Green Bay Put Together A Textbook Draft

The 2026 Green Bay Packers’ draft class was the smallest of Brian Gutekunst’s tenure, with only six selections. However, it wasn’t about how many picks they had. Green Bay stayed disciplined, trusted their own board, and made sure each move carried value. When evaluating how it all came together, this felt like a draft driven by process more than anything. That’s what makes it one of Gutekunst’s better drafts so far, at least at first glance.

Green Bay entered the draft with four clear areas to address: cornerback, edge, the interior defensive line, and the interior offensive line. Even with limited draft capital, they checked every box. More importantly, they didn’t reach to do it. The value they found at several of those spots was outstanding.

Let’s start with Brandon Cisse: He ranked No. 42 on the consensus board, and Green Bay got him at pick 52 – that’s surplus value at a premium position. He brings high-end athletic traits, which raise his floor and ceiling in today’s game.

Some evaluators had him as the CB2 in the class, which means you’re talking about a player with first-round traits still on the board in the 50s. That usually only happens when there’s disagreement on projection or polish, not talent. Green Bay leaned into the upside, trusted its evaluation, and came away with a player who outperformed his draft slot.

The move for Chris McClellan was more about intent than urgency. Green Bay traded its original third-round pick and a fifth to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to get up to No. 77. By the Rich Hill trade chart, the value comes out almost even.

That context matters even more when you zoom out to the class as a whole. It was not a deep group on the interior, especially among players who can impact both the run and the pass. McClellan checks both boxes. When you look at draftable defensive tackles who posted both a run stop rate above 8.1% and a pass-rush win rate above 9.6% in 2025, the list is extremely short, and he is one of the few names on it.

The other options come with more noticeable concerns. Lee Hunter didn’t test well and is already close to 24. Gracen Halton brings pass-rush ability, but he is undersized and has small arms. McClellan offers a more versatile profile, and when you factor in Green Bay’s need at the position, it becomes easier to understand why they were willing to go up and get him.

Furthermore, Green Bay’s main interior options, Devonte Wyatt, Javon Hargrave, and Karl Brooks, lean more toward pass rushing than anchoring against the run. That left a need for a true run defender inside, and the third-round pick projects as someone who can step in and help fill that role immediately while still offering some pass-rush upside.

Dani Dennis-Sutton checked every athletic box. He posted a 9.96 RAS, has the ideal size for the position, and three straight years of reliable production at Penn State. He posted 8.5 sacks and double-digit tackles for loss in each of the last two seasons.

When you stack that kind of athletic upside with proven production, players usually come off the board somewhere on Day 2, which matches his No. 70 ranking on the consensus board. He would have been a reasonable pick at 84 and not out of place at 52, so getting him early on Day 3 is a clear value win for Green Bay.

Jager Burton always felt like a natural fit for Green Bay. The center/guard versatility, high-end athleticism, and overall profile check every box the Packers typically look for up front. He also fills an immediate need, giving them depth across the interior while also providing a legitimate backup plan at center behind Sean Rhyan.

Burton logged 1,158 college snaps at left guard, 976 at center, and 531 at right guard. Moreover, he didn’t allow a sack in 2025 and was flagged just twice. He has a strong track record of durability and experience, starting 47 straight games at Kentucky while moving across the line.

Burton’s workload shifted year to year, with 779 snaps at left guard in 2022, time split between right guard and center in 2023, a return to left guard in 2024, and then a full transition to center with 817 snaps in 2025. He’ll be 24 at the start of next season, so while the developmental window may be a bit shorter, the trade-off is a player who comes in battle-tested and ready to contribute immediately.

Domani Jackson came out of Mater Dei as a five-star recruit with a track background, so the athletic foundation has always been there. After transferring from USC to Alabama, he appeared in 46 games, though only three as a starter.

From a value standpoint, the pick lines up almost perfectly. He was No. 197 on the consensus board, and Green Bay took him at 201. Jackson wasn’t a reach or a gamble in terms of slot. At 6’1”, 194 lbs. with 4.41 speed and a 9.01 RAS, he fits the physical mold the Packers look for at corner. He’s more of a traits-based bet. Still, given where he was selected, it’s the kind of swing that makes sense late in the draft.

I’ve always leaned toward the “don’t draft kickers” side, but I can at least understand what Green Bay was thinking with Trey Smack. His college production backs it up: 100 of 101 on extra points and 53 of 64 on field goals across 44 games, which made him the most reliable option in this class.

Special teams issues have cost Green Bay in meaningful moments, including the postseason. They moved up by sacrificing two seventh-round picks, which is a minimal price. Realistically, the odds of those selections making a bigger impact in 2026 than a steady kicker are low. If Smack gives them reliability immediately, the process behind the move is easy to justify.

It was a very on-script draft for the Packers. They added two perimeter corners, brought in a versatile nose tackle, took a developmental edge rusher, and reinforced the interior offensive line with a flexible piece. From a roster-building standpoint, it’s hard to poke many holes in the approach.

Right now, it looks like a win for Brian Gutekunst. That said, real evaluations take time, and we won’t know how this class truly stacks up for a few years. Still, given the process and the value they found throughout the draft, this was an outstanding job on paper.