have decided to defy that notion. 

Considering that the Green Bay Packers’ greatness spans

multiple generations, the task becomes even more challenging.

Today, I have taken on the daunting task of compiling an All-Time

Packers team. When it comes to tradition and success, the Packers

are a Mt. Rushmore franchise. The Packers were founded in 1919,

have won 11 NFL Championships and four Super Bowls. 

There are some rigid criteria. The player needed to have played at

least four seasons as a Packer. Since the free agency era began

30 years ago, that standard needs to be in place. Two-year rentals

don’t make this list. Being in the Hall of Fame is the first

consideration coupled with impact on the franchise. The number of

All-Pro seasons are a top consideration with longevity also

helping immensely. While I understand it is hard to compare eras,

I’m not going to convolute this discussion. 

Generational reminders

All eras matter. Though the Packers have done a lot of winning,

there were times of struggle after the Vince Lombardi era, specifically

from 1968-1991. From 1992-present, though the Packers have won

only two Super Bowls, they have often been a serious contender

most of those seasons. Winning or losing eras, all high-level

performers get considered. 

To further the challenge, we are constructing the roster in two-deep

format, which means some worthy players get left off the list. So,

before you make a case to put someone on the list, ask yourself,

“Who do I take off the list at that position?”  

OFFENSE

QB -- First team: Brett Favre Honorable mention: Bart Starr,

Aaron Rodgers. 

This is a position where you make an exception and take

three quarterbacks. Why not? Starr and Favre are in the Hall of

Fame. Rodgers will be there the first year he is eligible. The easy
choice would be Starr but Favre gets the nod because he brought
the Packers back to prominence after a two-decade stretch of
falling into the abyss. The Packers were known for the “Power
Sweep” but Starr led his team to greatness with incredible poise
with five championship rings. Favre and Rodgers each have a
Super Bowl ring and carried the Packers to numerous other
victories. 

RB -- First team: Johnny “Blood” McNally, Tony Canadeo,

Honorable mention: Paul Hornung, Ahman Green

Canadeo was one of the most versatile players in franchise history.

His career took a brief hiatus in 1945 because of World War II.

Canadeo, who is in the Hall of Fame, was the first Packer in

franchise history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. In two

stints with the Packers, McNally was incredibly versatile in helping

the Packers win four NFL titles in the 1930s. McNally is a member

of the inaugural Pro Football Hall of Fame class. You’d be hard-

pressed to find a better running back tandem than Hornung and

Jim Taylor. Hornung, who is also a Hall of Famer, was one of the

most versatile players in NFL history. He was the NFL MVP in

1961. Green is the Packers all time leading rusher. The four-time

Pro Bowler also caught 378 passes. 

FB -- First team: Jim Taylor, Honorable mention: Clarke

Hinkle. 

Taylor is a Hall-of-Famer and the best fullback in NFL history not

named Jim Brown. Taylor was equally ferocious as a blocker and

runner. Hinkle played from 1932-1941 and was the NFL’s all-time

leading rusher at the time of his retirement. 

WR -- First team: Don Hutson, Donald Driver. Honorable mention:

James Lofton, Sterling Sharpe.

Hutson is perhaps the best Packer of all-time regardless of position.

He played from 1935-1945 but was ahead of his time. Hutson was

catching passes before it was en vogue to do so and still holds a

handful of records. Driver gets the nod over Lofton and Sharpe for

Packer longevity. Driver went from seventh-round pick from Alcorn

State to consistent 13-year veteran, also helping Green Bay win the

Super Bowl in 2010. Though Lofton played during some lean years,

he was still one of the best receivers in franchise history. He was the

first Packer to be inducted in the Hall of Fame in the post-Vince

Lombardi era. With Sharpe, it’s a case of “what might have been.”

Sharpe was forced to retire after seven years with a neck injury but

the five-time All Pro led the NFL in receptions three times and has

sweat equity in getting the Packers back to prominence in the

1990s. 

TE -- First team: Paul Coffman, Honorable mention: Mark Chmura. 

Coffman played for the Packers during some hard times from 1978-

1985 but was an outstanding pass catcher. Imagine if he was

catching passes from Starr, Favre or Rodgers. Chmura was a

Packer for seven seasons, three of which were Pro Bowl campaigns.

He was Favre’s security blanket. 

OT -- First team: Cal Hubbard, Forest Gregg, Honorable mention:

Chad Clifton, Buford Ray. 

You could make a case for Gregg being the best offensive lineman

in NFL history. Gregg is a seven-time first-team All Pro and a Hall of

Famer. Hubbard played from 1929-1935. The Hall of Famer was a

vital cog for the franchise’s first three NFL championship teams.

Clifton made just two Pro Bowls in 11 seasons but was a stalwart

blindside tackle and as big of a reason as any why Favre and

Rodgers were so durable. Ray was a four-time All Pro in ten seasons

(1938-1948), playing for two NFL championship teams. 

OG -- First team: Mike Michalske, Jerry Kramer, Honorable

mention: Marco Rivera, Fuzzy Thurston. 

Michalske, who played from 1929-1937, had a Hall of Fame career

on the way to three NFL championships and seven All Pro seasons.

He also served as an assistant coach as a player under Curly

Lambeau. Kramer, who at last made the Hall of Fame in 2018, led

many Power Sweeps for Hornung and Taylor. The seven-time All Pro

helped Green Bay reach the pro football summit seven times.

Thurston was underrated in the importance of the Packers’ success,

if that’s possible for a six-time All Pro that played for six NFL

champions and two Super Bowl champions. Rivera was a two-time

All Pro in eight seasons but mostly fit the steady and reliable category. 

C-- First team: Jim Ringo, Honorable mention: Frank Winters. 

Ringo, who is a Hall of Famer, was an integral part in leading the

Power Sweep in his ten years at center. Undersized at 211 pounds

but he was very athletic. Ringo was a seven-time All Pro who played

on NFL champions. Winters had just one Pro Bowl season in ten

years but protected Favre magnificently and opened many holes in

the running game. 

DEFENSE

DE -- First team: Reggie White, Willie Davis, Honorable mention:

Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, Aaron Kampman. 

Imagine a tandem of Reggie White and Willie Davis. Good luck.

With apologies to New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees,

White was the best free agent signing in NFL history. Along with

the aforementioned Favre, White brought glory back to Green Bay.

White, who is in the Hall of Fame, averaged 11 sacks per season

in six years as a Packer and was NFL Defensive Player of the Year

in 1998. Like White, Davis is also in the Hall of Fame. Davis was

often overshadowed by Los Angeles Rams legend Deacon Jones

but was equally great. Imagine if sacks were an official stat in

Davis’ day. Gbaja-Biamila entered the 2000 draft with the dreaded

“tweener” label. Though he made just one Pro Bowl, KGB had 74.5

sacks in eight seasons. Kampman played seven years with the

Packers, totaling 58 sacks and two Pro Bowl seasons. 

DT -- First team: Henry Jordan, Gilbert Brown, Honorable mention:  

Dave Hanner, BJ Raji. 

Jordan was a five-time All Pro in 12 seasons and played on five

NFL championships and two Super Bowl champions. Jordan was

a tenacious competitor. Brown did not have the All Pro or Pro

Bowl accolades but he was bigger than most people’s first

apartments. Brown, who was known as the “grave digger,”

consumed double-teams. Hanner was a durable and consistent

player, starting 160 of a possible 164 regular season games. He

was a two-time Pro Bowl, playing for two NFL champions. Raji

was a behemoth at 337 pounds. Like Brown, he engulfed double-

teams. Though his Packer career was just six years, he was a Pro

Bowler in 2011 and helped the franchise win its fourth Super Bowl. 

OLB -- First team: Dave Robinson, John Anderson, Honorable

mention: Tim Harris, Lee Roy Caffey. 

Not to be confused with the legendary San Antonio Spurs center,

this version of Robinson was an underrated cog in the Packers

defense in a Hall of Fame career. Robinson was tough and

versatile. Anderson and Harris played for Harris played on mostly

subpar Packer teams. Anderson was a consistent performer, who

made the All Decade 1980s team. Harris was a two-time All Pro in

five years with the infamous six gun sack celebration. Caffey played

for five different teams but shined brightest as a Packer in five

seasons, one All Pro and one Pro Bowl. He helped Green Bay win

three straight NFL titles from 1965-1967. 

ILB -- First team: Ray Nitschke, Clay Matthews, Honorable

mention: Nick Barnett, Bill Forester. 

Nitschke, who is in the Hall of Fame, is one of the premier defensive

players of all-time regardless of era. He was ferocious against the

run and more athletic than people think, 25 interceptions in 14

seasons. Matthews, who is now a Los Angeles Ram, was one of

the best Packer stars of the modern era. The six-time Pro Bowl had

his best season in 2010 which resulted in a Packers’ Super Bowl

title. Matthews could play inside or outside. Forester was versatile

in playing both inside linebacker and defensive tackle. The end of

his career was the rise of the Lombardi era. Barnett was an

underrated and consistent starter in seven seasons. He was All Pro

in 2007 and helped win the Super Bowl in 2010. 

CB -- Herb Aderley, Charles Woodson, Honorable mention: Bob

Jeter, Al Harris. 

The term “shutdown corner” was not a label in Adderley’s era (1961-

1969) but he performed like one. Adderley, who is in the Hall of

Fame, recorded 39 interceptions in his Packers career. Woodson is

the best free agent signing in franchise history after White.

Though Woodson is known for his two stints as an Oakland Raider,

his best seasons came as a Packer (2006-2012), including the

team’s Super Bowl winning season in 2010. Hall of Fame is just a

matter of formality. Jeter went from Canadian Football League

running back to seldom used receiver when becoming a Packer to

two-time All Pro. Harris played for five different teams but his seven

as a shutdown corner for the Packers stood out most. 

Safety -- First team: Willie Wood, Leroy Butler.  Honorable

mention: Bobby Dillon, Nick Collins

There is not a more legendary safety in Packer history than Wood,

who is in the Hall of Fame. The five-time All Pro was part of

seven championship teams (five NFL titles, two Super Bowls).

Wood remains second in team history with 48 interceptions. Butler

helped the Packers return to glory in the 1990s. He is the first safety

in NFL history to record 30 or more interceptions and 20 or more

sacks. Butler is Hall of Fame worthy. Dillon played for the Packers

during some lean, pre-Vince Lombardi years from 1952-1959 but

remains the franchise's all-time leader with 52 interceptions. Collins

gets the nod over Emlen Tunnell based on Packer longevity. Collins

was a three-time All Pro in seven seasons and a member of the

2010 Super Bowl team. 

SPECIAL TEAMS

K -- First team: Mason Crosby. Honorable mention: Ryan

Longwell

Crosby and Longwell may lack the All Pro accolades but it’s hard to

ignore that they are No. 1 and 2 in the franchise’s all-time leading

scorer. The former remains active. Both were accurate, clutch and

threats from long distance. 

P -- First team: Craig Hentrich Honorable mention: Tim Masthay.

Hentrich avraged 42.8 yards per punt and had 104 punts downed

inside the 20-yard line. Masthay averaged 44.2 yards per punt and

had 132 downed inside the 20. Hentrich and Masthay played five

and seven seasons respectively in Green Bay. 

Returner -- First team: Desmond Howard  Honorable mention:

Randall Cobb. 

Howard returned both punts and kickoffs but was a bigger threat as

a punt returner, averaging 13.8 yards per return. His kickoff return

for a touchdown in Super Bowl XXXI ranks high in Packers lore.

Cobb averaged 9.3 yards as a punt returner and 25.9 on kickoffs. 

Head coach -- First team: Vince Lombardi, Curly Lambeau. 

Though modern day coaches Mike Holmgren and Mike McCarthy

had ample success, it’s pretty cut and dried for Lombardi and

Lambeau. Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun founded the

franchise in 1919. Lambeau coached the Packers for 28 years

(1921-1949), guiding them to six NFL championships. Lombardi

was a master motivator in guiding the franchise to five NFL

championships and two Super Bowl titles. Lombardi popularized

the Packer sweep, which stemmed from an old single wing concept. 

Team -- 1962. The Packers have an embarrassment of riches in

this category but the 1962 team gets the nod. This version of Green

Bay went 13-1 winning by an average of more than three scores.

The roster also had 11 Hall of Famers.