GREEN BAY – Jager Burton had pretty much the pick of the college litter after becoming the first offensive lineman to win Kentucky's Mr. Football Award back in 2020.

Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Oregon were calling, but the Lexington native had made up his mind – he wanted to stay home and add to what the Wildcats were building.

"That was my dream growing up and ended up to get that opportunity," Burton said. "It meant the world to me to be able to try to bring happiness to the people of Lexington and I knew how important it was."

Having checked that box, the 6-foot-4, 312-pound center/guard achieved his next childhood dream on Saturday afternoon when the Packers selected Burton with their fifth-round pick (No. 153 overall) in the 2026 NFL Draft.

It put a bookend on a five-year run at Kentucky that challenged Burton on multiple fronts. Individually, he battled the pressures of being a top recruit while the Wildcats went 9-23 the previous four years in uber-competitive SEC.

Burton isn't one to back down from adversity, though, and stayed true to his college commitment, which is becoming increasingly rare in the NCAA during the NIL era.

"Just seeing that through and the craziness of college football today is something I'm really proud of," Burton said. "I'll forever be grateful for my time at Kentucky, but I'm ready for the next chapter now, and I'm just stoked to be a Packer."

Green Bay is pumped, too. Director of college scouting Matt Malaspina has been watching Burton for years after first hearing about him from former Kentucky offensive line coach Eric Wolford, Malaspina's former colleague in San Francisco.

Burton demonstrated his versatility and coachability while starting at all three interior offensive line spots. His five-star traits showed up in the pre-draft process, as well.

After working with renowned trainer Bill Welle, Burton ran a 4.94-second time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 1.76-second split. Asked what stands out most about Burton, Malaspina answers without hesitation.

"He's got really good size, speed, flexibility, toughness. The traits that you look for in an offensive lineman," Malaspina said.

"He does his job. He does it at a comfort level, not a panic level. He's a big dude. He's a big guy, which is what we love. I was very pleased that he was there. I never, ever would have thought he would be there. It was a win for us."

Burton set the bar high for himself when he arrived on Kentucky's campus in 2021, starting 13 games at left guard and becoming the first Wildcat offensive linemen to earn Freshman All-SEC honors since Logan Stenberg in 2016.

The next year, Burton made starts at both right guard and center before sliding back to left guard in 2024. He put his football IQ and communication skills to the test last fall with his 12 starts at center.

Playing early in the SEC pressure-cooker, Burton categorizes his college career as "a little bit of a rocky road." He credits his parents and loved ones for their support early on and feels it made him stronger in the long run.

"Just being a highly rated guy from Kentucky and staying home, just the expectations that came with that, I didn't really feel like I met those when I was younger," Burton said.

"That was something I kind of struggled with and was upset with myself at, so just being able to have them to lean on and talk to them about what's going on in terms of football or just life, and have them to be there to lean on to get me to where I'm at now."

In addition to a 3.5 GPA and premium athletic traits, Burton is also ambidextrous. He writes and bats left-handed but throws and shoots a basketball with his right hand. While Burton snaps with his right hand, he's comfortable snapping with his left, too. He even did it a few times in practice at Kentucky.

As you might expect, Burton doesn't have a preference on playing either guard position in addition to his exploits at center.

"Whatever is going to help the Packers win games," Burton said. "Coach Zach Yenser and coach Eric Wolford at Kentucky did a great job of making sure guys were ready to play numerous positions and putting us in a good situation for trying to get to the point that I'm at right now, and just knowing how important that is at the next level."

Burton is familiar with the Packers' track record for drafting and developing elite NFL offensive linemen on the final day of the draft. Twelve years ago, Green Bay drafted Ohio State's Corey Linsley in the same fifth round it did Burton on Saturday.

Linsley started 99 games for the Packers over seven years and was named first-team All-Pro in 2020. Burton now looks to forge his own path in Green Bay.

He's excited to work with Jordan Love, whom he considers one of the NFL's top quarterbacks, and ready to get to know his new teammates.

"I'm just stoked," Burton said. "It's one of the most historically successful and well-known teams in the NFL. Just to be able to put on that jersey and compete with that team and go out and win games, it's something I'm super excited and stoked for the opportunity."