The NFL Draft is the lifeblood of a successful franchise. If you don’t draft well, the odds are you won’t be a consistent winner in this league.

The Green Bay Packers have enjoyed success in the draft in recent years, adding Pro Bowl players like Jaire Alexander and Kenny Clark in the first round and Davante Adams and Elgton Jenkins in the second round.

The Pack has also found gems on day three of the draft, adding players like Aaron Jones, Micah Hyde and Corey Linsley in the later rounds.

But the third round of the draft hasn’t produced many useful players in recent years. In fact, it’s been more than a decade since the Pack got good value in the third round of the draft. Starting in 2011, almost every third round pick the Packers have made has been a disappointment for one reason or another.

In 2011, the Pack selected running back Alex Green with the 96^th overall pick. The former Hawaii star lasted only two seasons in Green Bay, starting a total of four games. He suffered a torn ACL as a rookie and his career was derailed as a result. In two seasons with the Packers, he gained 475 yards on 138 carries, a 3.4-yard average. He did not score a touchdown.

He later played one season with the New York Jets and spent time in Canada.

The Pack didn’t have third-round picks in 2012 and 2013 but had a pair in 2014. First, the team selected defensive lineman Khyri Thornton with the 85^th overall pick. Thornton never played a regular-season game for the Packers. He spent his entire rookie year on the injured reserve and was waived in training camp in 2015. The Lions signed Thornton who played three seasons with them, starting six games and recording one career sack.

With their second pick in the third round in 2014, the Pack added tight end Richard Rodgers. The former Cal star lasted four seasons in Green Bay and is their most productive third-round pick since 2011. His best season came in 2015 when he caught 58 passes for 510 yards and eight touchdowns. All those marks were career highs.

Rodgers never had much speed as a receiver but had good hands and was a willing blocker. He added depth to the tight end position and played for the Eagles from 2018 through 2021. In four seasons with the Packers, he caught 120 passes for a 9.7-yard average and 13 touchdowns. His most famous moment came when he caught Aaron Rodgers’ Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game to beat Detroit in Week 13 of 2015.

In 2015, the Packers added wide receiver Ty Montgomery with the 94^th overall pick. Montgomery was eventually converted to running back when injuries struck there. He started a total of 14 games in four seasons with the Packers. His most productive season came in 2016 when he ran for 457 yards and caught 34 passes for 348 yards. He has since bounced around the league, playing for the Ravens, Jets and Saints.

In 2016, the Packers drafted outside linebacker Kyler Fackrell in the third round. In four seasons with the team, he started nine games. His most productive season came in 2018 when he led the team with 10.5 sacks. But he never approached those numbers again. In 2020, he played for the Giants, joined the Chargers in 2021 and has now signed a deal with the Raiders for next season.

Defensive lineman Montravius Adams was the third round pick in 2017. Adams showed early promise but never really fulfilled it, starting just three games in four seasons with the Packers. He showed flashes of ability but no consistency and had just 1.5 sacks during his time in Green Bay.

GM Brian Gutekunst traded up to select linebacker Oren Burks in the third round in 2018. Burks had a strong training camp as a rookie but was injured during the preseason and never really recovered. Burks started seven total games in four years with the Pack and recorded half a sack.

He never found a role on defense, although he became a fixture on Green Bay’s struggling special teams. Burks has good speed but had issues with play recognition. He signed this offseason with the 49ers.

Tight end Jace Sternberger was the team’s third-round selection in 2019. The former Texas A&M star lasted just two seasons with the Packers, catching 12 passes for 114 yards and one touchdown. He was supposed to be able to stretch the field from the tight end position, but he never found the consistency needed to establish himself in Matt LaFleur’s offense. He was waived by the Packers after serving a suspension to start the 2021 season. He has since been on the practice squads of the Seahawks, the Washington Football Club and the Steelers.

It is still too soon to fairly judge the last two third round picks by the Packers. The jury is still out on Josiah Deguara, who missed most of his rookie injury due to injury and wide receiver Amari Rodgers, who had a disappointing first year in the NFL but is hoping to make a second-year jump in the coming season.

The last player the Packers drafted in the third round to exceed expectations was 2010’s Morgan Burnett. He spent eight seasons with the Packers and became a very good defensive back for the team. The others have either disappointed, suffered injuries that derailed their career or just didn’t work out as well as expected.

The Packers are hoping to end this drought in the third round this season. It’s time for a third round pick to make a major contribution to the Packers success. The team has been waiting for more than a decade.