The Green Bay Packers don't own a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft thanks to the Micah Parsons trade, but what would it take to change that?
Green Bay won't hit the clock until the second round at No. 52 overall. That is, of course, barring a trade. General manager Brian Gutekunst said this week that the Packers have the draft capital to move up if the "right player were there."
The question is what it would cost and, realistically, how far the Packers can go. Let's break it down.
What it would realistically cost the Packers to trade back into the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft
Picks 1-10: Forget about it
This ain't happening. The Packers aren't trading from No. 52 into the top 10. It would cost a monumental trade package to move up that far.
It would almost certainly require a future first-round pick, but the Packers can't offer that. They have already traded their 2027 first-rounder to the Cowboys, while their 2028 first-rounder is temporarily frozen due to a "poision pill" clause included in the Parsons trade.
Picks 11-20: Forget about it
Similarly, Green Bay likely can't make a strong enough offer to move up this far. Even to get to No. 20, the pick the Packers traded to the Cowboys, it would likely cost at least a future first-rounder. Again, impossible.
Picks 21-29: (Almost certainly) forget about it
Anywhere from picks 21-25 is still likely too rich for the Packers, but once we get beyond that, it becomes plausible. Likely? No. But possible? Sure.
However, even trading to No. 26 would come at a high price. Per the Jimmy Johnson trade value chart, trading their picks in Rounds 2, 3, and 4 still wouldn't equal the valuation of the No. 26 selection. Green Bay would need to get creative and likely include 2027 draft capital, which Gutekunst may be reluctant to do, given the talent pool next year's draft could offer.
Picks 30-32: Packers have a chance
Now we're talking.
If the Packers are going to steal the headlines late on Thursday night, they will likely need to wait until the backend of Round 1. The No. 30 selection belongs to the Miami Dolphins, led by Gutekunst's good pal Jon-Eric Sullivan. Then come the New England Patriots, led by another old friend, Eliot Wolf. Finally, the Seattle Seahawks, with, you guessed it, a former Packer in John Schneider.
The Dolphins already own 11 picks and don't need to trade down, but Sullivan has just started a full-on rebuild. So maybe. The Patriots don't have a ton of incentive to move down, but the Seahawks have just four picks. Hello.
Per the trade value chart, to get to No. 32, the Packers may only need to give up No. 52, their third-rounder, and a Day 3 pick.
I say "only." That's clearly still a steep price to pay, but Green Bay would be leaping back into the first round. That's not only a significant jump, but it would also give the Packers the flexibility of the fifth-year option.
If Gutekunst makes a bold trade-up, and it's a big if, he will almost certainly have to wait until pick No. 30 or later. But don't bank on it. Any move will likely need to wait until Round 2.
That's where it could get interesting.
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