Packers' lack of a first-round pick
will test GM Gutekunst's ability later in draft
[April 18, 2026]
By STEVE MEGARGEE
Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has a reputation
for making his best draft picks well after the opening round.
That trait should come in handy the next couple of years.
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, who had 12˝ sacks in 14 games last season
before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament. That injury ended
Parsons’ 2025 season early and likely will cause his 2026 season to
start a few weeks late.
Any regrets?
“Zero. None,” Gutekunst said during the NFL scouting combine. “He
impacted our football team, not only on the field, but in our locker
room in such a positive way. We’re really excited for years to
come.”
The Packers have eight total picks — including two each in the fifth
and seventh rounds — 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.
Free agency losses included left tackle Rasheed Walker (Carolina),
receiver Romeo Doubs (New England), linebacker Quay Walker (Las
Vegas), defensive lineman Kingsley Enagbare (New York Jets), backup
quarterback Malik Willis (Miami) and backup running back Emanuel
Wilson (Seattle).
The Packers released two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Elgton
Jenkins, who went to Cleveland. They traded 2024 Pro Bowl defensive
lineman Rashan Gary to Dallas and sent receiver Dontayvion Wicks to
Philadelphia. They added former Indianapolis linebacker Zaire
Franklin in a trade and signed cornerback Benjamin St-Juste,
defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and receiver/kick returner Skyy
Moore.
Gutekunst’s had mixed results drafting in the first round.
The bold decision to trade up and select quarterback Jordan Love in
2020 when Aaron Rodgers was still on the roster paid off in the long
run. Gutekunst’s past three first-round picks — edge rusher Lukas
Van Ness (2023), offensive lineman Jordan Morgan (2024) and receiver
Matthew Golden (2025) — haven’t made much of an impact yet. Morgan
is expected to take over as Green Bay’s starting left tackle this
upcoming season.
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Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst walks on the field
before a NFL football game against the Detroit Lions in Green Bay,
Wis., Sept. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps, File)
Gutekunst does have a knack for finding big
contributors later in drafts. For instance, he took linebacker
Edgerrin Cooper and safety Javon Bullard in the second round and got
safety Evan Williams in the fourth round two years ago. All are key
contributors.
Tucker Kraft, one of the game’s 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.
Late start
Assuming the Packers don’t trade up, their first selection will
be at No. 52. That would be the latest they’ve ever made their first
pick.
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.
Needs
Green Bay’s five-game skid to end last season exposed the Packers’
lack of depth at cornerback and on the offensive and defensive
lines. Green Bay must add some complementary edge rushers who can
benefit from the attention offenses give Parsons.
The Packers need to find a backup quarterback, unless they’re
satisfied with the late-season addition of Desmond Ridder. Wilson’s
exit also leaves Green Bay seeking a backup running back to help
Josh Jacobs.
Don’t need
The Packers appear set at safety with Xavier McKinney leading a
group that also includes Williams and Bullard.
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