Kicker Is Now Trey Smack's Gig To Lose

The Green Bay Packers’ last selection in the draft didn't take place in the final round. General manager Brian Gutekunst traded both of the seventh-round selections in his possession to move up to the sixth round. With pick No. 216 in hand, Gutekunst chose Florida kicker Trey Smack.

Yes, Brandon McManus is still on the roster, and anything can happen, but let's call a spade a spade: This is now Smack's gig to lose.

That is, of course, if all things are equal coming out of the summer. If Smack has a terrible training camp and self-destructs in the preseason, the Packers would obviously pivot away from the newly drafted Green Bay kicker. But if it’s even close, the edge is going to Smack.

The last time McManus was on the field, it was a nightmare. Green Bay's veteran kicker missed two field-goal attempts and an extra point in the soul-sucking, season-ending loss in Chicago.

McManus took the blame for the loss after the game, which was admirable.

It was surprising when a March deadline came and went, leading to a $1 million roster bonus for McManus. After that, for all intents and purposes, McManus appeared to be the guy for 2026.

That changed on the Saturday of the draft when the Packers traded up to select Smack, Florida's golden boot of a kicker. Yes, the two picks they parted with were seventh-rounders, and Gutekunst said afterward he didn't like how the board was taking shape at that point. Still, Green Bay ultimately traded up for a kicker.

Gutekunst

Green Bay drafted Anders Carlson in the sixth round in 2023 to replace Mason Crosby, who they took in the sixth round of the 2007 draft. Both started for the Packers as rookies. Crosby went on to a storied career filled with clutch kicks and triumph. For Carlson — or at least for Packer fans — it was a horror show that couldn't end soon enough.

Clearly, the Packers aren't comfortable with McManus or Havrisik being the guy moving forward. Gutekunst hinted at this when talking about selecting Smack.

“Brandon's been excellent for us in his time with us, with the exception in that past game — which I think we all recognize,” Gutekunst said. “But I feel it's important that we address that and have a guy who can go win us games.”

Does that sound like a general manager who's ready to roll with the status quo?

This isn't drafting an offensive lineman or a wide receiver or any other position, where you take a late-round flier and hope for the best. Kickers and punters are different in that they aren't drafted nearly as frequently as any other position. When they are drafted, it's almost always with the intention of anointing them as the new starter. That's exactly the thought process in Green Bay, despite head coach Matt LaFleur

“Obviously, Trey was the highest-rated kicker we had on our board. Obviously, it’s a position that’s important when you’re talking about scoring points in this league,” LaFleur said. “And just like any other position, you can never have enough competition.”

Sure, you can never have enough competition at any position. However, three kickers competing for one spot is downright gluttonous.

You can't blame LaFleur or Gutekunst for taking that stance, though. They’re cushioning the blow for McManus and allowing him to try and dazzle this summer on the off chance that Smack spirals into a disaster. It’s a safety net and motivation for Smack.

The Packers are labeling this an open competition, and it may even look that way over the summer. But Gutekunst moving up into the sixth round to draft a kicker tells us all we need to know. The job is Smack's to lose, and if the Packers have it their way, he'll be the starting kicker come Week 1.