The Green Bay Packers failed to meet the high expectations of their fan base in 2025. The addition of star pass rusher Micah Parsons offered zero relief from a tradition of painful playoff losses.
The Packers closed out their 2025 season with a crushing loss to their division rival, the Chicago Bears, following a fourth-quarter collapse.
General Manager Brian Gutekunst and the Packers’ front office must immediately turn their focus to the 2026 NFL draft. Despite sending a first-round selection to the Dallas Cowboys to acquire Parsons, Gutekunst is armed with a handful of selections.
Packers Draft Picks:
- Round 2: Pick 52
- Round 3: Pick 84
- Round 4: Pick 120
- Round 5: Pick 160
- Round 6: Pick 201
- Round 7: Pick 236
- Round 7: Pick 255
Green Bay will have to wait until Day 2 to make its first selection in this year’s draft. Gutekunst isn’t concerned. The Packers’ GM exuded confidence as he insisted that he has “all the flexibility to do what we need to do”.
Gutekunst must leverage that flexibility to address several key positions.
Packers Positions of Need:
- DT
- IOL
- CB
- LB
Key Draft Targets for Packers:
Trey Zuhn III – C – Texas A&M
Green Bay has historically prioritized experienced and versatile offensive linemen. Trey Zuhn III matches that description wonderfully as a senior coming out of the SEC.
Zuhn is currently ranked as the 159th overall prospect by ESPN, meaning Green Bay should have a chance to snag him with its fourth-round pick.
Julian Neal – CB – Arkansas
The Packers have prioritized length and height at the cornerback position since getting toasted by Julio Jones in the 2017 NFCCG. Julian Neal offers the size and intensity to appeal to Gutekunst and the Packers.
Neal would immediately compete for playing time on a defense where solid cornerback play has been absent. If there is a singular missing piece to the Packers’ defense, it is at cornerback. Mock drafts have Neal floating at a Round 3 grade.
Domonique Orange – DT – Iowa State
Injuries at the defensive tackle position changed the way the Packers played defense last season. For a team that prepares all year for sub-zero playoff football in Wisconsin, Green Bay must be able to stop the run.
Domonique Orange is a proven difference maker in the interior of the defense. The “Big Citrus” would serve as an immediate enhancement to a Packers’ defense that projects to compete for championships. ESPN currently has Orange as their 112th-ranked prospect.
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