Drafted in the fourth round (109th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft out of Colorado, David Bakhtiari stepped into Titletown expecting a quiet apprenticeship. Summer fate intervened when an injury thrust the rookie directly onto Aaron Rodgers’ blind side. Bakhtiari didn't just survive the trial by fire; he seized the left tackle throne, starting all 16 games and showing off footwork that was as smooth as a fresh pour at Lambeau.

By 2016, Bakhtiari was serving up absolute clinics in pass protection, earning his first Pro Bowl nod and Second-Team AP All-Pro honors. He poured on another Second-Team campaign in 2017 before capturing First-Team AP All-Pro status in 2018—a year when he bizarrely got snubbed from the Pro Bowl despite yielding just three sacks all season. Combining razor-sharp mechanics with unmatched recovery speed, he made locking down the league's top edge rushers look effortless.

He added another Pro Bowl and Second-Team All-Pro double in 2019, followed by a vintage 2020 campaign where his total dominance earned him a second First-Team AP All-Pro selection in just 12 games. Off the field, his legendary status exploded into Wisconsin folklore. Down on the court at Milwaukee Bucks games, Bakhtiari downed a beer quicker than anyone else we have ever seen—pounding two cups in seconds and flexing for a roaring crowd while Aaron Rodgers awkwardly struggled with his own. That legendary drinking speed meant something, proving he possessed elite execution whether he was walling off pass rushers or crushing a cold one.

A brutal knee injury in late December 2020 put a halt to his prime, kicking off a grueling multi-year battle with complex surgeries and rehab. Held to just 13 appearances over his final three seasons in Green Bay, the Packers ultimately parted ways with their beloved trench cornerstone in March 2024. Yet across his 11 seasons in green and gold, Bakhtiari started every single game he suited up for, racking up seven seasons with double-digit Approximate Value—including three campaigns topping a massive 14 AV.

Bakhtiari retired as Aaron Rodgers’ most trusted bodyguard, one of the most underrated players in franchise history, an elite technician, and the undisputed king of lightning-fast beer chugging.