What provides the most excitement in an NFL game? Probably offense, right? A deep shot down the field from the quarterback to a receiver, a long run by a running back, a powerful scamper after the catch by a tight end, at least for the more casual fans, it's the offensive stars that put butts in seats. Those positions are commonly referred to as "skill positions," and you need good ones on your team if you're going to find any success. 

Last week, many NFL franchises selected skill position players who sent shock waves of excitement through their fan base for the upcoming season. But Green Bay Packers fans were not among them. That's because the Packers didn't select a single skill position player in this year's draft. There were some small expectations around a possible tight end, backup quarterback, or even a running back being selected by Green Bay, but none of those expectations came to fruition. The Packers selected players at areas of need, and currently, they have a good list of options at each skill position. So, the need may not have been great enough, or players available may not have been enticing enough to pull the trigger.

But it hit me. We're so used to at least a wide receiver or a running back in the late rounds for competition. When was the last time the Packers didn't select a single one? So, I did some research. This is the first skill position-free draft since 2004. Okay, to those of us over the age of 30, that's not that long ago. Oh, and do yourself a favor and don't look back at that draft, it'll bring back long-suppressed nightmares. But before 2004, there wasn't a single Packers draft without a selection who would've qualified as a skill position player. 

Just to clarify, quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end are classified as skill positions. Our kicker taken in the sixth round would be classified as a "specialist."

This is actually a statistical anomaly across the NFL. As far as I could find, the Green Bay Packers are the only team in history to not select a single skill position player in the modern draft era. And they've done it twice. Not sure if we're going to add that to the list of accomplishments on the Lambeau Field facade, but it's a historical tidbit nonetheless. 

Why make history now?

It's very doubtful that Brian Gutekunst was aiming to pull off this historical event this year. He addressed this year's draft as being "unique" in that they felt good about the core around Jordan Love, which allowed them to more directly address positions of need in the draft. Which, of course, not many would argue would be cornerback, offensive, and defensive line. 

Gute expressed excitement for last year's receivers drafted early (Matthew Golden and Savion Williams) and for them to have more clearly defined roles in the absence of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks. He also noted that he viewed the QB class as "light" this year, with the depth of talent at the position not being as exciting as in other years. 

Despite the lack of attention during the draft, the Packers did set out to sign UDFA skill position players like QB Kyron Drones from VA Tech, RB Jaden Nixon from UCF, WR J. Michael Sturdivant from Florida, and TEs RJ Maryland of SMU and Eni Falayi of Wake Forest. So, the positions aren't being completely ignored. 

In a league often obsessed with the next big offensive star, the Packers chose to improve their defense and strengthen a few holes. While it's true that they're the only team to give skill positions the draft day cold shoulder, they’re also one of the few with the roster depth to even try it. The Packers' 2026 draft likely didn't put new butts in the seats from an offensive perspective, but if this attention to the defense holds up, Packers fans won't mind it at all.