The Green Bay Packers completed the 2026 NFL Draft without a first-round pick, yet successfully added talent to their roster. Key takeaways highlight their strategic approach and value found during the draft.
Key points
Green Bay Packers completed the 2026 NFL Draft
The team had no first-round pick
Strategic roster additions were made
Value was found during the draft
Green Bay PackersNFL Draft 2026
The 2026 NFL Draft is in the books and a new crop of Green Bay Packers rookies have been revealed.
This was a unique draft for Green Bay sans a first-round pick, and no doubt had to be navigated slightly differently as a result, but on the face of it, they were still able to do plenty to add talent to the roster.
Here are some key takeaways from the Packers’ weekend of work:
Boxes checked
Although Brian Gutekunst likes to think he is always selecting the best player available and is not driven by need, there is no doubt the Packers entered this draft with some positions that needed to be addressed, specifically cornerback and defensive tackle.
Those positions needed additions in large part because they had been neglected in recent drafts. Until they selected Brandon Cisse at 52 overall, Green Bay had not drafted a cornerback earlier than the seventh round since they took Eric Stokes in the first round in 2021. Similarly at defensive tackle, their only picks since selecting Devonte Wyatt in Round 1 in 2022 were fifth or sixth rounders. They rectified that by trading up to get Chris McClellan on Friday night.
The Packers usually try to enter the draft not truly needing anything, which they did this year by signing Javon Hargrave and Benjamin St-Juste in free agency. Even after drafting Cisse or McClellan, they do not absolutely need them to start in Week 1.
There is a difference between short-term needs and long-term ones though, and the outlook at corner and defensive tackle looked bleak beyond 2026, with barely anyone under contract. Gutekunst was able to hit two positions which had been overdue for some reinforcements.
Q&A
What were the key takeaways from the Packers 2026 draft?
The key takeaways include strategic roster additions and the ability to navigate the draft effectively despite not having a first-round pick.
How did the Packers manage the 2026 draft without a first-round pick?
The Packers adapted their strategy to focus on maximizing value and filling key roster needs despite the absence of a first-round selection.
What talent did the Packers add during the 2026 NFL Draft?
The Packers added a new crop of rookies aimed at enhancing their team depth and addressing specific positional needs.
Why is the 2026 NFL Draft significant for the Green Bay Packers?
The draft is significant as it reflects the team's ability to rebuild and strengthen their roster in a challenging draft position.
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Value found
Not only were the Packers able to address areas of need, they also did well to marry that up with getting value, as the board fell kindly for them throughout Friday and Saturday.
Getting Cisse, who was ranked 45th on the consensus big board, at pick 52 was a pretty ideal scenario entering the draft.
McClellan was seen as more of a fourth-round pick on the consensus board, but Gutekunst intimated the Packers were considering him at 52, and after selecting Cisse instead, went quickly to work on trying to trade up to get him, which they eventually did at 77.
It would not have been surprising based on Green Bay’s draft history if they picked Dani Dennis-Sutton – who was ranked 72nd on the consensus board – in Round 2. After Friday’s proceedings, Gutekunst told the assembled media he tried to trade back up into the third round but was unsuccessful. The Packers picked Dennis-Sutton at 120, and the GM later confirmed he was the player he was attempting to trade up for originally.
When speaking to the media after the selection of Jager Burton in Round 5, director of college scouting Matt Malaspina said unprompted: “I was very pleased he was there, I never ever would’ve thought he would’ve been there, so it was a win for us."
Through five rounds, this was arguably the most straightforward and boring (in a good way) draft by Gutekunst. Then he threw a bit of a curveball…
Not only did the Packers draft a kicker on Saturday, they traded up to get one, using two seventh-round picks to move up and select Trey Smack at the end of the sixth round.
It would have been easy for Green Bay to dismiss the issues McManus had last year, blame injuries for most of his struggles, and excuse his poor playoff performance against the Bears as just a bad night. Instead, they have brought in legitimate competition, and if that camp battle is close, you would have to imagine the tie goes to the rookie draft pick.
More than just making extra points and field goals, the kicking game has evolved with the introduction of the "dynamic kickoff." At his best, McManus has been a sure hand in putting the ball through the uprights, but even then, he has not provided Green Bay with an edge on kickoffs.
Get ready for Twitter updates on every kick between McManus and Smack this training camp.
A historically small class
Despite not having a first-round pick, the Packers entered the weekend with eight selections, but only ended up using six. That is tied for the lowest number of players added via the draft in franchise history.
Unusually for Green Bay, none of their draft picks took a ‘30’ visit with the team, but four of their UDFA signings so far were pre-draft visitors: Kyron Drones, TJ Quinn, Josh Gesky and Nyjalik Kelly.
Based on how they used their visits, it seemed the Packers would be active in undrafted free agency, and they have already filled out their draft class nicely.
Along with Gesky and Kelly, three more of their signings – wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant, tight end RJ Maryland and guard Dillon Wade – had a draftable grade from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
Trading out of the seventh round entirely in order to take a kicker probably speaks to how Gutekunst felt about the overall quality of the 2026 draft, but the Packers were able to make it work for them despite ending up with a smaller class.
A defense heavy draft
Green Bay took three consecutive offensive players to start the 2025 draft, and did the opposite this time around, hitting defense early and often.
That side of the ball was the one more in need of help, and in total, four of their six picks were on defense, with only one on offense and one specialist.
The Packers are set up well at the skill positions despite bypassing them in the draft. Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, Savion Williams and Tucker Kraft should give them a deep group of pass catchers for the foreseeable future, once Watson and Kraft’s extensions get done.
Throwing Burton into the O-line competition should help the depth there in 2026 and beyond, but this draft was always going to be more about boosting the defense, and Green Bay accomplished that goal this weekend.