Packers’ approach to rebuilding the trenches leaves a couple of major questions entering the 2026 season
Green Bay values the big guys upfront on both sides of the ball, but the roster has some attention points. Meanwhile, the front office bets on internal development.
It’s deep offseason time. At this point, the Green Bay Packers’ roster is pretty much set for the regular season. But we’re still a month away from training camp, so there’s plenty of time for us to discuss where the team is and where it’s trending ahead of a key 2026 season. It’s mailbag time, so let’s go.
The front office did enough to improve the interior of the defensive line adding Javon Hargrave and drafting Chris McClellan, so if Devonte Wyatt stays healthy they should be fine there. The offensive line is certainly a much bigger concern. The group was already a problem last season, and now they lost two pieces (Rasheed Walker and Elgton Jenkins) and added only a fifth-round rookie (Jager Burton). However, the Packers always bet on internal development to solve their biggest issues. The plan is for Jordan Morgan and Anthony Belton to take steps forward.
The Packers will give Trey Smack every chance to win the job, because they won’t throw draft capital away. But it’s a delicate situation, and one of the reasons why I don’t like the idea of drafting a kicker. There’s no space or time for development. If the rookie isn’t good right away and there’s a veteran behind him playing better, you can’t keep two kickers on the 53-man roster and it’s unfair to the rest of the team to keep the worse player. All that being said, it’s early. So, let’s give Smack the training camp to see where he goes.
They’re essentially two opposite styles of players. While Walker is a gifted athlete, Franklin’s ability to diagnose plays is his calling card. He had a down season for the Indianapolis Colts last year and pass coverage was never a strength of his game. But the Packers’ idea here is that Franklin complements better what Edgerrin Cooper does best.
I don’t know if approach is the problem, because the Packers still have been good at Lambeau. The problem is inconsistency throughout the season, which leads to them losing a competitive division and playing road playoff games. It’s hard to say “they have to win games now” because that’s obvious for everyone. Consistency is key.
The safeties are certainly one of the strongest position groups of the roster. But the cornerback group, yes, is a huge question mark. The Packers invested in the position, but Brandon Cisse is a raw, long-term project, and Benjamin St-Juste is a depth piece with some injury history. So the reality is that, at this moment, the starting group is the same that played most of last year with Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, and Javon Bullard in the slot. It’s hard to be confident about that boundary duo after what we saw in 2025. But there isn’t many avenues to make it better now.
Injuries happen, so there’s a chance. But barring them, I wouldn’t expect him starting any time soon.
I’d say Uruguay, probably. It’s a small country, but people there love the sport, love their country and its traditions. Also, it’s a national team with a lot of history in the early stages of the World Cup.