Gutey’s ’26 Draft Will Target Defense Early, Offense Late

Everything about NFL draft season feels different when your team doesn’t have a first-round pick. The nervousness, the anticipation -- all of that is out the window. Of course, it’s a small price to pay when you remember the reason for the team’s idle Thursday night wears No. 1 for the Packers and is an absolute wrecking ball.

Brian Gutekunst still has eight opportunities to add to the roster on Friday and Saturday, and there are plenty of holes to be filled after a mass exodus saw the team lose a pair of edge rushers, wide receivers, and offensive linemen, among others.

Those spots will all be on the mind of the front office, along with needs at nose tackle, corner, and all of the offensive skill positions.

We know it’s a virtually impossible task to try to predict a team’s draft class, and we know trades will inevitably muck things up. But it’s still a fun exercise, and here’s my stab at what I’d like to see unfold beginning Friday night. I’m taking into account the team’s top-30 visits because they’ll likely pick multiple guys they met with in person.

With pick 52, the team is most likely looking at one of four spots: nose tackle, corner, edge rusher, or offensive lineman. It doesn’t sound like there will be a CB that fits at that range. Maybe they’ll move up a few spots to snatch San Diego State’s Chris Johnson, a clean prospect who can cover, tackle, and play inside or outside. I don’t think he’ll make it to 52, so…

Round 2 (52): Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech

Some mocks have Hunter going earlier, but The Athletic’s draft maven, Dane Brugler, has him No. 55 on his big board, so I’m rolling the dice that he’s there. He came in for a top-30 visit and checks all the boxes for what this team drastically needs: a beefy run stopper to plug in between Devonte Wyatt and Javon Hargrave.

With Jonathan Gannon’s defense being more 3-4 heavy, the Pack will repeat what they did when Dom Capers came in to install 3-4 concepts, and they drafted B.J. Raji in the first round. They’ll give Gannon a guy with a ton more upside than current placeholders Nazir Stackhouse and Warren Brinson. Hunter won’t see the field on passing downs for now, but he’d be a great early down run stuffer to add to the D-line rotation.

Round 3 (84): Davison Igbinosun, CB, Ohio State

I’m taking Gutey at his word here that the team could look to invest a couple of picks at corner — to which we all say, ‘Hallelujah!’ Iggy has all the tools you want; his big issue is he’s a walking penalty, accumulating a whopping 30 of them at OSU. If you watch the Buckeyes play, you know he’s going to get flagged a couple of times, so he needs to clean that up. But he’s big, physical, and has good instincts.

Round 4: (120) Logan Taylor, G, Boston College

When Gutey wakes up on Saturday morning, I think he’ll have offense on his mind, and I wouldn’t be surprised if five of his six picks land on that side of the ball. He begins up front, where the Pack must find reinforcements after moving on from Elgton Jenkins and Rasheed Walker.

Taylor was a four-year starter and has the versatility the team covets, with more than 100 snaps at all five positions.

Round 5: (153) Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas

Word is, the team brought in a QB in the last few days — a visit shrouded in secrecy. The Packers asked beat reporters not to release his name or reveal the team’s interest. The Pack would undoubtedly like to add a developmental QB after losing Malik Willis. Desmond Ridder is the No. 2 for now and may keep that spot in ’26 if Green is the pick.

He is a lump of clay right now and needs a lot of refinement — starting with cutting down on his 37 turnovers over the last two seasons. But his athleticism is freaky, and he had the most plays longer than 10 yards and 20 yards in FBS in ’25. The Packers may envision molding him into Willis 2.0. He started four years, first at Boise State and then in Fayetteville, and was a dynamic two-way threat. If the Pack’s QB gurus can fix his mechanics, the upside is undeniable.

Round 5: (160) Kaelon Black, RB, Indiana

There is a clear opening for the backup job to Josh Jacobs, and it would be stunning if the team doesn’t draft a back in this draft. Chris Brooks is back in the third-down, pass protector role, but the team can’t rely on the papier mache hamstrings of MarShawn Lloyd.

Black is smaller than Jacobs but plays a similar style and explodes through tacklers. While sharing duties with Roman Hemby at IU, he emerged as the lead back during the Hoosiers’ championship run through the playoffs.

Round 6: (201) Josh Cuevas, TE, Alabama

The Packers have an emerging star in Tucker Kraft, but very little behind him at tight end (I’m looking at you, Luke Musgrave). Enter Cuevas, who projects more as a hybrid TE-FB type whose strength is his in-line blocking — a skillset the team loves and has in short supply at the position. He should make an immediate impact on special teams and provide big-time support in the run game. Anything he brings as a pass catcher will be a bonus early.

Round 7: (236) Caleb Douglas, WR, Texas Tech

The Pack finds another Red Raider. Gutey grabs a receiver who’s been compared to the just traded Dontayvion Wicks, because he can make the tough, contested catch and also drop a few. He led the team in catches and touchdowns and has the measurables and route-running skills to stick around at the bottom of the depth chart in ’26.

Round Seven (255) Malcom DeWalt IV, CB, Akron

It’s a Gutey tradition: He loves him some seventh-round corners. The team brought DeWalt in for a pre-draft visit, intrigued by his history as a sprinter. He’s physical and a willing and able tackler. At this point in the draft, he’s worth a dart throw, despite not facing elite receivers in college.

Ultimately, I expect Gutey to move up and down the board on Friday and Saturday. With a bushel of comp picks coming next year, he may be poised to package some picks to make sure he gets the guys he wants.