GREEN BAY, Wis. -- And then there were three.

When the Green Bay Packers allowed cornerback Casey Hayward to leave for San Diego as a free agent over the weekend, his departure left the Packers with only three players to show for their 2011 and 2012 draft classes: wide receiver Randall Cobb, a 2011 second-round pick; outside linebacker Nick Perry, a 2012 first-round pick who came back on a one-year deal on Friday; and defensive lineman Mike Daniels, a 2012 fourth-round pick whom the Packers inked to a four-year, $41 million extension late last season.

Given that the Packers rarely dip into unrestricted free agency and general manager Ted Thompson prides himself on his draft-and-develop philosophy to roster building, to have just three of the 18 players selected in those two drafts still on the roster is downright stunning.

Randall Cobb is one of only three players drafted by the Packers in 2011 and 2012 still with the team. Jeff Hanisch/USA TODAY Sports

“We’re not opposed to [using free agency],” Thompson said at last month’s NFL scouting combine. “[But] we’ve said all along, in a perfect world, you’d be able to draft, develop and keep your own players.”

That’s what makes the Packers’ lack of success in the 2011 and 2012 drafts so surprising. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, the Packers finished last season with 39 players on their roster who had been their own draft picks. Only the Cincinnati Bengals, with 41, had more of their own picks on their roster.

And yet, according to Elias Sports Bureau data, the Packers finished the 2015 season with the fourth-lowest percentage of players from the 2011 and 2012 drafts still on their roster:

Cleveland Browns, who had three players remaining of the 19 drafted (.158)

Chicago Bears, two of 11 drafted (.182)

Oakland Raiders, three of 14 drafted (.214)

Green Bay Packers, four of 18 drafted (.222)

San Francisco 49ers, four of 17 drafted (.235)

Of those five teams, only the Packers have a winning record, at 22-10, over the past two seasons, when picks from those 2011 and 2012 classes should have become significant contributors. The Browns (10-22), Raiders (10-22), Bears (11-21) and 49ers (13-19) have all struggled.

Of the 18 players the Packers selected in the 2011 and 2012 drafts, 11 were picked in the fifth round or earlier, including Cobb, Perry and Daniels. Two others in that category -- Hayward and cornerback Davon House, who left as an unrestricted free agent last year to join the Jacksonville Jaguars -- were contributors. But the other six were flat-out misses: offensive tackle Derek Sherrod (first round, 2011); running back Alex Green (third round, 2011); tight end D.J. Williams (fifth round, 2011); defensive tackle Jerel Worthy (second round, 2012); safety Jerron McMillian (fourth round, 2012); and inside linebacker Terrell Manning (fifth round, 2012).

Those misses correspond with positions at which the Packers struggled to find a long-term answer (safety, where 2014 first-round pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix fixed the problem); had issues with depth when injuries struck (tackle); or have not gotten enough consistent production from current starters (tight end, inside linebacker, interior defensive line).

That those two drafts haven’t undermined the Packers' success is a testament to the last three classes -- and to the value of having a potential Hall of Fame quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. Of the 28 players selected in the past three years, seven are entrenched as starters, seven others were contributors last season and all but four are on the team’s 90-man offseason roster.

That was underscored by the team’s decision to let Hayward walk. In interviews after signing a three-year deal with the Chargers, Hayward said the Packers made no effort to re-sign him, presumably because the team felt so good about its depth at the position after last year adding first-round pick Damarious Randall, second-round pick Quinten Rollins and undrafted rookie free agent LaDarius Gunter.

“I think we’re a solid team,” Thompson said in Indianapolis. “I think we’ve got good players at places that you need good players. I don’t think we have a lot of weaknesses, so I think we’re going to be a competitive team for some time to come.”