[tps_title]Willie Buchanon[/tps_title]
1972, 7th overall
Now we’re talking. You have to go all the way back to 1972 to find a Packers cornerback chosen in the first round to live up to the billing. Buchanon was billed as the best corner in the 1972 draft and lived up to the hype. He became a full-time starter as a rookie, intercepted four passes and won defensive rookie of the year honors. Buchanon would go on to earn three Pro Bowl nods and one first-team All Pro selection with the Packers. In 1979, the Packers traded Buchanon to San Diego for two draft picks — a first (in 1980) and a seventh (in 1979). As was their M.O. in the day, Green Bay refused to pay any of their really good players top dollar and Buchanan, coming off his first All-Pro selection and a nine-interception season, wanted top dollar. So the Packers shipped him out of town. They wouldn’t have another top-shelf cornerback until the brief appearance of Tim Lewis four years later.
Packers stat line: 80 games, 80 starts, 21 interceptions
Final verdict: Verifiable Stud