Why did the Green Bay Packers decide to give up two picks to trade up and select a kicker to end the 2026 NFL draft?

In his post-draft press conference on Saturday night, general manager Brian Gutekunst said the decision came down to the lack of options likely to be available towards the end of the seventh round, the team's belief in Trey Smack as an NFL kicker and the probability of Smack lasting deep into the seventh round.

Gutekunst and the Packers traded picks No. 236 and No. 255 to move up to No. 216 -- the final pick in the sixth round -- and draft Smack, who the Packers ranked as the best kicker in the class.

"I think it was the way the board fell, quite frankly. More than anything," Gutekunst explained. "We liked him quite a bit, and we think he has a good chance to be a good kicker in the National Football League, but the way the board was falling, where we were sitting in the seventh round, I didn't feel great about what we were going to be able to select with those two picks, and didn't feel great that he would be there then. So we made the decision to do that."

Gutekunst's answer suggests that Smack was one of the few remaining draft-worthy players still on the Packers' board as the sixth round came to a close. Instead of hoping one fell to No. 236, the Packers sacrificed their second seventh-round pick to move up 20 spots and get Smack.

The consensus No. 1 rated kicker in the draft class, Smack connected on 82.8 percent of his field goals and made a school record 10 kicks over 50 yards over three seasons at Florida. He brings to Green Bay a strong leg and a history of making kicks in tough environments in the SEC.

A big fan of Smack's during the process was new Packers special teams coordinator Cam Achord, who Gutekunst said he leaned on heavily while evaluating the specialists.

Now, Achord will have a competition at kicker that currently includes Brandon McManus, Lucas Havrisik and a hand-picked rookie.

"We've got some talented guys in that room, we're going to have to figure that out, but I did think it was important to add competition to that," Gutekusnt said. "Certainly, we thought he was the best kicker in the draft. Cam had a very strong opinion about that, as did I, and I felt fortunate to be able to acquire him."

The Seattle Seahawks used the Packers' two seventh-round picks to take Toledo cornerback Andre Fuller and Arizona cornerback Michael Dansby.

Given the undrafted free agent signings reported for the Packers, it's possible a player such as Florida receiver J. Michael Sturdivant, Illinois guard Josh Gesky, UCF edge rusher Nyjalik Kelly or Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones could have been among the options for Green Bay to end the seventh round.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers GM explains decision to trade up for kicker Trey Smack