2026 Draft Talk

[OldSchool101]

I’m not seeing any general Draft Day Thread and I am seeing fragmented live draft comments all over the place such as various Mocks.

Here’s a Generic thread for everyone so we’re but going in 4 directions

Romello just got selected at #71 and he was 1 of 3 guesses I had for pick #84.
I still have RB Washington or CB Muhammad. Although we might not go CB back to back either.

 

[OldSchool101]

I swear if we get Lance using #120 I’ll be ecstatic. I just see a log jam in RD4 of guys that could go later RD3 or early RD5 or anywhere between. RB’s, OL, Edge, WR, TE

 

[OldSchool101]

oops now seeing the “2026 draft prospects!” thread pop back up.
I swear I searched and didn’t see that. My apologies Carry on.

 

[Poppa San]

6 picks were the fewest in any draft in Packers history.

 

[El Guapo]

6 picks were the fewest in any draft in Packers history.

By my unofficial count, the most picks in any draft in Packers history was 31 in 1959. Seven days later, Vince Lombardi would become the head coach.

The best, lowest round pick that I could identify was guard Al Barry in the 30th round of the 1953 draft. Here is the note that I had in my spreadsheet. Who knows where I found it: "Barry was a three year veteran and starter in his third season, but was traded in 1958 along with guard Joe Skibinksi when rookie Jerry Kramer emerged."

 

[milani]

By my unofficial count, the most picks in any draft in Packers history was 31 in 1959. Seven days later, Vince Lombardi would become the head coach.

The best, lowest round pick that I could identify was guard Al Barry in the 30th round of the 1953 draft. Here is the note that I had in my spreadsheet. Who knows where I found it: "Barry was a three year veteran and starter in his third season, but was traded in 1958 along with guard Joe Skibinksi when rookie Jerry Kramer emerged."

Good info.

 

[milani]

By my unofficial count, the most picks in any draft in Packers history was 31 in 1959. Seven days later, Vince Lombardi would become the head coach.

The best, lowest round pick that I could identify was guard Al Barry in the 30th round of the 1953 draft. Here is the note that I had in my spreadsheet. Who knows where I found it: "Barry was a three year veteran and starter in his third season, but was traded in 1958 along with guard Joe Skibinksi when rookie Jerry Kramer emerged."

Interesting story. Barry played at USC and went to HS in Beverly Hills. Not a poor kid. In 1955 a number of previous players had completed their military obligations and were eligible for the roster come September. But at the same time several other Packer players already on the roster the previous year had to go into service to fulfill their military requirements. Among those was Al Barry. I believe Max McGee was also one. Barry came back to us in 1957. With the Giants he played in those 2 NFL Championship games against the Colts. He finished his career in 1960 with the new LA Chargers and Sid Gilman and got to play in the first AFL Championship. Barry passed away a few years back at 91.
Had to be tough on coaches and players at that time. Cold War, Korea, Berlin. There was a draft. A lot of these players received a deferment in college. So by the time they would get called they were already 22-24 years old.

 

[Poppa San]

Had to be tough on coaches and players at that time. Cold War, Korea, Berlin. There was a draft. A lot of these players received a deferment in college. So by the time they would get called they were already 22-24 years old.

With a career worth hundreds and hundreds of dollars ahead of them.

 

[Poppa San]

By my unofficial count, the most picks in any draft in Packers history was 31 in 1959. Seven days later, Vince Lombardi would become the head coach.

They drafted then got a new coach a week later? Nothing like getting players to match the coaches scheme. Packers of the 50s. No wonder they sucked.

 

[Heyjoe4]

6 picks were the fewest in any draft in Packers history.

Thanks Poppa. That’s an amazing stat, considering the long history of the team. That also means Gluten has to be spot on with his picks. I like what he did.

 

[milani]

With a career worth hundreds and hundreds of dollars ahead of them.

You are right. Then it was only hundreds and a few thousands.

 

[Poppa San]

Thanks Poppa. That’s an amazing stat, considering the long history of the team. That also means Gluten has to be spot on with his picks. I like what he did.

I've since heard that in the early 00's, Mike Sherman had a few 6 player drafts also.

 

[El Guapo]

I've since heard that in the early 00's, Mike Sherman had a few 6 player drafts also.

I looked back. In 2002 and 2004, Sherman only selected six players.

In 2002, he bundled his 1st and 2nd round picks to move up for Javon Walker (getting a 5th round in return). That was a good move, and would have been better if Walker hadn't become discontent. He also traded his 4th round pick to NE for Terry Glenn. Lastly, Sherman traded his 7th round pick.
2002 Picks:
1 - WR Javon Walker
2 - traded
3 - S Marques Anderson
4 - RB Najeh Davenport
5 - DE Aaron Kampman
5 - QB Craig Nall
6 - OL Mike Houghton
7 - traded

In 2004, he traded out of the 2nd round to get some 3rd and 4th round picks. He then bundled his 4th and 5th round picks to move back up to draft the immortal punter BJ Sander (quite possibly his worst pick ever).
1 - CB Ahmad Carroll
2 - traded
3 - P BJ Sander
3 - CB Joey Thomas
3 - DT Donnell Washington
4 - traded
5 - traded
6 - DL Corey Williams
7 - C Scott Wells

 

[El Guapo]

For some more fodder, even though my tracking goes back to 1950 I have not fully analyzed drafts all the way back to then.

However, one thing that I have done back to 2008 is study how many times the Packers have bundled picks to trade up for a player. Clearly it isn't a proven track record for success. TT was the GM through the Jason Spriggs pick in 2016, and Gutekunst after. Both have averaged a roughly 33% success rate.

2008 Jeremy Thompson - DE 4th round Failure
2009 Clay Matthews - DE 1st round Success
2010 Morgan Burnett - S 3rd round Success
2012 Jerel Worthy - DT 2nd round Failure
2012 Casey Hayward - CB 2nd round Success went on to be a good CB for San Diego
2012 Terrell Manning - LB 5th round Failure
2013 Johnathan Franklin - RB 4th round Failure
2015 Brett Hundley - QB 5th round Failure
2016 Jason Spriggs - OL 2nd round Failure
2018 Oren Burks - LB 3rd round Failure
2019 Darnell Savage - S 1st round Failure picked up his 5th year option but then let him walk. He was an underwhelming starter
2020 Jordan Love - QB 1st round Success
2021 Amari Rodgers - WR 3rd round Failure
2022 Christian Watson - WR 2nd round Success
2024 Evan Williams - S 4th round ???
2024 Jacob Monk - G 5th round ???
2026 Chris McClellan - DT 3rd round ???


Failures 9 64.3%
Successes 5 35.7%
Not Yet Rated 3
TOTAL 17

 

[milani]

I looked back. In 2002 and 2004, Sherman only selected six players.

In 2002, he bundled his 1st and 2nd round picks to move up for Javon Walker (getting a 5th round in return). That was a good move, and would have been better if Walker hadn't become discontent. He also traded his 4th round pick to NE for Terry Glenn. Lastly, Sherman traded his 7th round pick.
2002 Picks:
1 - WR Javon Walker
2 - traded
3 - S Marques Anderson
4 - RB Najeh Davenport
5 - DE Aaron Kampman
5 - QB Craig Nall
6 - OL Mike Houghton
7 - traded

In 2004, he traded out of the 2nd round to get some 3rd and 4th round picks. He then bundled his 4th and 5th round picks to move back up to draft the immortal punter BJ Sander (quite possibly his worst pick ever).
1 - CB Ahmad Carroll
2 - traded
3 - P BJ Sander
3 - CB Joey Thomas
3 - DT Donnell Washington
4 - traded
5 - traded
6 - DL Corey Williams
7 - C Scott Wells

Except for Wells that was a horrific draft. Carroll lead the league in illegal contact penalties. He forgot he was not in college. We needed defense and a lot of it. We did not get it. As for Walker his 2005 season went away in WK 1 with a season ending injury.

 

[El Guapo]

Except for Wells that was a horrific draft. Carroll lead the league in illegal contact penalties. He forgot he was not in college. We needed defense and a lot of it. We did not get it. As for Walker his 2005 season went away in WK 1 with a season ending injury.

Sherman was a really good head coach, but an atrocious general manager. He couldn't draft and squandered the cap on terrible free agents (Joe Johnson, etc.). Had he just stuck with coaching, we might have hoisted another trophy.

Wolf stocked the cupboards with Wahle & Rivera in the middle along with Clifton & Tauscher at tackle, but then mailed it in with his last draft class in 2001. People forget that Sherman then drafted only 2 OL in his three years as GM - Wells in the 7th and Houghton in the 6th. By the time that Ted Thompson was brought in, you had an aging OL that was eating up a salary cap that had been horribly mismanaged. Sure TT could have done things a little differently but not much differently. Rivera set the record for his contract with Dallas and Wahle wasn't far behind. The Packers were cap-strapped with no quality offensive linemen in the pipeline. TT brought in two cheap guards in O'Dwyer and Klemm, but neither was any good.

In 2006, TT was forced to place a heavy emphasis on the interior OL in the draft. Unfortunately the group of Colledge, Spitz, and Moll just weren't any good either. It wasn't until 2008 and 2009 when TT finally found gold in Sitton and Lang.

This highlights why you never stop drafting OL to go "all in" at other positions. The game is won in the trenches.

 

[milani]

Sherman was a really good head coach, but an atrocious general manager. He couldn't draft and squandered the cap on terrible free agents (Joe Johnson, etc.). Had he just stuck with coaching, we might have hoisted another trophy.

Wolf stocked the cupboards with Wahle & Rivera in the middle along with Clifton & Tauscher at tackle, but then mailed it in with his last draft class in 2001. People forget that Sherman then drafted only 2 OL in his three years as GM - Wells in the 7th and Houghton in the 6th. By the time that Ted Thompson was brought in, you had an aging OL that was eating up a salary cap that had been horribly mismanaged. Sure TT could have done things a little differently but not much differently. Rivera set the record for his contract with Dallas and Wahle wasn't far behind. The Packers were cap-strapped with no quality offensive linemen in the pipeline. TT brought in two cheap guards in O'Dwyer and Klemm, but neither was any good.

In 2006, TT was forced to place a heavy emphasis on the interior OL in the draft. Unfortunately the group of Colledge, Spitz, and Moll just weren't any good either. It wasn't until 2008 and 2009 when TT finally found gold in Sitton and Lang.

This highlights why you never stop drafting OL to go "all in" at other positions. The game is won in the trenches.

I will up the ante with William Whitaker in 2005. What a stiff! I would have rather opted for better guards in 2005 and give up in other areas which is what Thompson could have done. Especially since C Flanagan's career ended 2 games into the season. It may have forced Favre to throw less and throw shorter. However, when you have a backfield that featured Ahman Green you can still win games by run blocking. The futility of the offensive line is what led directly to Green's season ending injury.

 

[OldSchool101]

For some more fodder, even though my tracking goes back to 1950 I have not fully analyzed drafts all the way back to then.

However, one thing that I have done back to 2008 is study how many times the Packers have bundled picks to trade up for a player. Clearly it isn't a proven track record for success. TT was the GM through the Jason Spriggs pick in 2016, and Gutekunst after. Both have averaged a roughly 33% success rate.

2008 Jeremy Thompson - DE 4th round Failure
2009 Clay Matthews - DE 1st round Success
2010 Morgan Burnett - S 3rd round Success
2012 Jerel Worthy - DT 2nd round Failure
2012 Casey Hayward - CB 2nd round Success went on to be a good CB for San Diego
2012 Terrell Manning - LB 5th round Failure
2013 Johnathan Franklin - RB 4th round Failure
2015 Brett Hundley - QB 5th round Failure
2016 Jason Spriggs - OL 2nd round Failure
2018 Oren Burks - LB 3rd round Failure
2019 Darnell Savage - S 1st round Failure picked up his 5th year option but then let him walk. He was an underwhelming starter
2020 Jordan Love - QB 1st round Success
2021 Amari Rodgers - WR 3rd round Failure
2022 Christian Watson - WR 2nd round Success
2024 Evan Williams - S 4th round ???
2024 Jacob Monk - G 5th round ???
2026 Chris McClellan - DT 3rd round ???


Failures 9 64.3%
Successes 5 35.7%
Not Yet Rated 3
TOTAL 17

First of all Evan Williams is a 2yr starter and that’s a success. He won the job in his rookie season.
RD4 starter in year 1,2 that’s not a ???

Secondly, I don’t like its not full disclosure. So Savage was acquired using RD3 from the previous draft. that’s all a relational draft transaction. Traded back for Day 1. Traded up using RD1+RD3+RD6. Yes Savage was drafted in RD1 WITH the equity Brian got from the previous draft moving around. If we wanted style points for a % round score? we’d just be conservative and never do any trading back and forth. Instead we started with a Day 1 in 2018 and RD3 in 2018 and ended with J’aire Alexander and Darnell Savage from that move the following draft. Thats the full disclosure.

Thirdly, one of the biggest trades in Packers recent history is.. We traded #27,#76,#186 for Jaire Alexander AFTER crafting a trade back first. While there’s obvious argument about his final injury situation, he was a 2-Time Probowler and 2 Time All Pro CB.

RD1 3/3 100%
RD2 2/4 50%
RD3 2/4 50%
(I disagree that savage failed for RD3 capital spent)
RD4 1/3 33%
(Evan Williams is a starter in rookie season)
RD5 0/2 0%


50% success rate on overall trades imo.
64% success rate Day 1-2 trades
20% success rate Day 3 trades.

Also
Smack ??

 

[El Guapo]

First of all

Great points. As for Evan Williams, I just don't do an evaluation until after a player's third season. He certainly looks like a great pick.

Savage is tricky. I liked him early but he seemed to lose confidence/steam/ability each year. It really could go either way. I also don't base my personal evaluations on draft rounds. I might make mention of a great late round pick, but once they are on the roster the only thing that matters is if they become an asset to the team.

Good points about Jaire and Smack.

 

[El Guapo]

Also
Smack ??

Interesting rumor about trading up for Smack, that three other teams planned to draft him in the 7th round:

Packers Fans Get Surprising News About New Kicker Trey Smack

Green Bay Packers fans have been given some surprising news about rookie kicker Trey Smack after trading up for him.

heavy.com

 

[OldSchool101]

Great points. As for Evan Williams, I just don't do an evaluation until after a player's third season. He certainly looks like a great pick.

Savage is tricky. I liked him early but he seemed to lose confidence/steam/ability each year. It really could go either way. I also don't base my personal evaluations on draft rounds. I might make mention of a great late round pick, but once they are on the roster the only thing that matters is if they become an asset to the team.

Good points about Jaire and Smack.

Duly noted on the waiting 1 year. I think through all the roster discussion the main point is make is this. 2026 will hinge on injury or health. GB was playoff contender last year and they will be again. Only question with most teams are will several players unexpectedly step up, similar to Kraft last year. If you got that out of 1 or 2 more OL and 1 skill plus a guy or 2 on D? GB is plenty talented to make a deep playoff push.

We’ve got a Top 10 area QB
We’ve got a Top 5 area Defender
lots of young talent at skill positions.