The 2026 NFL Draft is just a few short weeks away, and as we start to inch closer to Round 1 in Pittsburgh on April 23rd, one thing is becoming clear: the Packers are going to need to hit on their draft picks more than ever this year. While hitting on your draft picks is a must every year, this year looks a little different in Titletown. Lacking a first-round pick in this draft (and next), there is an extra onus on Brian Gutekunst to get his draft picks right and add some competition to this roster to either address an issue from last year’s squad or to replace a departure from free agency. While some talent was added at positions of need during free agency, the Packers always have been, and always will be, an organization that builds via the draft. And with a few question marks still to be answered, there are some interesting options that will be available to Green Bay at some point in the draft.

Backup quarterback, cornerback, and interior defensive line are all at the very top of the list of positions that still need to be upgraded at some point before the start of the 2026 season. With the vast majority of quality free agents signed up, the draft remains the best avenue to acquire fresh talent for Brian Gutekunst’s roster.

Carson Beck—
This draft is not one of the strongest in recent memory at the quarterback position. We might see just one or two quarterbacks drafted in the first round (the question mark being Ty Simpson), so it’s not a great year for the Packers to need a backup quarterback. That’s why in recent weeks I’ve been keen on the idea of Green Bay swinging a trade for someone else’s bottom-tier failed starter, such as the Colts’ Anthony Richardson or the Titans’ Will Levis. If the Packers do take a QB this year, Carson Beck is the most intriguing by far.

The 6’4”, 233-pounder out of Miami by way of Georgia threw for 11,725 yards and 88 touchdowns in his decorated career. Beck, of course, was the backup QB at Georgia during their 2021–2022 national championship game appearances and was the starter for the Miami Hurricanes during their improbable run to a national title game appearance. He has the sort of high-level experience (especially as a backup) that Green Bay could covet at not a high investment price. Beck is currently projected as a 4th-round pick.

Beck could come in and likely play well right away in Matt LaFleur’s offense. He tied for the sixth-lowest turnover-worthy play percentage in this year’s draft class. More importantly, his 77.9% completion percentage in the play-action game ranked first. As we have seen the last two years, Matt LaFleur can develop a game plan around his backup better than anyone, and if Beck can come in and simply complete passes at a high level like he did in college, he could be a great option for the next four seasons.

Davison Igbinosun—
In is Benjamin St-Juste, out is Nate Hobbs. The Packers haven’t added any additional bodies at cornerback; they just replaced one part-timer with another. St-Juste played really well for the Los Angeles Chargers last season, but he was on the field for just 37% of the defensive snaps. Any expectation of him coming in and solving all their issues at outside corner should be tempered. With little depth behind the trio of St-Juste, Nixon, and Valentine (the last two being in contract years at that), the Packers are highly likely to invest a draft pick or two at corner.

Davison Igbinosun is a player that Gutekunst would have to get early, but he is a long and physical corner who is not afraid to get his hands on a receiver and affect them all game long. During his final season at Ohio State, he recorded 53 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 8 pass deflections while giving up 0 touchdowns. At 6’2”, 189 pounds with 33-inch arms, he could be the perfect mix of someone who doesn’t shy away from contact in the run game and who is great in coverage—a mix that currently doesn’t exist on this team. What Nixon and Valentine bring to this team in attitude, they don’t always back it up on the field. Igbinosun has the ability to do both, and if he finds himself in Green Bay, he could quickly be a starter for the foreseeable future. I don’t have many draft crushes, but Igbinosun is definitely one of them.

Zxavian Harris—
Harris is the biggest risk out of these three, but he might also have the highest upside as well. For starters, he is massive at 6’8” and 330 pounds; he would clog up the middle of the Packers’ defensive line better than any other option they have. A disruptive force at Ole Miss, he accumulated 24 pressures, 32 stops, and 6 blocked kicks during the 2025 season. Like Igbinosun, he would come in as a rookie and have the ability to make an impact on Day 1 in Jonathan Gannon’s defense, playing alongside Javon Hargrave.

Unfortunately Harris’s prospects of becoming a Green Bay Packer are pretty low due to the fact that he was arrested twice during his collegiate career. The Packers do not have a history of taking players with off-the-field issues, and if they do, it’s more likely signing them as an undrafted free agent, such as Brenton Cox Jr., not investing a 3rd- or 4th-round draft pick in them like it would take to acquire Harris. Add in the fact that he is coming off foot surgery, and it all but takes him off their draft board. If, by some wild change of heart, due to their glaring need at the position, and if he starts to slide down the board, maybe—just maybe—they will roll the dice on the big man. They could benefit massively if they do.