The Green Bay Packers have earned a great deal of praise for their decision to select Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but the selections of Anthony Belton and Savion Williams in the second and third rounds, respectively, weren't met with the same level of love.
The Packers have shown to prioritize taking the best player (or athlete) on the board, often eschewing filling some of their more thin positional areas. Many mock drafters have the Packers following a similar plan of attack in their early projections for Green Bay in 2026.
Pro Football Network's 3-round 2026 NFL Mock Draft has the Packers using their first-round pick (No.23 overall) on another tackle in Florida's Austin Barber. Once again, Green Bay's picks in the middle round will be focused on premium athletes, not reaching to fill a need.
Green Bay's second-round projection was a rising star linebacker in Ohio State's Sonny Styles, and the third-round pick was assigned to Michigan running back Justice Haynes. If BPA overtakes need again, look for Gutekunst to bring this trio of future stars in, irrespective of what happens elsewhere.
Packers projected to draft Austin Barber in 2026 NFL Mock Draft
A former top recruit who has emerged as one of the best pass blockers in the SEC, Barber will elevate his stature within a Florida program that historically has been very good at producing professional linemen. Barber stands out as a better prospect than Belton, which could put the rookie under a microscope immediately.
Styles came into college as a safety, but at 6-4 and 235 pounds, he is better suited to being a linebacker at the professional level. The Packers will have no trouble getting quality pass coverage and hard-hitting tackles out of Styles, which could help him star next to Edgerrin Cooper.
Haynes transferred from Alabama, where he was third on the team in carries behind Jam Miller and Seahawks third-round draft pick Jalen Milroe. Heading to a Michigan offense that will run a ton alongside much-hyped freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood should be a big boost to Haynes' production.
Green Bay is correct in knowing that there is no such thing as having too many good offensive linemen, especially in a Matt LaFleur offense that requires time for longer-developing routes to get set up, but fans might get a bit perturbed if another top pick is spent on a lineman who will create a logjam.