Official 2026 Draft Thread

[bobblehead]

Bobble, we know you don't like the job Guter is doing. I'm not sure if I do or not, but I'm open to the criticism you offer. I wish there were a way to actually measure football acuity and football desire, because while I definitely understand Guter's love for top-notch athletic traits - these are the best of the best athletes, and the superstars aren't guys with pedestrian athletic traits, they're just not - but at the same time, there is that missing link. Yes, superstar players are elite, freak athletes amongst only slightly less elite and freakish athletes, but to be elite also requires some difficult-to-define qualities. Love for the game. Blind desire to be the best. Some kind of intuitive sense of angles. Wide-angle vision. Instantaneous comprehension and anticipation of what's unfolding on the field in the moment.

Aaron Donald was too small. Brady was slow and didn't have a strong enough arm. Xavier Mckinney didn't have the athleticism to excel. James Harrison was a practice squad guy. The NFL is littered with good football players who aren't elite athletes by NFL standards. Now I understand Myles Garrett is a freak....he was also the 1.1 pick because he was ALSO a good player. Our problem is we are up against the cap. We lost a good EDGE this year and then traded another one because we overpaid him. You can't let solid players who work well in your scheme walk because you can only afford Parsons, Love and 51 minimum deals. I guess the problem isn't those 2 deals its all the "good" players we paid like great players. Jenkins, Banks, Gary. These guys should have gotten deals at 70% what was paid, or traded before we paid them (or not signed banks). I wouldn't mind paying a solid center $10 million, but Rhyan is below average at best. And we let an average LT sign a deal for dirt instead of offering him similar or trading him when he had value.

Its no ONE thing. A lot of moves are defendable. Its the totality of things that "didn't work out". Now I want to extend Kraft. Of course I do. However if he won't sign a deal that is reasonable I'd make him play, Tag him and then trade him or make him play the tag. But he will either enter or leave camp this year as the highest paid TE in the game.....and lets be honest, he hasn't put in a season even close to that yet. Did the Falcons give Pitts the monster deal? No, they tagged him. He hasn't earned that deal yet.

[pbmax]

Aaron Donald was too small. Brady was slow and didn't have a strong enough arm. Xavier Mckinney didn't have the athleticism to excel. James Harrison was a practice squad guy. The NFL is littered with good football players who aren't elite athletes by NFL standards. Now I understand Myles Garrett is a freak....he was also the 1.1 pick because he was ALSO a good player. Our problem is we are up against the cap. We lost a good EDGE this year and then traded another one because we overpaid him. You can't let solid players who work well in your scheme walk because you can only afford Parsons, Love and 51 minimum deals. I guess the problem isn't those 2 deals its all the "good" players we paid like great players. Jenkins, Banks, Gary. These guys should have gotten deals at 70% what was paid, or traded before we paid them (or not signed banks). I wouldn't mind paying a solid center $10 million, but Rhyan is below average at best. And we let an average LT sign a deal for dirt instead of offering him similar or trading him when he had value.

Its no ONE thing. A lot of moves are defendable. Its the totality of things that "didn't work out". Now I want to extend Kraft. Of course I do. However if he won't sign a deal that is reasonable I'd make him play, Tag him and then trade him or make him play the tag. But he will either enter or leave camp this year as the highest paid TE in the game.....and lets be honest, he hasn't put in a season even close to that yet. Did the Falcons give Pitts the monster deal? No, they tagged him. He hasn't earned that deal yet.

Aren't you just describing hits and misses? As in Gute has too many misses?

The non-athletic freak guys you mention were rarities. The number of similar players who performed well in college but didn't have obvious traits for the NFL is legion. There is a reason teams waited and its not just them being Gute acolytes.

Kraft is a great question. But I think he gets a top of the market value deal.

[call_me_ishmael]

I just want strength, length, and weight on the DL. I am sick of 6'2" defensive linemen. 6'4" or higher only plz

[bobblehead]

Aren't you just describing hits and misses? As in Gute has too many misses?

The non-athletic freak guys you mention were rarities. The number of similar players who performed well in college but didn't have obvious traits for the NFL is legion. There is a reason teams waited and its not just them being Gute acolytes.

Kraft is a great question. But I think he gets a top of the market value deal.

You can frame it that way, but with Gutes so many of the misses were predictable misses. Blatant mistakes that the common fan saw. Tell me who on this board saw the Banks deal and said "awesome signing!!".

Everyone here hated the Gary pick. Everyone hated the Myers pick. Most hated the Van Ness pick. Gary and Van Ness were unproductive in college. We took them top 12. Are we not supposed to grade our GM by how many hits and misses he has anymore?? I don't know how else to grade him. He has good hair I guess, so that extension was the right call!!

And Kraft will almost certainly get a top deal coming off injury and having NEVER produced a top season. That's insanity.....and I've been his biggest fan from day 1. Think about that. The guy who said the 3rd round curse is over and declared Kraft was better than the 2nd round TE is saying we are going to be idiots with the deal we are about to give him.

[bobblehead]

I just want strength, length, and weight on the DL. I am sick of 6'2" defensive linemen. 6'4" or higher only plz

I want guys who can play football. Gimme that midget DL the Rams used to have everytime (and I watched his combine and knew he would be a stud). In fairness I watched Andre Dillards combine and knew he would be a stud too. Once in awhile you get fooled. I watched the younger St. Browns pro day though, and how he lasted past round 2 is still a mystery Sherlock Holmes couldn't solve for me. But that guy is kinda small and mainly a slot....lets take Jayden Reed in the 2nd instead.

[pbmax]

Everyone here hated the Gary pick. Everyone hated the Myers pick. Most hated the Van Ness pick. Gary and Van Ness were unproductive in college. We took them top 12. Are we not supposed to grade our GM by how many hits and misses he has anymore?? I don't know how else to grade him. He has good hair I guess, so that extension was the right call!!

He should absolutely be judged by his hits and misses. But I am relatively sure that going by board consensus for "has shown on tape he can play" gets you an athletically limited team because the obvious ones go early.

And as the Vikings are going to find out, if its coach driven, a short-sighted roster construction.

[Joemailman]

(4) Wilde & Tausch on X: "LIVE: Trade-Up Coming? #Packers GM Brian Gutekunst Opens Door For Move Before NFL Draft | Wilde and Tausch LIVE STREAM 4.22.26 https://t.co/sPDZxwahFX" / X

[Sparkey]

I could see them moving up into the 38 to 44 range if a specific players falls.

I think it would cost far to much to move into the first round...

[Joemailman]

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/w4pRNx6GdW8?feature=share

[MadtownPacker]

Don’t forget Doubs replacement unless it’s gonna be Golden.

[Joemailman]

I think it will be Golden, but Watson and Reed are in the last year of their contracts, so they might be looking to add a WR.

[MadtownPacker]

I think it will be Golden, but Watson and Reed are in the last year of their contracts, so they might be looking to add a WR.

Reed can go but as a former critic, I say yes pay Watson.
I’ve seen enough uses the 1 on this guy. Just gonna spend it on a bust anyways.

[Joemailman]

Reed can go but as a former critic, I say yes pay Watson.
I’ve seen enough uses the 1 on this guy. Just gonna spend it on a bust anyways.

I think they're going to sign Watson to an extension and wait and see on Reed. If Savion Williams develops, Reed might be expendable.

[Joemailman]

Chad Reuter's 7 round Packer mock draft:

52 Malik Muhammad - CB - Texas - 6-0, 182
84 Darrell Jackson, Jr. - DT - Florida St. - 6-6, 315
120 Ted Hurst - WR - Georgia St. - 6-4, 206
153 Michael Heldman - EDGE - Central Michigan - 6-3, 268
160 Robert Henry, Jr. - RB - Texas-San Antonio - 5-9, 196
201 - Pat Coogan - C - Indiana - 6-5, 311
236 - Joey Aguilar - QB - Tennessee - 6-3, 229

Packers have 1 more 7th round pick Reuter didn't make.