The Green Bay Packers made six picks in the NFL Draft, but their last one was perhaps the most noteworthy of them all. Instead of bringing in another key defensive piece or continuing to strengthen the offensive line, Green Bay used the 216th pick on Florida kicker Trey Smack, a move that could pay huge dividends.
The Packers had a lot of star power last season despite getting sent packing in the first round of the playoffs. A lot of that was due to the inconsistency from veteran Brandon McManus, who missed three kicks (two field goals, one extra point) in that shocking wild-card loss to the Chicago Bears and struggled from 40 or more yards out (6-of-12).
While distance is important, Packers special teams coordinator Cam Achord is most impressed by Smack's consistency more than anything. "Straight ball, accuracy, his ball doesn't move a lot," Achord said, per The Leap's Jason B. Hirschhorn. "... I don't need a guy who can kick 65 yards, personally. I want the guy who is going to put it through consistently from 58, 55."
Smack has been good at the distance part, hitting from as far out as 56 yards in his collegiate career in Gainesville. However, as Matt LaFleur's staff has repeatedly shown a tendency to lean toward continuity during his tenure, Smack's overall consistency will be key if he is going to overtake McManus.
Trey Smack Knows What He Must Do to Overtake Brandon McManus for Starting Role
It is important to remember that McManus has had a solid career as a whole, so it is not going to be an easy feat for Smack to immediately jump in and overtake him for the kicker position. McManus made a career-long 61-yarder in 2021 when he was with the Denver Broncos and converted a career-high 95.2% (20-of-21) of his field-goal attempts during his first season with the Packers in 2024, including a perfect 3-of-3 from at least 50 yards.
With that said, he is only 51-of-90 from beyond 50 yards in his career. Last season, he was decent (24-of-30), but he dealt with a quad issue that sidelined him for multiple games and was nowhere near the level of consistency that he flashed in 2024. The Packers even brought in Lucas Havrisik, who went 4-of-4 on field goals and 7-of-9 on extra-point attempts in McManus' absence. He even hit a franchise-record 61-yard attempt, but Green Bay ultimately reverted back to McManus when he was healthy enough to return.
While all of that points to Smack facing a tall task of getting the upper hand over McManus, it is clear that he can offer the Packers something that McManus cannot. In addition to making all but one of his 101 extra points at Florida, Smack hit 82.8% of his attempts and 10-of-13 from beyond 50 yards. In addition to the 56-yarder he hit last season, Smack also drilled a 57-yard field goal during the East-West Shrine Bowl. His overall percentage is just slightly higher than McManus, but his level of consistency, combined with the ability to convert longer field goals at a high rate, makes Smack an excellent candidate for the starting job.
If Smack can demonstrate some consistency and prove to be a reliable option the Packers can turn to, McManus could have some competition. His path to getting the spot is clear, and it could only be a matter of time if Green Bay wants to get some stability at the position.
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