Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst stayed put and took South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse at No. 52 overall in the second round and then traded up to No. 77 overall to select Missouri defensive tackle Chris McClellan in the third round during Friday's Day 2 of the 2026 draft.

Gutekunst said he didn't think Cisse would be available to the Packers at No. 52, and McClellan was actually in a group of players the Packers were considering in the second round.

"I'm really excited about these two guys," Gutekunst said. "They can really help our football team. I think they have really bright futures ahead of them. They were really good players in college, good teammates. I think they are going to fit here really well. I think these two guys are wired right for that."

On Cisse: "He's one of the few guys that can play off man, can play press. His suddenness through transition is something that stood out to us. He's very young, we think his best football is ahead of him. We think he's got so much left in the tank not only as a player but physically as well, he'll get bigger and stronger...really like the fact that he took the step and went to South Carolina last year, better competition, and really showed well this past year."

Gutekunst didn't sound worried about Cisse, who declared after only three collegiate seasons, being only 20 years old. He doesn't turn 21 until July.

"We've always tried to take guys that we think have more left in development. He played at a high level and we think he can help us next year and we think his upside is really good. There's not a lot of 20-year-olds in the draft. We took one one time named Kenny Clark. That worked out pretty well. Hopefully, this works out that well. No hesitation."

After addressing the long-term need at corner in the second round, Gutekunst attacked the need at defensive tackle 25 picks later -- trading up to get McClellin.

Versatility and pass-rushing potential set him apart.

On McClellin: "He played in the SEC. He's a huge man. Has excellent length. I think for me, the combination of being able to play the nose, the three, and actually rush the passer. There's a lot of these guys that don't do that. He can. And that set him apart a little bit for us."

Gutekunst said that as soon as he took Cisse at No. 52, he was on the phones exploring ways to move up to get McClellin.

"As the third round wore on, he was sticking out there like a sore thumb. He was the highest guy, let's go get him," Gutekunst said.

The Packers used a fifth-round pick (No. 160) to move up to No. 77.

Gutekunst believes both Cisse and McClellin can help the Packers right away in 2026.

"Their NFL journey is just starting and it's a whole different world. It's going to take a little bit of time to adapt. But both of these guys, they are both transfer guys, and they both adapted to their new situations fairly quickly. So I feel pretty confident that they can help us sooner rather than later."

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers GM talks CB Brandon Cisse, DL Chris McClellan