The Green Bay Packers gave up two first-round picks to the Dallas Cowboys for Micah Parsons. But that doesn’t mean the front office won’t have chances to materially improve the roster in April. General manager Brian Gutekunst has been excellent at making Day 2 and Day 3 picks — considering the draft capital investment, certainly better than he’s been on Day 1.

Therefore, I invited the one and only Ryan Roberts, who covers the NFL Draft for us at A to Z Sports, with some ideas.

The precise spots are just estimations, in particular the seventh-round compensatory picks that aren’t official yet. However, they give us a solid idea of the range in which the Packers will make their selections.

So I reached out to Ryan with the idea of giving the Packers their top needs and the type of player they tend to prefer. Based on boards and estimated outcomes, we tried to define players who could end up in Green Bay.

Packers’ needs and preferences

The Packers’ top position needs, especially considering positional value, are cornerback and defensive tackle. So those are the positions to attack on Day 2. As Always, the Packers would want physical and long corners, plus disruptive interior rushers.

Early on Day 3, the Packers would look for offensive line depth — the team has wanted bigger guys lately, but they have to move well to play outside and inside zone.

Because MarShawn Lloyd hasn’t panned out, Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks are restricted free agents, and Josh Jacobs is starting to get a little bit older for his position, running back is a lowkey need. And since Malik Willis is a free agent, taking another shot to find a sensible backup quarterback is on the table — ideally, the prospect would have decent physical tools, processing ability, and real playing experience, even if the ceiling isn’t that high.

This is what the Packers can get

From Ryan Roberts:

Luckily for the Packers, it is a deeper group at cornerback this season. For the press man coverage fans, there are a ton of options that could be on the table. That includes Will Lee III (Texas A&M), who is one of the longer and more physical cornerbacks in the group. While he doesn’t have the best long speed of all time, Lee is tenacious and has good change of direction despite being high cut.

Julian Neal (Arkansas) is cut from a similar mold as Lee, although he might be a bit more flexible. The former Fresno State standout was a revelation for the Razorbacks this season. His combination of size, range, and physicality also offers some upside for Neal to be used on the inside. That versatility is extremely valuable. 

Chris Johnson (San Diego State) is a bit of a different type of player. While he isn’t quite as physical as the two previously mentioned, Johnson is a super smooth cover man with outstanding football IQ and fluidity. He also has the size profile you would want, on top of having impeccable character. Johnson is one of the safer picks in the entire cornerback class.

There just aren’t a ton of great penetrating defensive tackles in the 2026 class. It is a great class if you need a pure run-stopping nose tackle, so you are going to need to try to find value throughout the class. Your only real hope is that Caleb Banks (Florida) suffers a substantial fall on Day 2. While he is a massive interior presence at 6-6 and 330 pounds, Banks has the movement skills to become a legitimate threat on the interior to get after the passer and disrupt the run. 

Otherwise, the Packers might be better served to wait for those interior rushers. Someone like Zane Durant (Penn State) could be an intriguing player in the early Day 3 range. One potential faller who could be an interesting conversion play is LT Overton, who could be available later in the second round. While Overton plays on the edge a ton for Alabama, his future could be best served on the interior. He could provide some immediate help in obvious passing situations, but you are going to need to be patient with him as an all-around player.

On the offensive line, Drew Shelton (Penn State) feels like a perfect fit for Green Bay. Shelton didn’t have the season he wanted in 2025, but he has a ton of upside to tap into. His movement skills are tremendous, which should play well in a heavy zone running scheme. Austin Barber (Florida) is a bit more lumbering than Shelton, but brings loads of experience and a ton of size. Barber projects as a good swing tackle option on the next level.

While he is a bit of an outlier, there is no better zone-centric center in the class than Logan Jones (Iowa). He is a center only, which will hurt his upside a bit, but Jones has some developmental upside on the next level. Jones could end up being a nice value due to that lack of size.

There may not be a more interesting running back sleeper in the class than Adam Randall (Clemson). Formerly a top-ranked wide receiver recruit, Randall did very little for Clemson heading into this past season. Clemson opted to move him to running back last offseason, and it sure did pay off. At 6-2 and 230 pounds, Randall is an intriguing blend of size and movement skills. He also brings a nice pair of hands out of the backfield. Someone could be getting a huge steal somewhere on Day 3. 

Speaking of steals, Le’Veon Moss (Texas A&M) is my top choice for the running back you want on Day 3 this year. When healthy, Moss is one of the best pure runners in this class. He runs with impressive physicality and effort. Durability has been the biggest question around Moss. Being able to stay healthy is the battle he will continue to have. If he is able to, he has the upside to develop into a strong member of a committee approach.

Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green is a big signal-caller with a ton of athleticism. Green is also a relatively good processor, which should help him make up for some of his flaws. While his arm strength is just average, Green still has enough other qualities to stick. The same can be said about Sawyer Robertson (Baylor). He is a bigger quarterback who has just modest physical tools, but he is tough, experienced, and throws with good touch. Robertson has a chance to stick on the next level as a preferred backup.

Green Bay Packers News

Packers make first wave of roster moves with 2026 in mind as young talent is added and long-term planning quietly begins

Brian Gutekunst is calling some early shots.

Wendell Ferreira