The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is officially in the books, and the Green Bay Packers obviously have nothing to show for it. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.
The reason the Packers didn't make a pick on Thursday night in Pittsburgh, of course (and also the reason they won't have one next year barring a trade), is because they dealt their 2026 and 2027 first-rounders to the Dallas Cowboys last August in the trade that brought Micah Parsons to Titletown.
And while Parsons sadly missed the final few games of the 2025 campaign after tearing an ACL in Green Bay's Week 15 loss to the Denver Broncos, he still earned his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl selection, a First-Team All-Pro nod, and a third-place finish in the Defensive Player of the Year voting after racking up 12.5 sacks in his 14 appearances. So, it was all worth it, assuming he's the same dominant force upon his return anyway.
The Packers will finally get their 2026 draft underway on Friday evening, first going on the clock in Round 2 at No. 52 overall and then again in Round 3 with the 84th overall selection. And if the Day 2 mock draft from ESPN's Matt Miller comes to fruition, Cheeseheads likely won't be overly thrilled, at least not with the first pick.
ESPN has the Packers taking a linebacker and a cornerback on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft
Heading into this draft, we pinpointed the Packers' primary needs as being cornerback, defensive tackle, edge rusher, and offensive line. But in his Day 2 mock, Miller has Green Bay using the No. 52 pick on an off-ball linebacker in Texas standout Anthony Hill Jr., with the following being his reasoning:
"Finding fast, rangy linebackers who can also affect the game as a pass rusher is rare, but Hill is available in Round 2 after teams were uncertain about his running game instincts. All he did in the past three seasons was fill up the box score with 17 sacks, eight forced fumbles and three interceptions."
Okay, so there's no getting around the fact that Hill, a two-time First-Team All-SEC selection and a two-time Second-Team All-American, is a strong player. And if Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur are rolling with a best-player-available kind of strategy, maybe this is the right call.
But if they're looking at positional need, this obviously isn't the way to go, especially since the new 3-4 scheme that Jonathan Gannon is expected to implement only requires two off-ball linebackers. Edgerrin Cooper is on the rise, and they replaced Quay Walker by making a trade with the Indianapolis Colts to acquire Zaire Franklin. And behind those two, you've got a steady presence in Isaiah McDuffie, as well as 2024 third-rounder Ty'Ron Hopper. And behind those two, you've got Kristian Welch and Nick Niemann as depth options and special teams duties.
So, again, maybe this isn't the way to go.
With the No. 84 pick, Miller has Green Bay selecting Arkansas cornerback Julian Neal, which would likely go over much better with the fan base. Now, some might prefer Arizona State's Keith Abney II, even with his smaller frame, but Miller has him going off the board at No. 70 to the Cleveland Browns. Georgia's Daylen Everette has been thrown around as a possible option as well, but he goes off the board in this particular mock at No. 77 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
All that said, Neal would be a solid selection here, and his 6-foot-2, 203-pound frame is undoubtedly something the Packers have already taken into account, as they've shown an affinity for bigger corners.
But he's not all size, although that certainly doesn't hurt, as he's extremely athletic as well and has shown the ability to turn and run with opposing receivers. He's got long arms and good hands, helping him to a solid 76.5 PFF coverage grade this past year, but he could stand to improve his press technique, and he does tend to struggle at times when attempting to change direction.
Overall, I think Packers fans would be on board with this pick.
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