
The Packers complete the draft with six total picks, including two cornerbacks. General manager Brian Gutekunst addressed most of the team’s needs.
The Green Bay Packers entered the draft without a first-round pick for the first time in 40 years. However, general manager Brian Gutekunst made sure to extract value all around the board and round out the roster.
In terms of process, it was a sound sequence of days for the general manager — except for drafting a kicker. He even traded up in the third and in the sixth rounds, finishing the process with six total picks.
They made the most Packers-y move possible with the 52nd overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, their first selection of the year. General manager Brian Gutekunst selected South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse. He is exactly what the Packers tend to like: Highly athletic, young (yet to be 21 years old), physical, with room for development.
The Packers badly needed a versatile interior defensive lineman who could rush the passer and stop the run at the same time, and McClellan offers that. He has some technique issues to clean up, but the talent is there to justify a selection in this area.
From a physical tools perspective, Dennis-Sutton rivals any edge defender in the 2026 class. After trading Rashan Gary and losing Kingsley Enagbare in free agency, the lack of edge depth was a concern. Gutekunst frequently mentions that you can never have too many pass-rushers, so taking one with the ideal profile is the best of both worlds.
The Packers had a huge need along the interior of the offensive line in terms of depth. The team extended center Sean Rhyan, but it’s a one-year contract in guarantees with two extra team options — with Burton in the mix, the team gains flexibility to move Rhyan to guard in the future, or to move on from him altogether.
General manager Brian Gutekunst loves to double down on positions of need. If one doesn’t pan out, the team has more depth. And that’s exactly what the Green Bay Packers did in the sixth round of the draft. With the 201st overall pick, the team drafted Alabama cornerback Domani Jackson. He regressed a little bit in his final college season, but the Packers are willing to bet on his ability to play off coverage and help on special teams.
The Packers traded their two seventh-round picks to move back into the sixth round. And with the latest pick in the sixth, they drafted kicker Trey Smack. Matt LaFleur emphasized the competition at the position, but the pick effectively ends Brandon McManus’ tenure in Green Bay.
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