Projecting Packers rookies based on the Green Bay players who wore their number

The numbers have been a huge topic of conversation, particularly around Matthew Golden's No. 22. So, we decided to compare this group of players to Packers with the same number.

It’s important to level-set expectations for rookies, especially with rookie camp opening this weekend. Remember when Josh Jones showed up looking like a future Hall of Fame player? Let’s not get carried away here.

Instead, let’s have some fun. The jersey numbers for this class produced an epic amount of dialogue, and since player comparisons are de rigueur for this time of year, we thought it would be a respite from the draft content machine to compare this group of rookies to Packers players who wore the same number.

The goal is to provide some useful context for these players as rookies based on players Packers fans already know, while trying not to take all of this too seriously.

Matthew Golden, No. 22 — Mark Lee

Lee played defensive back, which is the appropriate position for someone wearing 22; receiver is not. The former second-round corner engineered a highly productive 11-year Packers career that included a 9-interception campaign.

He was a good player!

Lee went into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2017, but never made an All-Pro or Pro Bowl team. Expecting Golden to come in and fundamentally alter the Packers offense just because he was a first-round pick would not be fair to him or the quality players already on the offense. But he can help.

One quirk of this comparison: Lee was also 5-foot-11, 187, almost identical to Golden.

Anthony Belton, No. 71 — Kevin Barry

This comparison point was the inspiration for this post. In all likelihood, Belton won’t start right away. If he’s a guard, he’ll be learning a new position to compete with Sean Rhyan. Converting from left tackle to right guard is no easy feat … just ask Rhyan.