The Green Bay Packers will open their participation in the 2026 NFL Draft this weekend, and they have a lot of work to do. The Packers have seen several key players depart in free agency this offseason, and while they secured a treasure chest full of compensatory picks, they won’t be able to cash them in until the 2027 draft.
That makes this weekend important as the Packers are currently scheduled to be on the clock eight times, beginning with the No. 52 pick. While they have plenty of draft capital to address their needs, they must be deliberate in prioritizing the holes they want to fill.
Three players served important roles on last year’s team, and while they weren’t in the starting lineup, they must be addressed if the Packers want to take the next step in 2026.
1. Malik Willis
The Packers are probably feeling good about Jordan Love as their franchise quarterback. But an unfortunate truth is that he’s wound up missing time in each of the past two seasons due to injury. Green Bay was able to call on Malik Willis to step in for the four games Love missed, as well as the ones he left mid-game and did not return. While he played well, the Packers no longer have that luxury with Willis signing with the Miami Dolphins.
With Willis gone, the Packers need a backup quarterback. But they didn’t show any urgency to dive into the free agent market. Instead, they watched legitimate options sign elsewhere while adding Kyle McCord to compete with Desmond Ridder; neither quarterback would make Packers fans feel comfortable if they got into a game, meaning the draft may be their best chance to solve their backup quarterback dilemma.
While Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson were taken in the first round, several developmental quarterbacks remain on the board, including Penn State’s Drew Allar, North Dakota State’s Cole Payton, Miami’s Carson Beck, and Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, who could be taken on the third day. Any of those quarterbacks would be a low-risk flier in the Packers backup QB battle and ensure they have proper competition for an under-the-radar role.
2. Colby Wooden
The defensive tackle position may already have been addressed with Devonte Wyatt’s return to health and the addition of Javon Hargrave. But even if both players hold down the starting roles, Wooden held a key reserve spot thanks to his ability to stop the run.
Wooden’s 46.4 run defense grade, according to Pro Football Focus, suggests he’ll be easily replaceable after he was traded to the Indianapolis Colts. But he played the most run defense snaps (305) among Packers interior defenders and had the highest grade among that group among players with a minimum of 100 snaps against the run.
After leading the interior defenders in Green Bay with 23 run stops, he must be replaced, and it could be something Green Bay addresses early in the draft. Georgia’s Christen Miller is an ideal candidate, a player who posted a 90.2 run defense grade and 15 run stops during his collegiate career. However, Green Bay doesn't need to have all its chips in that basket, as Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter or Iowa State's Domonique Orange could also fill this need.
3. Emanuel Wilson
One of the more intriguing questions is what the Packers will do at the backup running back position. In a perfect world, the Packers would probably like MarShawn Lloyd to stay healthy. But that hasn’t happened in his first two years in the league, and he gave way to Emanuel Wilson in 2025.
Wilson performed admirably while filling in for an injured Josh Jacobs last season, running for 496 yards and three touchdowns with a 58.4 percent success rate on 125 carries. It was clear that the Packers never really trusted him, though, leaning on a banged-up Jacobs down the stretch. With Wilson now a member of the Seattle Seahawks, the Packers will have to find a new RB2 and will likely try to do so in the draft. Especially after Brian Gutenkunst essentially confirmed new competition at running back during the NFL’s owners meetings.
Arkansas’s Mike Washington Jr., Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson, or Penn State’s Kaytron Allen could all be targets in the middle rounds. In addition, Washington’s Jonah Coleman, Wake Forest’s Demond Claiborne, and Penn State’s Nicholas Singleton could all be dark-horse candidates to be selected on the final day of the draft.
Whoever the Packers decide on, they must find someone who can push Lloyd and fill the workman’s role that Wilson had one year ago.
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