Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has a reputation for making his best draft picks well after the opening round.<\/p>\n
That trait should come in handy the next couple of years.<\/p>\n
Green Bay sent its 2026 and 2027\u00a0first-round picks<\/a>\u00a0to the Dallas Cowboys last August as part of the package to acquire\u00a0All-Pro<\/a>\u00a0pass rusher\u00a0Micah Parsons,<\/a>\u00a0who had\u00a012\u00bd sacks in 14 games<\/a>\u00a0last season before tearing his\u00a0anterior cruciate ligament.<\/a>\u00a0That injury ended Parsons\u2019 2025 season early and likely will cause his 2026 season to start\u00a0a few weeks late.<\/a><\/p>\n What You Need To Know<\/p>\n 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 Any regrets?<\/p>\n \u201cZero. None,\u201d Gutekunst said during the NFL scouting combine. \u201cHe impacted our football team, not only on the field, but in our locker room in such a positive way. We\u2019re really excited for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n The Packers have eight total picks \u2014 including two each in the fifth and seventh rounds \u2014 and plenty of holes to fill after several departures followed a 9-8-1 season that ended with an NFC wild-card loss<\/a> in Chicago.<\/p>\n Free agency losses included left tackle Rasheed Walker<\/a> (Carolina), receiver Romeo Doubs<\/a> (New England), linebacker Quay Walker<\/a> (Las Vegas), defensive lineman Kingsley Enagbare<\/a> (New York Jets), backup quarterback Malik Willis<\/a> (Miami) and backup running back Emanuel Wilson (Seattle).<\/p>\n The Packers released two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins,<\/a> who went to Cleveland. They traded 2024 Pro Bowl defensive lineman Rashan Gary to Dallas and sent receiver Dontayvion Wicks<\/a> to Philadelphia. They added former Indianapolis linebacker Zaire Franklin<\/a> in a trade and signed cornerback Benjamin St-Juste<\/a>, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and receiver\/kick returner Skyy Moore.<\/p>\n Gutekunst\u2019s had mixed results drafting in the first round.<\/p>\n The bold decision to trade up and select quarterback Jordan Love<\/a> in 2020, when Aaron Rodgers<\/a> was still on the roster, paid off in the long run. Gutekunst\u2019s past three first-round picks \u2014 edge rusher Lukas Van Ness (2023),<\/a> offensive lineman Jordan Morgan<\/a> (2024) and receiver Matthew Golden<\/a> (2025) \u2014 haven\u2019t made much of an impact yet. Morgan is expected to take over as Green Bay\u2019s starting left tackle this upcoming season.<\/p>\n Gutekunst does have a knack for finding big contributors later in drafts. For instance, he took linebacker Edgerrin Cooper<\/a> and safety Javon Bullard in the second round and got safety Evan Williams in the fourth round two years ago. All are key contributors.<\/p>\n Tucker Kraft, one of the game\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Late start<\/p>\n Assuming the Packers don\u2019t trade up, their first selection will be at No. 52. That would be the latest they\u2019ve ever made their first pick.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Needs<\/p>\n
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The Packers have eight total picks \u2014 including two each in the fifth and seventh rounds \u2014 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
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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<\/p>\n