2026 NFL Draft: The board held up well for the Packers, but they might have to take action to capitalize

A trio of consensus top-32 prospects at key positions for the Packers remains available entering Day 2 of the draft. They might need to maneuver to acquire one, however.

The Green Bay Packers knew they almost certainly wouldn’t make a pick on Thursday, the opening night of the 2026 NFL Draft. The team had already used its top selection in last year’s Micah Parsons trade, and the cost to move back into the first round seemed prohibitively expensive.

As a result, Green Bay’s brain trust had little to do Thursday except watch prospects come off the board.

“It was really not a lot different with the exception of the phones weren’t ringing,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said following Day 1 of the draft. “We weren’t having a lot of conversations with other teams. A lot more discussions about the players.”

Yet, despite the lack of participation in Thursday’s festivities, the night still unfolded favorably for Green Bay. For a team with multiple areas of need on defense and highly specific requirements for those positions, more viable prospects made it out of the first round than previously expected. In particular, Colton Hood, Jermod McCoy, and Kayden McDonald -- all top-32 players on the consensus board -- remain available entering Friday.

“There’s always a couple of things. Maybe guys went a little higher or a little lower than we expected,” Gutekunst said. “But I didn’t really think there were any major surprises like there are at times. The board held up fairly well.”

The Packers have a rare opportunity to capitalize on the bounty of consensus first-round talent at key positions left on Day 2. However, to do that, they may need to take a proactive approach and make some compromises.