Grading the process behind every Packers draft pick in 2026

Every pick made the 2026 NFL draft deserves a realistic timeframe to prove their value as an NFL player, and it's near impossible to predict how an individual player will develop amidst a million factors, so this will not be a typical "draft grades" post. What is possible in real time is grading the process behind a draft pick.

Attempting to find the answer to "What was the team thinking and trying to accomplish with this pick" is a valuable draft exercise. It is less about the evaluation of the player and what it means in the short term and more an analysis of the thought process long term in terms of player fit and roster construction multiple years down the road.

Packers Wire will attempt to grade the process of every pick made by the Packers during the 2026 draft below:

No. 52 overall: CB Brandon Cisse, South Carolina

Everything about the process looks solid here for the Packers. There was probably temptation to trade up when the run on defensive linemen and cornerbacks happened mid-round, but the Packers stayed put and still landed a top-50 player at a premium position. Cisse will need development, but most corners entering the NFL do, and he's a 20-year-old with elite athleticism who started as a true sophomore at NC State and was up to the task as a full-time starter in the SEC in 2025. No need to overthink this one. With a glaring long-term need at cornerback, the Packers made a smart, sensible pick.

Process grade: Excellent

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Grading the process behind every Packers draft pick in 2026