Understanding what Brian Gutekunst and the Green Bay Packers will or won't do during the 2026 NFL draft first requires knowing the roster -- both in terms of short-term stability and long-term viability. The Packers believe that good rosters are built long-term through the draft, but they also know the power of leaving room for rookies to come in and compete for snaps right away.
What is the short-term need at every position? And where do the Packers need to build out the depth chart long term with young competition?
Here's a full position-by-position preview of the Packers entering the 2026 NFL draft:
On the roster: Jordan Love, under contract through 2028, Desmond Ridder, under contract through 2026 (unrestricted), Kyle McCord, under contract through 2026 (exclusive rights)
Short term need: Moderate. While Jordan Love is entrenched as the franchise quarterback, the Packers got a first-hand look at a backup's value over the last two seasons. Love missed time with injury during each season, and Malik Willis excelled coming off the bench -- helping the Packers win four different games and keeping the offense competitive in a few other big spots, especially late in 2025. Could Desmond Ridder or Kyle McCord be thrown into a game in 2026 and do the same? Ridder, a third-round pick in 2022, has started 18 career NFL games, but he doesn't have the athletic ability or arm talent of Willis (few quarterbacks do, to be fair), and he was underwhelming as a full-time starter in Atlanta in 2023. McCord was a draft pick of the Eagles in 2025 but is a true wildcard given his inexperience and inability to stick in Philadelphia past his rookie season. Replacing a high-end backup like Willis will be nearly impossible, but that reality can't stop the Packers from trying -- both via the draft and the available veteran free agency market post-draft.
Long term need: Moderate. Love provides long-term stability in the starting role, but both Ridder and McCord will be free agents following the 2026 season. This could be the window for the Packers to take a quarterback to develop in 2026 with the intention of the player moving up into the backup role in 2027. Having only one quarterback under contract for 2027 increases the need.
Chances of drafting the position: Low to moderate. The Packers aren't necessarily desperate for a rookie quarterback. Young players need time to develop; the Packers need someone who could play in a pinch in 2026. More importantly, the Packers only have seven available draft picks, and this class of quarterbacks isn't swelling with attractive mid-to-late round options. Green Bay wants to be in the business of drafting quarterbacks every year, but that roster-building mantra will be tested again in 2026. It's certainly possible the Packers have a Day 3 quarterback they like and will strike if the opportunity is presented, but there's no guarantee given the team's lack of draft capital and the likely options.
Last QB drafted: Michael Pratt, seventh round, 2024
On the roster: Josh Jacobs (signed through 2027 season), MarShawn Lloyd (signed through 2027 season), Chris Brooks (signed through 2027 season), Pierre Strong Jr. (signed through 2026 season), Damien Martinez (signed through 2026 season)
Short term need: Low to moderate. Josh Jacobs is a bell-cow running back who can play all three downs, carry the ball 20 or more times per game and provide value as a receiver. Chris Brooks was re-signed as a do-everything backup who also contributes on special teams. The question mark is beyond Jacobs and Brooks. Who will be the third back? And possibly the No. 2 option after Emanuel Wilson departed in free agency? MarShawn Lloyd is filled with talent but can't be relied upon given his injury history, and both Strong and Martinez were practice squad players in 2025. There is room for a rookie to earn a role for the Packers in 2026, especially given Jacobs' age and usage history. Lloyd could change everything here if he is healthy and available as a third-year player.
Long term need: Moderate to high. Jacobs turned 28 years old in February, has over 2,000 career touches across seven NFL seasons and will have a cap number over $16 million in the final year of his deal in 2027. It's certainly possible this is the final year Jacobs is in Green Bay. But a long-term succession plan at running back is hard to see given Lloyd's disastrous first two seasons on the injury front. It's possible this is a roster problem for another day, but the Packers may be looking at a shakeup at running back as soon as next offseason.
Chances of drafting the position: Moderate. The Packers could use a Lloyd insurance plan and a possible role player behind Jacobs in 2026, and there's a fairly straightforward long-term need approaching as soon as 2027. There are more pressing roster needs entering the draft, and it's possible the Packers will go the veteran free agency route to address running back come next offseason, but the Packers have done plenty of pre-draft work at the position and could pounce if the right player is still on the board in the middle rounds.
On the roster: Christian Watson (signed through 2026), Jayden Reed (signed through 2026), Matthew Golden (signed through 2028), Savion Williams (signed through 2028), Skyy Moore (signed through 2026), Bo Melton (signed through 2026), Jakobie Keeney-James (signed through 2026), Isaiah Neyor (signed through 2026), Will Sheppard (signed through 2026)
Short-term need: Low. Although the Packers lost Romeo Doubs in free agency and traded away Dontayvion Wicks, the receiver room remains well stocked entering 2026. Matthew Golden, a 2025 first-round pick, will ascend into a starting role, replacing Doubs. Savion Williams, a 2025 third-round pick, is the new No. 4 option, replacing Wicks. The Packers also signed Skyy Moore, who is expected to be the primary returner, and Bo Melton returns after moonlighting at corner in 2025. That's six guys who can play real snaps at receiver and are expected to be 53-man roster players. With Christian Watson as the vertical/big-play threat and Jayden Reed back to man the slot, the Packers have most roles covered at receiver in the short term.
Long-term need: Moderate. Only Golden and Williams are under contract past this season, but Watson is expected to get a new deal at some point this year, and Reed is another extension candidate. However, adding a rookie to the mix would reset the clock at receiver, providing a cheap, four-year contract and a player to develop behind the returning veterans. The Packers likely traded away Wicks in part to open up this possibility. Wicks, who was entering the final year of his deal, was unlikely to be re-signed. A draft pick provides long-term stability at a key position.
Chances of drafting the position: Moderate to high. Do the Packers have to draft a receiver? No, and extensions for Watson and Reed might lower the chances even more. But from a roster-building standpoint, a pick at receiver makes sense. Wicks was traded away, freeing a roster spot at receiver and opening the door for a hand-picked developmental player. And with another draft pick in tow via the trade, the Packers can afford to spend one on a "luxury" pick at receiver.
Last WR drafted: Savion Williams, third round, 2025
On the roster: Tucker Kraft (signed through 2026 season), Luke Musgrave (signed through 2026 season), Josh Whyle (signed through 2026 season), Messiah Swinson (signed through 2026 season), Drake Dabney (signed through 2026 season)
Short term need: Low. Kraft will return from an ACL injury after breaking out as one of the NFL's elites at tight end in 2025, Musgrave is entering Year 4 in Green Bay and Whyle re-signed to give the Packers some versatility behind the top two. Once Kraft is 100 percent, he will handle most of the tight end duties as a receiver and blocker. However, Kraft is coming back from a significant injury, and Musgrave has been a disappointment as a former second-round pick while the position group as a whole lacks ideal depth, especially in terms of inline blocking options. John FitzPatrick, the third tight end for much of 2025, is unsigned and still recovering from a torn Achilles. A contract year breakout from Musgrave, while probably unlikely, would give the Packers a dominant pair at a key position in Matt LaFleur's offense.
Long term need: Moderate to high. The Packers do not have a tight end signed past the 2026 season, although Kraft is likely to get a big extension at some point this year. It's unclear if Musgrave is in the team's long term plans -- he flashes with big plays downfield but is an awkward athlete who does not add value as a blocker or on special teams. His first three years in Green Bay were a rollercoaster ride. Tight ends take a while to develop at the NFL level, so getting ahead of the long-term need might be smart for the Packers. A rookie draft pick would provide four years of a cheap contract at tight end.