Feb. 13, 2026, 3:59 p.m. CT

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects who the Green Bay Packers could select in the 2026 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers will have some waiting to do before they are on the clock for the first time in the 2026 NFL Draft. With no first-round pick, the Packers won’t be on the clock until the 52nd overall pick on April 24th. 

The prevailing view is that the Packers will use their first pick to address either the cornerback position or the defensive tackle position. 

If Brian Gutekunst decides to go in another direction, a surprise pick would be Anthony Hill Jr. The Texas linebacker checks in at No. 72 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.

A Texas native, Hill made an immediate impact during his first season on campus. He recorded 67 tackles, eight tackles for loss and five sacks. In 2024, Hill recorded 113 tackles, an SEC-leading 16.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks. He also picked off one pass and forced four fumbles. 

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This past season, Hill was limited to 10 games as he dealt with a broken bone in his hand. In those 10 games, he recorded 69 tackles, seven tackles for loss, four sacks and two interceptions. 

“Hill was not only the most physically dominant player on the Texas defense at a listed 6 feet, 3 inches and 238 pounds, but he also emerged as the team leader,” Thomas Jones, a reporter for the Austin Statesman, said. “He started at middle linebacker for the second straight season and wore the ‘green dot,’ which means he served as the liaison between the coaches and the defense. It’s a leadership role he grew into over the past two seasons.”

The Texas linebacker is an attacking, downhill force. He had a ton of backfield production in his career, recording 31.5 tackles for loss and 107 run stops. A former track athlete, he has elite play speed for the position and has unlimited range to shut down outside runs. He uses his length to his advantage to hog-tie ballcarriers. He was tagged with just three missed tackles this past season.

Hill is an effective and explosive blitzer. He is patient, and when he decides to go, he closes to the quarterback in a flash. During his three seasons on campus, Hill recorded 17 sacks and 58 pressures.

“Physically, he’s NFL-ready,” Jones said. “He also forced seven fumbles over the past two seasons, which hints at how much pop he brings to his tackles. But dissecting the run game has probably been his biggest area of growth. He’s gotten better and better at sniffing out plays both pre-snap and during the action.”

Hill is light on his feet and he’s a modern-day three-down linebacker — a fluid athlete who has the lateral agility and quickness to match up with running backs and tight ends in coverage.

“Hill started off at Texas as an edge hybrid of sorts, and a lot of folks saw him as a Micah Parsons-type of piece for the Texas defense,” Jones said. “But his ability in pass coverage, something that Texas asks a lot from its middle linebacker, has probably been his biggest area of improvement. He had two interceptions this past season.”

Fit with the Packers

The Packers have drafted three off-ball linebackers in the Top 100 in the past four NFL Drafts. A high number, considering this is the same franchise that had only drafted one linebacker in the Top 100 from 2010 to 2021.

With Quay Walker set to hit free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft possessing a talented crop of linebackers to pick from, the Packers could once again target the linebacker position in hopes of landing another impact player like Edgerrin Cooper. Hill could be that impact player that Gutekunst covets as they look to find Cooper’s long-term running mate. 

“I think he has all the physical tools you want in a linebacker, and he has the versatility to line up at every position,” Jones said. “He has all the intangibles you want. He’s a pleasant, laid-back young man off the field, but already has a pro mentality. He’s never had any trouble off the field, never any drama.”

At 6-3, 240 pounds, Hill looks great off the bus. With his athletic background, age (21) and frame, Hill checks all the boxes. Pairing Hill with Cooper would give the Packers a dynamic linebacker duo capable of causing a lot of havoc. Throw in 2024 third-round pick, Ty’Ron Hopper, and the Packers would have a lot of athleticism at the second level of their defense.

The Packers obviously have bigger fish to fry, however, prepare yourselves for Hill to be the first pick and the headliner of Green Bay’s 2026 draft class if he’s still on the board when the Packers are on the clock with the 52nd overall pick.