The fun can officially begin for the Green Bay Packers. The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is in the books, which means the Packers have now checked into the game.
They didn't have a first round pick in this draft and they won't have one next year either, but that's the price you pay (plus Kenny Clark) when you go out and get a superstar pass-rusher like Micah Parsons.
The first round of the 2026 draft with intriguing and exciting, but the Packers have to feel pretty good about missing out considering what they got in Parsons.
In the meantime, general manager Brian Gutekunst and his staff can still drastically improve this team.
It starts at No. 52 overall in the draft, which is the 20th pick in the second round. That kicks off Friday night at 7 p.m. ET. Friday will also see the Packers get a pick in the third round at No. 84 overall.
For now, let's assume the Packers stick at No. 52 and take the best player available to fit their needs. They have several needs they can address, too. That's a list includes, but is not limited to: cornerback, defensive line and offensive line.
We'll have to wait and see how this actually plays out, but here are the five (realistic) top targets available to the Packers now that we know who has been selected in Round 1.
There's a lot to like about Avieon Terrell and if he's available when the Packers are up at No. 52, you'd imagine that Gutekunst will take a good hard look at him. In fact, he's a player many felt would go in the first round.
Terrell is a bit undersized at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, but he's quick, athletic and he's also a strong defender against the run. In three seasons at Clemson, he totalled 125 tackles, nine tackles for loss, four sacks, eight forced fumbles, 28 passes defended and three interceptions.
Gennings Dunker is a favorite here on PackersRoundtable and the general online fandom seems to love him as well. It makes sense, too. The Iowa Hawkeyes have churned out great offensive linemen in the past. Dunker is a bit of a character when considering his red hair and unashamed mullet, but he's also a road-grader.
He's the type of versatile lineman who can play tackle or guard but he'd really be a star at guard. He's old-school. He's tough. He almost seems meant to play football in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Gabe Jacas could immediately join the Packers and be a starting presence at EDGE on the other side of Micah Parsons. At the very least, he'd give Lukas Van Ness a run for his money, and that's the type of rookie the Packers need at No. 52 overall.
Jacas is 6-foot-4, 260 pounds and he's a relentless pass-rusher. Last season for the Illini, he notched 11 sacks (which led the Big Ten), 13.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.
A four-year starter at Illinois, he notched 27 total sacks and 35.5 tackles for loss. He's an all-around great EDGE for a second-round pick.
You know Gutekunst loves his Georgia Bulldogs, and he could get another one in Christen Miller.
The Packers need size up front and Miller has plenty of it at 6-foot-3, 338 pounds. He notched 7.5 tackles for loss and three sacks combined over the last two seasons at UGA. Miller would be a great stalwart to play next to his fellow Bulldog, Devonte Wyatt.
Checking in at 6-foot-5, 261 pounds, you've got to be impressed with the production that Dani Dennis-Sutton put up at Penn State as a two-year starter.
He led the Big Ten in pressures per game with 3.8 in 2025. He notched 8.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss as a senior. In his junior year, he put up 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss.
Throw in seven forced fumbles while at Penn State, one interception and three blocked punts (as a senior on special teams), and there's a lot to like about Dennis-Sutton as an extremely high-floor EDGE in the second round.
Also, you know Parsons would be stoked to have another Nittany Lion on the defense.