Following a brief period of organizational uncertainty, the Green Bay Packers are running it back. Their existential crisis ended with contract extensions for general manager Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur, though what comes next?
While the Packers have retained their brain trust, things must change. The only way the Gutekunst-LaFleur partnership proves fruitful is if they learn from the mistakes that nearly cost them their jobs and adapt accordingly. With that in mind, it all starts with the defensive side of the ball.
Star pass-rusher Micah Parsons' season-ending ACL tear exposed the Packers. They were among the NFL's most porous stop units after his catastrophic injury. He's expected to make a full recovery and be ready early in the 2026 campaign, but Green Bay can't be too reliant on one person.
That's why FanSided's Mike Luciano has the Packers loading up on defense early in his most recent three-round 2026 NFL mock draft.
Packers waste no time trying to fix defense in 2026 NFL mock draft
Luciano projects Green Bay to take Missouri defensive end Zion Young with the No. 52 overall selection. Then, Duke cornerback Chandler Rivers winds up coming off the board to the Packers in Round 3 (No. 84 overall).
Both players address glaring needs for the Packers. Young and Rivers each replenish weaker or top-heavy areas of the roster and offer intriguing upside. Luciano ostensibly agrees, at least regarding the former.
"The defensive end room was a problem before Micah Parsons' injury," Luciano wrote about his Young-to-the-Packers forecast. "... Green Bay needs to find an explosive understudy."
Young was a late bloomer in college; he was quiet as an underclassman at Michigan State. However, we saw his ability to be a difference-maker upon transferring to Missouri, showcasing a unique blend of size (6-foot-5, 262 pounds), physicality, and motor.
Across two seasons at Missouri, Young established himself as a disruptive presence. He amassed 84 tackles (22 for loss), nine sacks, five pass deflections, and three forced fumbles (one recovered for a touchdown). His run-stopping efforts make him more than a situational piece and a nice long-term complement to Parsons.
Moreover, Green Bay's secondary depth — or lack thereof — specifically at corner, reared its ugly head down the stretch of 2025. As did starter Keisean Nixon's inconsistencies, and he's notably an offseason cut candidate. So, Rivers could end up being more of a necessity than a luxury.
Rivers finished a solid four-year collegiate career at Duke on a high note. His 78.6 overall Pro Football Focus grade this season ranked 102nd in the nation out of 890 qualified options. He deflected eight passes and recorded two interceptions while displaying positional versatility, lining up outside and inside.