‘Promising rookie defenders’ tabbed as reason for Green Bay Packers optimism

For the second straight season, the Green Bay Packers fell in the NFC Divisional Round. This one likely stung a little more than usual, though. On the other side of the game was the Chicago Bears, a bitter rival. So, Packers fans are certainly in need of some optimism heading into the 2026 season.

Thankfully, CBS Sports has provided one for them. They like the “promising rookie defenders” set to join the Packers after being taken in the 2026 NFL Draft. CBS Sports specifically mentioned four guys — two defensive backs and two defensive linemen.

“The Packers received stellar grades for their first three draft picks: former South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse, former Missouri defensive tackle Chris McClellan and former Penn State pass rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton,” CBS Sports said. “Green Bay also received high marks for the selection of former Alabama cornerback Domani Jackson in the sixth round.”

Green Bay did not have a first-round selection in Pittsburgh, trading it away in the Micah Parsons deal. So, Cisse was the team’s highest pick of the weekend. The South Carolina product went in the second round at No. 52 overall. As CBS Sports mentioned, this came with some high marks. ESPN’s Matt Miller called it one of the best picks of the entire draft based on value and fit.

McClellan was taken 25 spots later in the third round out of Missouri. He put together a productive 2025 for the Tigers, finishing with 48 tackles, 8.0 tackles for a loss, and 6.0 sacks. The performances were good enough to earn second-team All-SEC honors. Green Bay has to feel like they are getting some pass rush from the interior.

Speaking of pass rush — Dennis-Sutton graded out as one of the best in the draft class. Plenty of hype surrounded his return to Penn State, and while the team failed to perform, Dennis-Sutton still put up quality numbers. He matched his 8.5 tackles for a loss from the year prior and still got 12.0 sacks.

Jackson is the last name mentioned by CBS Sports, who had an up-and-down college career between USC and Alabama. Still, the cornerback is a former Five-Star Plus+ prospect with good measureables. At one point, Nick Saban trusted in Jackson. So, why not take him in on Day 3 if you’re the Green Bay Packers?

Seeing a nice influx of talent is always going to bring hope to an NFL franchise. But in a world where the Packers are really looking for impact defensive rookies, CBS Sports believe they did a great job.