2026 Roster Thread - Semi-Live

[OldSchool101]

IMO The positions I think are easiest to start earlier with plenty of snaps are RB, LB and Safety. If the players around those positions are sound? They can thrive in a Rookie season.
We all saw Evan and Edgerrin look the part. Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones logged nearly 1,300 yards in their 2017 Rookie season and if we recall Aaron was injured a good portion of that season. Doubs was a reliable contributor in his Rookie season from Day 3 with 430 yards and 3 TD’s in 12 games. That’s 600+ yards 4-5 TD’s had he played in 17 games. He was picked at #132 overall (back of RD4)

This Draft is pretty stout in that middle area. OT, OC, OG, WR, CB, DT, TE. About the only weaker draft areas are RB and QB imo.

The Good News (concerning Draft) is outside of NT? I don’t see 1 area that I’m that overly concerned. Plus there’s several NT types well into RD4-5 and more in FA and they are very good options for us from What I’m seeing.

Brian can kinda swing for the fences on most pitches. I’d be fine if we hit Edge-RB-DT 1-2-3. Then move up inti RD4 again and pair TWO CB’s behind St Juste. We’ve got Micah frickin’ Parsons coming back soon!

 

[tynimiller]

IMO The positions I think are easiest to start earlier with plenty of snaps are RB, LB and Safety.

I've always said RB, LB and TE

 

[OldSchool101]

I've always said RB, LB and TE

see to me I think of our Packers Deguara, Tonyan, Sternberger, Richard Rodgers, Jermichael and collectively they were near nonexistent Rookie seasons. Tucker and Luke were used more, but almost forced to because Mercedes and Tonyan both left

 

[milani]

Agree. Nobody is giving up a first round pick for just Watson. Now if the Packers coupled their 2nd round pick with him, they could probably get a 1st, but it wouldn't get them far enough down in the 1st round to pay off. however, IMO you don't trade a quality starter and a #52 pick to draft a rookie who most likely won't be a year 1 impact.


Reed is definitely a wild card. Golden and him are a bit similar, so I don't know if he is in the Packers future plans. That said, if he is, then now would be the time to extend him. I don't typically say that about players, but I think if he stays healthy in 2026, his market price is at its lowest right now. If he has a really solid 2026, because of Golden, the Packers may not be able to justify paying him market price.

The Packers have some real decisions to make at WR in the coming 8 months, it will be interesting to see what they do. There is a good chance we see their plan start unfolding during this draft.

Real decisions are what will define them. Certainly did enough this year with several leaving. 2026 will be a " use what we have year. " We may see a more conservative ball control offense. After this season the focus will shift. Right now the attention is DL and CB.

 

[milani]

see to me I think of our Packers Deguara, Tonyan, Sternberger, Richard Rodgers, Jermichael and collectively they were near nonexistent Rookie seasons. Tucker and Luke were used more, but almost forced to because Mercedes and Tonyan both left

Even Finley was sort of a klutz his first year.
The one rookie TE that did get into the mix right away was Bubba Franks. Favre knew he needed development but said he would be a star. Bubba, like Mark Chmura, before him had blocking skills that were needed on a team that had a strong running game. So he fulfilled 2 critical roles in the position.

 

[OldSchool101]

I live for the draft every year, I will be watching every pick, once again, doesn't matter to me if we don't have a pick. I agree, I hope we don't trade into the 1st.

The only way of consider it is if Seattle gave us a break AND we saw an ideal player that we had a good 5-10 spots higher. I do know that Schneider mentioned it being desirable to trade back some.

Like a #52,#84, 2027 RD4

For

Seattle #32, 2027 RD5

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Packers have released LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson, CB Tyron Herring and TE McCallan Castles.

 

[Pkrjones]

Packers have released LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson, CB Tyron Herring and TE McCallan Castles.

DoURant posted this last Friday (#296)... did it just get finalized? I liked JDJ, must've already hit his ceiling?

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

DoURant posted this last Friday (#296)... did it just get finalized? I liked JDJ, must've already hit his ceiling?

Missed his post, I just saw it on a Packer Website. Making room for those they draft and sign as UDFA's I guess. JDJ seemed to have a nice upside, but the Packers moved on, for now.

 

[tynimiller]

see to me I think of our Packers Deguara, Tonyan, Sternberger, Richard Rodgers, Jermichael and collectively they were near nonexistent Rookie seasons. Tucker and Luke were used more, but almost forced to because Mercedes and Tonyan both left

Deguara came out awesome but got injured.

We either are discussing two different things or I grossly misunderstood - I took it as what positions are the easiest for a rookie to come in and be a starter or high snap guy.

I’m not judging the performance rate or even the caliber of a guy and especially not just GB guys. A well rounded TE prospect can come in and be a teams number two TE in snaps relatively easy.

 

[OldSchool101]

Deguara came out awesome but got injured.

We either are discussing two different things or I grossly misunderstood - I took it as what positions are the easiest for a rookie to come in and be a starter or high snap guy.

I’m not judging the performance rate or even the caliber of a guy and especially not just GB guys. A well rounded TE prospect can come in and be a teams number two TE in snaps relatively easy.

Kinda hard to argue against that. TE Particularly if they are that good blocking inline type that has a limited route tree to learn.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Hey @Heyjoe4. Before I respond to this let me just offer that I’m totally 100% on board that Edge is still a premium position. Just look at the contracts out there.

I do think GB has several players on board that are probably getter than we give them credit. One is Brenton Cox Jr., he actually produces favorable data that he’s a dynamic difference maker. Not surprising he was formidable at Georgia before switching programs, winning praise of his Coach. That doesn’t happen by accident, Georgia doesn’t onboard D slouches, as we all know.

I’ll display in separate post below to avoid a long run on post…

It seemed like WR was the first non-QB group to start getting really big money, and Edge has followed with elite players getting north of $40 mil AAV.

Thanks for bringing Cox Jr. to my attention OS. I think he's only in his second year? I truly hope he steps up and helps the Edge group. I haven't really paid attention to him up to now.

There is a Penn St. Edge guy, Dennis-Sutton who looks very good if he's there at #52. Poker first brought up this guy, I think. I don't claim any credit for finding him. Poker included a link to the player and he certainly looks good on paper. And like SEC schools, I prefer guys from prominent conferences like the Big 10.

I'll certainly be watching Cox Jr in camp and when the season starts. Thanks again.

 

[Heyjoe4]

One thing I would almost bet the farm on, Gute won't be moving up into round 1.

I don't even plan on watching the draft Thursday night. 3+ hrs to hear 32 names called, with none of them becoming Packer players.

Agreed. If there is nothing else to watch (and these days there is always something to watch), I'll wait until Friday morning to read the recap of the first round.

Don't get me wrong, the draft can be fun to watch, esp round 1. But there's a lot of analysis and discussion far outweighing the unveiling of a pick.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Deguara came out awesome but got injured.

We either are discussing two different things or I grossly misunderstood - I took it as what positions are the easiest for a rookie to come in and be a starter or high snap guy.

I’m not judging the performance rate or even the caliber of a guy and especially not just GB guys. A well rounded TE prospect can come in and be a teams number two TE in snaps relatively easy.

I didn't know that Deguara started strong only to fall to injury. What ever happened to him?

And I think TEs can come in and be productive as rookies. Part of that is relatively low expectations from the position. Seems like La Porta never had a transition period, he just came in and played very well. Same for Loveland in Chicago, as Packer fans should remember all too well.

As I recall, Kraft didn't have a splashy rookie year, he was solid. He has quickly proven he belongs in any discussion of the top 5 TEs in the NFL. And he's done this on a rookie contract.

I think OL guys can come and play quickly as well. Even so, it's a huge adjustment from college ball to the pros for any draftee at any position.

 

[Heyjoe4]

While I love a strong OL, I don't think the Packers current OL is their weakness. I look at some of the teams that have gone all the way in past seasons and they did it with a really strong D-Line. This has been a weakness of the Packers for many seasons, I really would love to see them improve the DL.

My opinion has always been that great Ds win championships - and that means they are strong at all position groups.

The Packers DL has played slightly above average for the last few years IMO. I still remember the SB in 2026 where the Philly front 4 decimated the Kansas City OL and consistently got pressure on Mahomes - with just 4 guys.

With a DL that dominating, the rest of the D gets a bit of a break.

Anyway Poker I'm with you. GB needs a better DL. Wyatt coming back is helpful, and I like the Hargrave addition. They still need more.

 

[Heyjoe4]

IMO there isn't a team in the league that would trade a 1st round pick for Reed. I am not even sure you could get a late 1st rounder for Watson. Also, IMO Savion is basically a gadget play WR at this point. As I have stated previously IMO Sky offers close to nothing as a WR. I do believe Golden is poised to take a step up with the extra playing time he should get after the Wicks trade. IMO there is not one single position group on this team that I have confidence in their depth. Hopefully I am singing a different tune a month or so from now.

Perfectly stated Schultz, thanks. I've been a little stunned by some comments suggesting that Reed could get a 1st round pick in a trade. Impossible. 3rd round, and even that's a stretch.

And I'm not interested in trading Reed. When healthy he is a reliable WR. Not a #1 guy, but certainly #2 or #3.

And the same for Watson. He is too valuable to the team versus what he would fetch in a trade. I don't think trading Reed or Watson has been given any serious consideration by Gluten.

Finally, last year was the first time Watson proved beyond a doubt his value to this team. And he seems to love GB and his job. I love the guy's enthusiasm as well. He's a fan favorite and worked incredibly hard to recover from his ACL tear. He actually looked better last year than before the injury.

 

[Heyjoe4]

That is kind of how I feel about most positions and rookies. Teams expecting to instantly fill a non-special teams, starting position with a rookie, especially one chosen after round 2, are fooling themselves. While a rookie might contribute, I would rather see them take a redshirt year, with minimal snaps and lots of learning.

Occasionally you strike gold and get a rookie who jumps the learning curve and plays like a veteran, I just wouldn't depend on that happening if I were the Packers. The good news, Gute has filled all the starting positions with Vets. So now he has to find rookies with a lot of future potential and can play that depth piece. DL, EDGE and CB are the thinnest of the Packers depth. One might throw in OL too, but I think Gute is going to be throwing a lot of draft resources, once again, at the defense.

Good point. Best example is when Gluten remade the S group by signing Xavier M in FA and drafting Williams as a pure S and Bullard for slot or S. He completely remade the entire group in one offseason.

It's not realistic to expect a rookie to come in and have a significant impact. It happens, but usually takes one year for even the best to adjust.

There are always surprises - last year the Bears had two rookies who had huge years - RB Monanghai and TE Loveland. That's vert, very rare.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Agreed. If there is nothing else to watch (and these days there is always something to watch), I'll wait until Friday morning to read the recap of the first round.

Don't get me wrong, the draft can be fun to watch, esp round 1. But there's a lot of analysis and discussion far outweighing the unveiling of a pick.

Agree.

The Packers don't have any 1st round picks, so for me, watching the first round would be tantamount to not celebrating Christmas on my own, but going to an ex's house and sitting around for 3+ hrs, watching her and her relatives open all their Christmas gifts.

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[gopkrs]

I think I'll paint a wall and watch it. But really, I'll watch some. If I don't forget. I won't forget about Packer picks from 2nd to 4th

 

[tynimiller]

Agreed. If there is nothing else to watch (and these days there is always something to watch), I'll wait until Friday morning to read the recap of the first round.

Don't get me wrong, the draft can be fun to watch, esp round 1. But there's a lot of analysis and discussion far outweighing the unveiling of a pick.

Agree.

The Packers don't have any 1st round picks, so for me, watching the first round would be tantamount to not celebrating Christmas on my own, but going to an ex's house and sitting around for 3+ hrs, watching her and her relatives open all their Christmas gifts.

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I've never read such depressing takes ever in my life...how is the draft and prospect evaluations and seeing how your board stacks up at the turn of each pick NOT SOMETHING YOU CRAVE.....

(signed) Delusionally Obsessed Draft Nut who will be at his birthday dinner with his wife likely updating his excel big board on his phone during dinner LOL

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I've never read such depressing takes ever in my life...how is the draft and prospect evaluations and seeing how your board stacks up at the turn of each pick NOT SOMETHING YOU CRAVE.....

(signed) Delusionally Obsessed Draft Nut who will be at his birthday dinner with his wife likely updating his excel big board on his phone during dinner LOL

My only "board" is the Amish Board. I do it every year to foster community and hone my barn building skills.

I wish the best to those 50 or so athletes that are hoping to hear their names read tonight. What will I be doing? I will be watching reruns of Bob Ross painting barns.

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[milani]

Agree.

The Packers don't have any 1st round picks, so for me, watching the first round would be tantamount to not celebrating Christmas on my own, but going to an ex's house and sitting around for 3+ hrs, watching her and her relatives open all their Christmas gifts.

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Or watching the rest of our division have a birthday party without inviting us.

 

[AKCheese]

Looking forward to hearing on day 2 and 3 about the 30-40 players who are drafted and talked about as “expected by many to go in the first round” .. break.. I can’t believe Oakland won’t trade the pick. The last team to win a Super Bowl with their #1 overall pick was Indy/Payton Manning (and it took 9 years). As Bill Walton would say TRADE DOWN BIG MAN!!

 

[Half Empty]

Looking forward to hearing on day 2 and 3 about the 30-40 players who are drafted and talked about as “expected by many to go in the first round” .. break.. I can’t believe Oakland won’t trade the pick. The last team to win a Super Bowl with their #1 overall pick was Indy/Payton Manning (and it took 9 years). As Bill Walton would say TRADE DOWN BIG MAN!!

Especially since everything I see indicates Mendoza may be the best QB available but isn't what you'd want in a #1 overall.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Especially since everything I see indicates Mendoza may be the best QB available but isn't what you'd want in a #1 overall.

While I wish it was the Vikings, Bears, Lions or Cowboys, I couldn't have picked a "better" franchise to get dicked with the #1 pick in the draft. I can't say that I saw Mendoza play more than 5 games, but he had a lot of talent around him. I wouldn't bet on him becoming a franchise NFL QB.