5 perfect free agent targets the Packers could pursue to strengthen the roster while avoiding massive overspending
Green Bay can add external pieces to get better.
Free agency is inherently risky. Top players usually don’t get available, and teams with lots of cap space tend to overpay in order to bring some level of talent to their roster. That’s why the Green Bay Packers have been cautious over the years — and last year’s moves by overpaying Aaron Banks and Nate Hobbs probably won’t make them more confident to go out there making big signings.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t add good players for a reasonable price tag — general manager Brian Gutekunst himself has done it several times throughout his tenure in Green Bay. So let’s discuss some pieces who could help the roster without breaking the bank.
DT Logan Hall
The defensive tackle free agent market is a nightmare. Outside of Calais Campbell (who’s 40 years old) and John Franklin-Myers, there aren’t many options to get. But based on the profile the Packers usually prioritize, Hall would be the preferred option.
Hall is only 25 and is coming off the best year of his career. It could be viewed as an outlier, yes, but he’s had a trajectory of steady rising. In 2025, the interior defensive lineman had 1.5 sacks and 32 total pressures, with positional versatility to align both on the interior and even as an edge defender at times. Hall is a balanced player, who can both rush the passer and stop the run at a reasonable level — something the Packers badly need with too many designated interior rushers, including starters Devonte Wyatt and Karl Brooks.
C Cade Mays
Gutekunst admitted his intentionality to make the offensive line bigger, and Mays fits that profile at 6-6, 325 pounds. And while he’s not necessarily a high-end center, he brings that physicality in run-blocking.
The best part of his game, though, is pass protecting. Last year, he allowed only 11 pressures on 429 pass-block snaps. In comparison, Sean Rhyan allowed 27 pressures on 462 pass-block snaps. Mays should get a reasonable salary behind guys like Tyler Linderbaum and Connor McGovern and that could look like an overinvestment in the center position after extending Sean Rhyan, but Rhyan could be a swing interior offensive lineman creating more competition — and opening a path to release Aaron Banks next offseason.
G Teven Jenkins
Injuries have affected Jenkins throughout his NFL career, but he’s been good at guard when healthy. I repeated multiple times last year that I’d rather have Teven Jenkins for $3 million than Aaron Banks for $19.25 million, and this is certainly not a take I’d want back. Jenkins ended up not having an opportunity to start last year because the Cleveland Browns were set at guard, but he still played 276 snaps at right guard, 30 as a sixth offensive lineman, and a few snaps at left guard and both tackle spots in 2025. That versatility, his low cost, and his upside as a run blocker combine for an intriguing young bet as a depth piece.
LB Nakobe Dean
We’ve talked about Dean a few times around here because he’s already played with Jonathan Gannon on the Philadelphia Eagles, and also because Quay Walker is expected to depart in free agency. Gutekunst mentioned the possibility of adding an off-ball linebacker, and Dean makes sense. The injury risk is a concern and his ability to stop the run is questionable, but he is solid in coverage and is a good blitzer to complement Edgerrin Cooper.
CB Montaric Brown
In a vacuum, Cor’Dale Flott is probably the better player, but he’s too short for the Packers’ usual thresholds. In this case, Montaric Brown is ideal. He’s 6-0, 190 pounds. The athletic profile isn’t that good, but Green Bay usually cares more about it for rookies than for veterans. He played significant snaps in the past three years on the Jacksonville Jaguars, improving year after year. Last season, he had two interceptions and nine pass breakups, allowing a 73.5 passer rating when targeted.
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