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For a team that prides itself on winning championships, the Packers' title-less run through the 2000s will go down as somewhat of a disappointment, but that's not to say there weren't some great teams, moments, and players along the way.
So, let's take a look back at the very best Packer players of the past decade:
QB Brett Favre
Brett Favre was the most beloved Packer of the decade. He started every game at quarterback for the Pack from 2000-2007, leading his team to four division championships and 78 wins. Favre threw for 207 touchdowns over that span.
HB Ahman Green
Ahman Green was probably the best Packers' tailback since the glory days of Vince Lombardi. He rushed for 54 touchdowns for the Packers during his eight seasons in Green Bay.
His 2003 campaign was one of the best performances by any running back in the history of the NFL. That year, he ran for 1,883 yards and 15 touchdowns. Green was also a great receiver. He led the team in receptions on at least one occasion.
FB William Henderson
Henderson provided a steady presence for Packer teams of the 2000s. Always dependable, Henderson routinely started all 16 games for the Packers and was a selected to the Pro Bowl in 2004. When he retired, he was one of only two Packers remaining from the 1996 Super Bowl team, the other being Brett Favre.
WR Donald Driver
Driver was, by far, the best Packers’ receiver of the 2000’s. Driver caught at least 70 passes for over 1000 yards every season from 2004-2009. During the decade, Driver amassed over 9,000 yards receiving and 48 touchdowns. He will go down as one of the best receivers to ever play in Green Bay.
WR Greg Jennings
Greg Jennings is quickly becoming one of the better receivers in the NFL. In just four seasons, Jennings has totaled 3,957 yards and 28 touchdowns. He is arguably the biggest playmaker the Packers had during the past decade. His touchdown catch from Brett Favre in the 2007 overtime thriller in Denver was one of the greatest moments of the decade.
TE Bubba Franks
Drafted in the first round out of Miami, Franks became a dependable receiving threat for the Packers. During his eight seasons in Green Bay, Bubba had over 2,000 yards and 32 touchdowns. Franks was named to the Pro Bowl in 2001, 2002, and 2003.
2003 Offensive Line— LT Chad Clifton, LG Mike Wahle, C Mike Flanagan, RG Marco Rivera, RT Mark Tauscher
This line was just too good to not make this team in its entirety. The Packers’ 2003 offense was one of the best in history, and this line was the reason why. This unit paved the way for Ahman Green’s 1,800 yard rushing season while allowing Favre to pass for over 3,300 yards. Two of them, Flanagan and Rivera, were named to the Pro Bowl that season and all of them probably should have gone. They are well deserving of All-Decade status.
DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila
KGB’s career in Green Bay saw him go from a relatively unknown fifth-round pick to one of the fiercest pass rushers in the NFL. His 74.5 sacks rank No. 1 on the Packers’ all-time list, leaving him six ahead of the great Reggie White for his career. That’s saying something.
DT Ryan Pickett
Pickett was a big reason for the success of the Packers’ successful defenses of 2007 and 2009. In 2009, Pickett anchored a defense that led the NFL in rushing defense. His career cannot be measured in statistics. His ability to eat up blockers and make everyone else look better is why he’s on this team.
DT Corey Williams
Cletidus Hunt could be here too. Both players recorded around 17 sacks during their Packer careers. But I picked Williams here because of his large role in the Packers 2007 run to the NFC Championship. That year, Williams had seven sacks giving the Packers a solid pass-rush duo with Aaron Kampman.
DE Aaron Kampman
Kampman’s career in Green Bay got off to a slow start as he recorded only seven sacks over his first three years. Then he began to skyrocket toward stardom. Through his next four seasons, Kampman amassed 43.5 sacks, earning All-Pro honors twice.
LB Nick Barnett
Since being drafted in the first round of the 2003 draft, Nick Barnett has been the leader of the Packers’ defense. He was, by far, the most productive Packer linebacker of the 2000s, accounting for 763 tackles and 15.5 sacks.
LB AJ Hawk
As a fifth overall selection, many expected great things from AJ Hawk. Although he hasn’t lived up to all of his expectations, Hawk has turned in some pretty impressive seasons. His rookie year, AJ led the team with 120 total tackles. In his four-year career, Hawk has totaled a very respectable 400 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and five interceptions.
LB Nail Diggs
Diggs was a five-year starter for the Packers in the 2000s. During that time Diggs recorded 311 tackles, seven sacks, and four interceptions. He never had an outstanding season, but he was a solid starter for half of the decade.
CB Charles Woodson
No defensive player has been better for the Packers during the 2000’s than Charles Woodson. Since arriving in Green Bay from Oakland in 2006, Charles has intercepted 28 passes. That comes out to about one interception for every nine quarters played. In 2009 he took home top honors, winning NFL Defensive MVP.
CB Al Harris
Al Harris made his living being one of the nastiest cover men in the league. Known for his press coverage abilities, Harris dominated opponents at the line of scrimmage. Harris earned Pro Bowl honors in 2007 and 2008.
S Darren Sharper
Sharper was great in green and gold. He recorded 70-plus tackles three times and collected 31 interceptions over five seasons. Sharper was named to the Pro Bowl in 2002 and was the best player on the Packers defense from 2000-2004.
S Nick Collins
Nick Collins' career caught fire the last two seasons of the decade. His 13 interceptions over that span earned him consecutive Pro Bowl invitations. Collins started four seasons for the Packers during the 2000s.
K Ryan Longwell
The greatest kicker in Packers’ history. Longwell displayed great accuracy and clutch kicking ability for the Packers during the decade.
P Josh Bidwell
Since Bidwell left the Packers, the punting situation has been a mess. Bryan Barker, BJ Sander, Jon Ryan, Derrick, and Jeremy Kapinos have all been wildly inconsistent. Interestingly, this may be the most obvious pick of all.
Coach Mike McCarthy
McCarthy led the Packers to a 36-26 record over his four years as head coach. His 13-3 season earned him Coach of the Year honors and a trip to the NFC Championship game in 2007. It was the first time a Packers’ coach led his team to the NFC Championship since 1997, when Mike Holmgren’s Packers beat the Carolina Panthers.
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Snake's Take:
QB: Favre no brainer.
RB: Ahman was a beast.
FB: Henderson was a man of men and should be on ESPN as an analyst.
WR: Driver proved it. Jennings did enough. Javon Walker was a bitch.
TE: Franks was ok. Underwhelmed Snake, but the best we had I guess.
OT: 2003 Offensive Line— LT Chad Clifton, LG Mike Wahle, C Mike Flanagan, RG Marco Rivera, RT Mark Tauscher....Those guys were beasts for Ahman's runs and Brett's backside. Very underrated IMO. Really good line there.
DE: KJB (beast pass rusher) and Kampy (underrated and very good at DE).
DT: Pickett (short time but very good at DT) and CWilliams (fuck that...one good year...I'd take Gravy Train Grady Jackson over his punk ass).
LB: Barnett (easily), Hawk (hell no he shouldn't even start now, he's terrible), Diggs (he was ok as Packer, can't think of better 2000's LB's in place of him I guess). This should show how bad our LB's were in the 2000's. Damn. Just damn poor.
CB: Harris, Woodson (Yeppers...studs).
S: Sharper (always loved him and got 3rd in D player of year 2009 votes this year...) and Collins (he really beasted in 2008-2009).
K: Longwell (I love Applebee's).
P: Bidwell (Yep).
Coach: McFatty (Nope....Shermy had a better record, more playoff success....McFatty hasn't done shit). I liked going 10-6 or 12-4 yearly. Dude was a good coach, but shitty GM. I'm voting on it as a coach though. Shermy was pretty good with X's and O's unlike McFatty.
....Only a couple of disagreements (CWilliams and Hawk (by far), and McCarthy) with the awards.....thoughts? Post your own.
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