The Green Bay Packers are once again facing a pivotal offseason with some major changes, including one that has already taken place.
The team interviewed a deep pool of candidates, but ended up hiring Jonathan Gannon to be the new defensive coordinator after Jeff Hafley followed Jon-Eric Sullivan to Miami to coach the Dolphins.
With Gannon in the mix, the Packers should be expected to run a lot more Cover 4 (Quarters) defense, as one of his preferences. That can help inform a lot of what types of players the Packers will ultimately bring in, and how their needs will form over the course of the offseason. Even without a first-round pick, it's time to do some damage.
Packers steal defensive playmakers for Jonathan Gannon in latest 2026 mock draft
Round 2 (52): Keith Abney II, CB, Arizona State
The Packers obviously don't have a first-round pick in this year's draft due to the Micah Parsons trade. Perhaps they'll cope with that during Round 1 by watching all of the impact plays Parsons made in his first year with the team when their pick is scheduled to come up.
Regardless, it seems like everyone knows what direction the Packers need to take with their top pick. They need playmakers in the defensive backfield, and getting someone like Keith Abney II out of Arizona State would probably feel like an absolute heist in the second round.
Over the last two seasons, he's shown his ability to make plays on the ball, with 21 passes broken up and five total interceptions, but he's also capable of punching it out, with two forced fumbles in 2025. Getting a playmaker at the cornerback position is going to be a top priority, and stealing a prospect of this caliber would be fantastic.
Round 3 (84): Will Lee III, CB, Texas A&M
Something we know Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst is not afraid to do, and maybe even loves to do, is to double (or triple) up at certain positions early in the NFL Draft.
In this mock draft scenario, he's doing exactly that at the cornerback position.
After taking Abney in the second round, the Packers land another corner and maybe one of the best-kept secrets in this year's draft class, Will Lee III. Gutekunst loves athletic playmakers on the boundary with length, and Lee is going to be one of those types of athletes who likely ranks very high on Green Bay's board.
He had 24 passes broken up, four interceptions, and a pair of forced fumbles over the course of his college career at Kansas State and Texas A&M.
Round 4 (120): Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF
Although there are absolutely no questions about what Micah Parsons can do when he's healthy, there are now major question marks about his health going forward. The hope is that he can come back stronger than ever after the ACL injury, but the Packers need some insurance.
Not only that, but Rashan Gary is a potential cap casualty or trade candidate this offseason.
The Packers will need more depth off the edge, and Malachi Lawrence was one of the most consistent edge defenders in college football over the past few years. He had 20 sacks in his college career and just had a tremendous year at UCF, recording seven sacks and two forced fumbles.
Round 5 (158): Beau Stephens, OL, Iowa
If you have a chance to draft an offensive lineman out of Iowa, just do it. It's worked out well for the Packers in the past, hasn't it?
The Hawkeyes have a couple of really outstanding offensive linemen available in this draft, and both would make sense for Green Bay. They'd have to use premium NFL Draft real estate for Gennings Dunker, who might be off the board in the first round, but if Beau Stephens is available to them, especially after Day 2, then he'd be a steal.
Stephens played left guard for the Hawkeyes but has the ability to play multiple spots on the interior and brings that versatility the Packers covet on the offensive line.
Round 6 (199): Aaron Graves, DL, Iowa
From the offensive line at Iowa to the defensive front, the Packers get some much-needed depth for the defensive line in Aaron Graves. You can never have too many guys to get after the quarterback. This guy made one play after another in the backfield with 25 career tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks.
Final picks
- Round 7 (236): John Michael Gyllenborg, TE, Wyoming
- Round 7 (254): Cole Brevard, DL, Texas
- Round 7 (257): Drew Stevens, K, Iowa
The Packers will have a little bit of added pressure to address some major needs in free agency since they don't pick until No. 52 overall, but they obviously have plenty of assets to add to this roster through the NFL Draft as well. And they can add plenty of impact players, even multiple year-one starters, if they play their cards right.