2026 NFL Draft: Packers' lack of first-round pick will test Gutekunst
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 24: General manager Brian Gutekunst of the Green Bay Packers speaks to the media during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 24, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Get
GREEN BAY, Wis. - Green Bay Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst has a reputation for making his best draft picks well after the opening round. That trait should come in handy in the next couple of years.
Green Bay sent its 2026 and 2027 first-round picks to the Dallas Cowboys last August as part of the package to acquire All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons, who had 12½ sacks in 14 games last season before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament. That injury ended Parsons’ 2025 season early and likely will cause his 2026 season to start a few weeks late.
Any regrets?
"Zero. None," Gutekunst said during the NFL scouting combine. "He impacted our football team, not only on the field, but in our locker room in such a positive way. We’re really excited for years to come."
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Eight picks
What we know:
The Packers have eight total picks — including two each in the fifth and seventh rounds — and plenty of holes to fill after several departures followed a 9-8-1 season that ended with an NFC wild-card loss in Chicago.
Free agency losses included left tackle Rasheed Walker (Carolina), receiver Romeo Doubs (New England), linebacker Quay Walker (Las Vegas), defensive lineman Kingsley Enagbare (New York Jets), backup quarterback Malik Willis (Miami) and backup running back Emanuel Wilson (Seattle).
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The Packers released two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins, who went to Cleveland. They traded 2024 Pro Bowl defensive lineman Rashan Gary to Dallas and sent receiver Dontayvion Wicks to Philadelphia. They added former Indianapolis linebacker Zaire Franklin in a trade and signed cornerback Benjamin St-Juste, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and receiver/kick returner Skyy Moore.
Gutekunst’s had mixed results drafting in the first round.
The bold decision to trade up and select quarterback Jordan Love in 2020 when Aaron Rodgers was still on the roster paid off in the long run. Gutekunst’s past three first-round picks — edge rusher Lukas Van Ness (2023), offensive lineman Jordan Morgan (2024) and receiver Matthew Golden (2025) — haven’t made much of an impact yet. Morgan is expected to take over as Green Bay’s starting left tackle this upcoming season.
Gutekunst does have a knack for finding big contributors later in drafts. For instance, he took linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and safety Javon Bullard in the second round and got safety Evan Williams in the fourth round two years ago. All are key contributors.
Tucker Kraft, one of the game’s top young tight ends, was a third-round pick in 2023. Rasheed Walker (2022) and cornerback Carrington Valentine (2023) are seventh-round selections who developed into starters.
Late start
What we know:
Assuming the Packers don’t trade up, their first selection will be at No. 52. That would be the latest they’ve ever made their first pick.
This is the first time Green Bay has entered a draft without a first-round pick since 1986, though the Packers traded out of the first round on draft day in 2008 and 2017.
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Needs
What we know:
Green Bay’s five-game skid to end last season exposed the Packers’ lack of depth at cornerback and on the offensive and defensive lines. Green Bay must add some complementary edge rushers who can benefit from the attention offenses give Parsons.
The Packers need to find a backup quarterback, unless they’re satisfied with the late-season addition of Desmond Ridder. Wilson’s exit also leaves Green Bay seeking a backup running back to help Josh Jacobs.
Don’t need
What we know:
The Packers appear set at safety with Xavier McKinney leading a group that also includes Williams and Bullard.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report.