The 2026 NFL Draft will kick off on Thursday, April 23, but the Green Bay Packers aren't set to get involved until Friday, when the second round kicks off. Of course, that could always change with a trade, but barring that, the Packers' first pick will be 52nd overall, before they pick again in Round 3.
While first-round picks are typically the most exciting, Green Bay should be able to find immediate contributors on Day 2 of the draft as well.
Depending on who the team selects, the Packers could send a message to some of their veterans. A prioritized rookie could push a veteran out the door or motivate them to improve their play. Whatever the case, here are four Green Bay veterans who should be locked in on the team's early selections.
Packers' draft strategy could put pressure on some veteran players
Edge rusher Lukas Van Ness
In all honesty, the pressure is already on Lukas Van Ness entering the 2026 season. The 2023 13th-overall pick is entering the fourth year of his rookie contract, and with his fifth-year option unlikely to be picked up, this is a contract year for him. He has underwhelmed in three seasons, so the heat is already on him.
That heat will get turned up a few notches if the Packers select an edge defender with one of their first picks, and it could signal the end of Van Ness' time in Green Bay. Of course, his play will have the final say.
Tight end Luke Musgrave
Luke Musgrave is in a similar spot, as he was the Packers' next pick after Van Ness. He's also in the final year of his rookie contract, and while he has been a solid TE2 for Green Bay, he hasn't performed at a level that would make it hard for the Packers to move on from him.
In three seasons, 35 games, Musgrave has 65 receptions for 649 yards and just one touchdown. With Tucker Kraft returning to his TE1 role, the Packers could identify a better running mate than Musgrave and select him in the earlier rounds of the draft.
Cornerback Carrington Valentine
Cornerback is a position the Packers are focused on fixing, and that's why the team added veteran Benjamin St-Juste in free agency.
With Keisean Nixon still on the roster, Green Bay adding another cornerback, or two, would give Valentine a lot of competition. If he can't hold off the competition in training camp, he could tumble down the depth chart.
Defensive tackle Karl Brooks
Karl Brooks became a starter for the first time in his three-year career last season, starting seven of the 16 games he played in, but he didn't have the kind of season that Green Bay hoped he would. The team responded by adding veteran defensive lineman Javon Hargrave this offseason.
Now, as Brooks enters the final season of his current contract, the pressure is on him to bounce back. If the Packers invest at his position in the draft, they could be sending a message that his time with the team is already running out.
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