The Green Bay Packers may have stolen a potential special teams star right out from under the New Orleans Saints' noses in the 2026 NFL Draft. According to Packers beat writer Gery Woelfel, Green Bay traded up to the very last pick of Round 6 to select Florida Gators kicker Trey Smack—because they feared he wouldn't last until their seventh-round selection at No. 236.

Woelfel reported that the Saints were among three teams eyeing Smack, alongside the New York Jets (picking at No. 228) and the Las Vegas Raiders (No. 229). In a twist of irony, New Orleans didn't even have a seventh-round pick until they traded down with the Raiders, also acquiring edge rusher Tyree Wilson in the deal.

So why all the fuss over a kicker? Smack was remarkably reliable during his four-year career with the Gators, missing just one of 101 extra-point attempts. He connected on 53 of 64 field goals (82.8%), including an impressive 10-of-13 from 50-plus yards, with a career-long of 56 yards. Those are the kind of numbers that make special teams coaches drool. Instead of drafting Smack, the Saints opted to sign former Texas Longhorns kicker Mason Shipley as an undrafted free agent.

It's no secret that New Orleans has a complicated history with drafting kickers. They haven't selected one since taking Taylor Mehlhaff from Wisconsin in 2008—a pick that lasted just three games before being waived. Before that, their kicker draft picks were a tale of two extremes: Russell Erxleben is remembered as one of the biggest draft busts in franchise history, while Morten Andersen went on to become a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

The Saints' interest in Smack and subsequent signing of Shipley sends a clear message: the team is serious about creating competition for current kicker Charlie Smyth. The Northern Ireland native has been an inspiring story as he adjusts to the NFL game, but as the old saying goes, iron sharpens iron. Bringing in challengers will only push him to improve. Here's hoping Smyth and the Saints' actual seventh-round pick—Iowa cornerback TJ Hall—perform so well that we never have to wonder what might have been if Smack had fallen to New Orleans.