Nose tackle Chris McClellan is picked by Packers in the third round

GREEN BAY − Brian Gutekunst telegraphed it at the start of this week.

He wanted to add bodies at cornerback. He had an appetite for a nose tackle. With two picks on the 2026 NFL Draft’s second day, the Green Bay Packers general manager targeted both.

The Packers traded up seven spots to select Missouri defensive tackle Chris McClellan with the 77th overall pick in the third round. At 6-3 3/4 and 313 pounds, McClellan has the size to anchor the middle of the Packers defensive line. He’s also mobile for his size, running a 5.05-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine with an impressive 1.8-second split in the first 10 yards.

McClellan showed that burst as a senior last season, recording six sacks and eight tackles for loss. After starting his college career at Florida, McClellan transferred to Missouri for his final two seasons. He combined for 8.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss with the Tigers.

The Packers traded a fifth-round pick (No. 160 overall) in this draft and swapped their original 84th overall pick with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to draft McClellan. They chose him over a handful of other available nose tackles, including Xzavien Harris of Mississippi and Domonique Orange of Iowa State.

In the second round, the Packers drafted South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse with the 52nd overall pick.