Feb. 21, 2026, 7:59 a.m. CT
The Green Bay Packers have several pressing needs ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, and one of the foremost draft experts has shed some light on where and how they could look to strike.
NFL Network’s lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah hosted his customary conference call ahead of next week’s scouting combine, and he dropped some nuggets which could be of interest as it pertains to Green Bay’s draft plans.
Defensive tackle is certainly a position the Packers could look to address, having not used a top-100 pick there for quite some time. More specifically, they could use a bigger body on the interior.
It sounds like this draft should offer plenty of options in that regard.
On the Day 2 defensive tackle group, Jeremiah said: “There’s some real intriguing guys with some traits. A lot of 320-plus pound guys once you get outside the first round, maybe into that late second round. Second to fourth round I think is a nice little sweet spot there.
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“You’ve got some real big guys in there, and as teams are playing with more shell coverage, just about everybody is, and they want to stop the run with fewer bodies, I think the presence of these 300-plus pound DTs, while they might not be big time upside pass rush players, I think they’re starting to have a little more value again.”
The defensive tackles currently listed on the consensus big board between No. 35 and 140 are Lee Hunter, Christen Miller, Darrell Jackson Jr, Domonique Orange, Dontay Corleone, Gracen Halton, Tim Keenan III, Chris McClellan, Zane Durant and Rayshaun Benny.
All of them would be worthwhile picks, and there are plenty of big guys in there, with Hunter, Miller, Jackson, Orange, Corleone, Keenan and McClellan all listed at 310 pounds or more.
After being boxed out of the higher end defensive tackles a year ago, the Packers need to exit this draft with some reinforcements.
Green Bay could be looking for a starting center, depending on how free agency goes, and they could be in a solid spot to address that need in April.
Asked where in this draft centers capable of playing right away can be found, Jeremiah said: “There’s some good guys, some third-round type players.
“Sam Hecht from Kansas State I think can start day one. He probably goes in the late second, early third round range, Jake Slaughter from Florida I think would have a chance as a third-round pick to come in and get on the field right away.
“Trey Zuhn played primarily left tackle but has some experience at (Texas) A&M, maybe that takes a little while but he’s graded for me in that same range as guys who’d have a chance to play pretty early. I think there’s a decent group of centers there.”
Hecht and Slaughter are currently ranked 84th and 91st on the consensus board respectively, while Zuhn is all the way down at No. 160, but based on Jeremiah’s comments, he may well be thought of more highly around the league.
All three players have official measurements as they competed at the Senior Bowl, and would seem to be in the general range of what Green Bay looks for in terms of measurables at center. Zuhn’s versatility could also appeal.
Bill Huber, who covers the Packers for Sports Illustrated, asked Jeremiah more specifically how he would look to attack Day 2 of the draft given the team’s needs.
Jeremiah’s response: “When you’re looking at interior offensive linemen, they’re picking at 52 and 84, I think there’s good options there. (Keylan) Rutledge is one I really, really like, I think (he) can play any of the three interior spots.
“(Gennings) Dunker would definitely be a popular pick out of Iowa, who’s got the mullet, almost 6-5, 320 pounds, played tackle, is going to play inside at guard, he’s real physical and nasty, he’s in that range as well.
“Hecht’s a center, can play guard, he’s a good interior player, Emmanuel Pregnon from Oregon, there’s a good group of interior guys in that range where they’re picking in the second round. I would probably look at that group of interior linemen if you want someone to play right away.
Rutledge only ever played guard in college, and the Packers have not drafted a player with that type of resume dating back well before Brian Gutekunst took over as GM, so he may not be an ideal fit.
Dunker has enough size and the arm length to play tackle, but he was exposed quite a bit on the edge at the Senior Bowl, where some tightness showed up.
Green Bay has taken plenty of college tackles and kicked them inside to guard over the years, although they have mostly been left tackles, with Dunker playing on the right side at Iowa.
On the cornerback group, Jeremiah said: “That pool is a little deeper when you get into the third round. Daylen Everette from Georgia, we’ll see where Chris Johnson from San Diego State goes in that mix, Malik Muhammad from Texas, there’s a bunch of guys in that mix there.
“I really like the kid from Duke too, Chandler Rivers is a good player. I have a long list of corners with third round grades.”
At just under 5-9, Rivers would be easily the shortest cornerback Gutekunst has drafted, and the first with sub-30” arms. Don’t hold your breath on that one.
The other corners DJ mentioned are more likely, and between No. 32 and 107 on the consensus board, there are plenty of others who could fit the bill, including Colton Hood, Brandon Cisse, Keith Abney, Davison Igbinosun, Devin Moore, Julian Neal and Will Lee III.
Despite not having a first-round pick, the Packers seem fairly well placed to address some of their weak spots in the 2025 draft.