Every general manager and team will go into the NFL draft with specific goals that need to be accomplished. Brian Gutekunst and the Green Bay Packers are no different. After three straight seasons of falling short in the playoffs, the Packers should have a decent checklist of things that need to be accomplished during the 2026 draft.
But not all goals are created equal. Sure, acquiring a developmental player at any skill position on offense or at linebacker or safety would be nice, but these things aren't necessarily required. And despite big losses at receiver and edge rusher, the Packers have young players in place to take over new roles.
So, what are some things the Packers must do in the 2026 draft?
If the season started today, the Packers would be stuck between using 33-year-old Javon Hargrave at nose tackle, or having Nazir Stackhouse or Jonathan Ford be a starting player in the base defense. Sure, playing base has become less common in the modern NFL, but having a capable two-gapping defensive lineman is an important part of operating a 3-4 front. The Packers don't appear to have one, both in the short and long term. Acquiring a defensive lineman who can play snaps on the nose and provide versatility across the line -- given Devonte Wyatt's increasingly worrisome injury history -- is a likely priority for the Packers. And it won't be surprising if they take one on Day 2 of the draft and sign a veteran after the draft because relying on a rookie is a gamble.
Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine are both entering the final years of their respective deals, and it's fair to wonder if the Packers will have any appetite at all for retaining the pair past the 2026 season. Nixon is unreliable as a true No. 1 corner; Valentine has been benched by the Packers multiple times. While signing Benjamin St-Juste helped, the depth at corner is shaky at best. Combine a lack of long-term stability with a lack of real short-term competition, especially on the perimeter, and an investment at cornerback becomes absolutely vital. In fact, there's a real opportunity for the Packers to double dip at corner in this draft. Green Bay needs both the talent upgrade and the cheap rookie contracts at a premium position.
The Packers lost Rasheed Walker and Elgton Jenkins to start the offseason, depleting the depth across the line. Jordan Morgan will replace Walker at left guard, and Sean Rhyan is keeping the center job, but their ascension to full-time starting jobs robbed the Packers of valuable depth behind the expected starting five. Darian Kinnard provides a capable backup who can play guard and right tackle, but rebuilding the depth behind the top six is now required. The current backups are Donovan Jennings (six career snaps), Jacob Monk (57 career snaps), Travis Glover (13 career snaps) and John Williams (zero career snaps). A rookie draft pick won't provide experience, but short-term competition and long-term contingency plans -- especially at guard and center -- probably need to be found in this draft. Rhyan got a new deal but is really on a one-year trial basis at center, while Aaron Banks and Anthony Belton both need to be better at guard in 2026.
Given the argument at offensive line, one could say edge rusher belongs on this list. But Micah Parsons will return at some point, Lukas Van Ness showed long-awaited signs of a breakout last season and Barryn Sorrell, Collin Oliver and Brenton Cox Jr. provide a strong developmental base behind the two starters. Should the Packers draft an edge rusher? Probably. But they aren't backed into a corner, and it's possible a veteran addition will factor into the equation post-draft.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: What is a 'must do' for the Packers in the 2026 NFL draft?