Cornerback. Defensive line. Offensive line.<\/p>\n
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.<\/p>\n
It seems these positional groups have been annual need areas for the Green Bay Packers since Brian Gutekunst became general manager in 2018. Don\u2019t look now, but when the NFL Draft begins April 23, those will once again be the areas the Packers are most likely to address.<\/p>\n
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Green Bay went a disappointing 9-8-1 last season<\/a> and collapsed in an NFC Wild Card game at Chicago.<\/a> The Packers have a solid roster, but if they hope to catch conference powers such as Seattle, the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco and Philadelphia, they must upgrade the aforementioned positions.<\/p>\n That won\u2019t be easy, as the Packers have just seven picks and no first rounder after including that chip in a trade with Dallas in Aug., 2025, for star defensive end Micah Parsons. That means Green Bay won\u2019t select until pick No. 52.<\/p>\n With the draft rapidly approaching, here\u2019s a ranking of Green Bay\u2019s needs on a scale of 1-through-10.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n CORNERBACK (9.0)<\/p>\n The Packers\u2019 only move to address their gaping hole at cornerback during free agency was adding Benjamin St-Juste<\/a>, who couldn’t hold onto a starting job in Washington or win a starting position with the Los Angeles Chargers.<\/p>\n So for now, Green Bay\u2019s frontrunners to start at corner would be last year\u2019s duo of inconsistent Keisean Nixon and overmatched Carrington Valentine. Yikes!<\/p>\n By the time Green Bay is on the clock at No. 52, Tennessee\u2019s Jermod McCoy and Colton Hood, and LSU\u2019s Mansoor Delane will be long gone. South Carolina\u2019s Brandon Cisse, San Diego State\u2019s Chris Johnson and Indiana\u2019s D\u2019Angelo Ponds are likely to be off the board, as well.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Players such as Clemson\u2019s Avieon Terrell, Ohio State\u2019s Davison Igbinosun, Miami\u2019s Keionte Scott and Georgia\u2019s Daylen Everette have a decent chance of falling to No. 52 and could be intriguing.<\/p>\n No one in Packer Nation would feel good about running it back with Nixon and Valentine. So look for Gutekunst to almost certainly use his second- or third round pick on a corner.<\/p>\n NOSE TACKLE (8.5)<\/p>\n Under new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, Green Bay is transitioning back to the 3-4 base defense it ran under Joe Barry instead of the 4-3 it utilized the last two years with Jeff Hafley. While the Packers will still play nickel the overwhelming majority of snaps, they need a mammoth run-stuffer on early base downs.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Devonte Wyatt and free agent acquisition Javon Hargrave (6-2, 305) are better suited to be 3-4 ends than nose tackles. Inexperienced Nazir Stackhouse (6-4, 327) and 2025 street free agent signee Jordon Riley (6-5, 338) have the girth, but have proven little.<\/p>\n There will be a handful of space eaters taken in the first 40 picks because the top ones are few and far between. But the Packers could target someone like Iowa State\u2019s Domonique Orange (6-2, 322), Florida State\u2019s Darrell Jackson (6-5, 315), Florida\u2019s Caleb Banks (6-6, 327) or South Carolina\u2019s Nick Barrett (6-6, 313) at No. 52.<\/p>\n OFFENSIVE LINE (8.0)<\/p>\n Green Bay released center\/guard Elgton Jenkins and lost left tackle Rasheed Walker in free agency this offseason. Therefore, depth is non-existent behind starters (from left) Jordan Morgan, Aaron Banks, Sean Rhyan, Anthony Belton and Zach Tom.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Gutekunst drafted three offensive linemen in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2024. And he\u2019s taken 16 offensive linemen in his first eight drafts, more than any other position.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be surprised if Gutekunst adds two more this year as he tries restocking a group that\u2019s been picked apart in free agency the last three offseasons.<\/p>\n RUNNING BACK (6.0)<\/p>\n Josh Jacobs is 28 and has 1,840 career carries. Emanuel Wilson left for Seattle.<\/p>\n Chris Brooks is a third down back best used in pass protection. Marshawn Lloyd has played in just one game and a total of 10 snaps in two seasons.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Green Bay needs new blood, and could use a mid-round pick on someone like Penn State\u2019s Nicholas Singleton, Nebraska\u2019s Emmett Johnson or Alabama\u2019s Jam Miller.<\/p>\n QUARTERBACK (5.0)<\/p>\n Malik Willis gave Green Bay arguably the top backup in football <\/a>the last two seasons, before signing with Miami in free agency.<\/p>\n Right now, the top candidate to back up starter Jordan Love is Desmond Ridder (16 career TDs, 14 interceptions, 82.6 passer rating). Kyle McCord, who spent last season on Philadelphia\u2019s practice squad and has never thrown an NFL pass, is also on the roster.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The Packers would undoubtedly love to add a draft pick to this mix. But with just seven picks \u2014 and far more pressing needs \u2014 Green Bay might have to ignore quarterback in this draft.<\/p>\n DEFENSIVE END (4.5)<\/p>\n If the Packers line either Devonte Wyatt or Javon Hargrave up on the nose, finding another end becomes a higher priority. If they can find a serviceable nose tackle in the draft, though, they\u2019ll have a solid group of ends in Wyatt, Hargrave, Karl Brooks and Barryn Sorrell and this becomes far less of a need.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n KICKER (4.0)<\/p>\n