The Green Bay Packers have a few outstanding areas of weakness, specifically on defense, like cornerback and edge rusher. However, they're equipped to be a threat in the NFC and can solidify their status as legitimate contenders in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Green Bay doesn't have a first-round pick this year (or 2027) because it acquired superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys last offseason. So, emerging as draft winners may be difficult. Yet, the Packers can quite easily come out as losers if they don't play their cards right.
Entering a make-or-break campaign, the Packers can ill afford to make the wrong moves as they finalize their big board. The club's decisions in the coming days could be a massive swing factor in the upcoming race for the NFC North and conference supremacy. Taking that into account, here's a list of potential pitfalls Green Bay should consider as it wraps up the evaluation process.
4 moves that belong on the Packers' 2026 NFL Draft 'do not do' list
Don't shy away from QB strategy that has proven to work
Having a franchise quarterback hasn't deterred the Packers from spending a premium selection on bringing in competition. Look no further than their current signal-caller, Jordan Love. Green Bay famously traded up to take him 26th overall in 2020 despite having a future Hall of Famer on the roster in Aaron Rodgers.
As the story goes, Rodgers was once on the other side of revisionist history. The Packers chose him at No. 24 back in 2005, even though they still had one of the greatest gunslingers of all time: Brett Favre.
A Day 1 passer isn't an option unless they're making another deal similarly to the Love swap, but why not Round 2 or 3? The Packers have a pressing need for a backup behind him, and the remaining free agents leave much to be desired.
Avoid another all-in trade (unless it's too good of an opportunity to ignore)
Even if the Packers wanted to swing for the fences, they aren't necessarily equipped to do so. Brian Gutekunst and Co. are still feeling the effect of sending a monumental haul to Dallas for Parsons. Nevertheless, opportunities have a way of presenting themselves around this time of the league's calendar, but the Packers can't be trigger-happy.
Mortgaging the future — again — can only be justified if the Packers land a "can't miss" prospect who also fills a glaring roster hole. Teams only get so many bites at the apple, and they're already at a disadvantage in this department given their significant investment in Parsons. Hold the line, unless someone like Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy slides down the board.
Cross Texas A&M's Le'Veon Moss off the list of potential RB targets
If the Packers have learned anything from the MarShawn Lloyd experience, don't take the plunge on a talented, albeit injury-prone running back. With that in mind, Le'Veon Moss shouldn't even be an option, regardless of Green Bay's lack of an understudy/long-term successor to veteran workhorse Josh Jacobs.
Moss is set to enter the pros with a solid collegiate résumé but a considerable amount of wear and tear. He profiles as an interesting late-round target who missed games in 2024 and 2025 due to knee and ankle issues, respectively. Sound familiar, Packers fans?
Lloyd's durability concerns are why the Packers find themselves in a position to consider bolstering their backfield. Supplementing and more or less replacing him with another fragile tailback like Moss is a dangerous game not worth playing.
Selecting another early-round WR would only complicate matters
Green Bay has used a top-100 pick on a wide receiver annually since 2021 but hasn't gotten a great return on investment, to say the least. Rising second-year pro Matthew Golden, who was their first first-round wideout in over two decades, was largely a non-factor as a rookie. There's also his draft classmate, Savion Williams, plus Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, and one of the premier tight ends in football, Tucker Kraft.
Where exactly is there room for another pass-catcher in the Packers' offense? We just watched them consolidate their glut of weapons. They let Romeo Doubs walk to the New England Patriots and shipped Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Why not retain Doubs or hang onto Wicks if the Packers wanted to maintain their depth? Were their departures not a vote of confidence in Watson, Golden, and Kraft specifically? Adding top-end reinforcements would be a clear indictment of Green Bay's crowded group of playmakers.
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