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Green Bay fans have plenty of reasons to feel optimistic after 2024. Jordan Love silenced many critics with a strong sophomore campaign as a full-time starter, and Matt LaFleur reestablished himself as one of the league’s steadiest sideline generals. In addition, the Packers marched to double-digit wins for the first time in three seasons. That +122 point differential? Fifth-best in the entire NFL. Green Bay didn’t just beat up on bad teams. They asserted themselves as legitimate contenders.
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But good wasn’t good enough. When the calendar brought matchups against true title hopefuls, the cracks started to show. The Packers were swept by the Eagles, Vikings, and Lions. Each of those three squads all won at least 14 games. Against top-tier competition, Love and company couldn’t quite close the gap.
So the front office sprang into action. General Manager Brian Gutekunst doubled down on building around his young QB by signing veteran LG Aaron Banks (4 years, $77 million) and versatile CB Nate Hobbs (4 years, $48 million). They finally broke their two-decade-long drought of first-round wideouts by selecting Matthew Golden. However, they noticeably skipped the edge rusher position in the 2025 draft. And as the team enters 2025 with the ninth-highest Super Bowl odds and a roster still flashing with upside, the reality is they still need help getting after the quarterback.
Here we'll try to look at two players who are way-too-early 2026 NFL Draft prospects the Green Bay Packers must monitor.
A Big, Brutal Chess Piece
The Packers have shown time and again that they love their edge rushers big, long, and versatile. LT Overton fits that profile to a tee.
Listed at 6'5″ and 283 pounds, Overton isn’t your twitchy, bend-around-the-edge specialist. He’s a blunt instrument who can bulldoze linemen backward and even kick inside in obvious run downs. After a 2024 season at Alabama where he showed disruptive flashes but recorded just two sacks, Overton made the wise decision to return to Tuscaloosa to round out his game. If he takes a leap in production, his physical profile and versatility make him a near-lock to land in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Overton plays like a younger version of Michael Brockers. He is thick and strong, but he should also develop a better pass-rush toolkit. Overton is strong at collapsing the pocket, but doesn’t always finish the job due to average closing speed. That said, NFL scouts love players who make life easier for others. Overton eats up blockers and lets speedsters and linebackers fly around him.
For Green Bay, he’d be an ideal complement to Rashan Gary. That's particularly true if Lukas Van Ness doesn’t make the leap in Year 3. With the Packers leaning heavily on four-man rushes in their base defense, getting a power-based edge who can seamlessly shift across fronts is a major value-add.
Overton’s name didn’t come off the board in the 2025 draft. However, it won’t be a surprise if he’s the type of late riser who rockets up boards next spring. If the Packers want to plug a long-term hole on the defensive front, they’ll want to keep an eye on Tuscaloosa this fall.
Undersized but Overpowered
If Overton is a steamroller, Rueben Bain Jr is a buzzsaw.
At just 6'3″ and 275 pounds, Bain doesn’t quite look the part of a dominant edge rusher at first glance. However, once the film rolls, it’s obvious that the kid can play. Bain exploded onto the college scene as a true freshman at Miami. He logged 7.5 sacks and showcased a relentless motor. A calf injury slowed him in 2024, limiting him to just nine games and 3.5 sacks. Still, scouts remain bullish on his pro potential.
Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema and Max Chadwick highlight that Bain's 73 pressures since 2023 rank third among all returning Power Four edge defenders. His pass-rush win rate of 16.9 percent and run defense grade of 82.7 also land him in elite territory.
What separates Bain from your typical edge prospect is his ability to line up anywhere. He’s athletic enough to go wide and dip around the tackle. Yet, he can also crash inside in sub-packages and explode off the snap. When healthy, his get-off is one of the best in the country.
For the Packers, Bain represents a more dynamic pass-rushing option than Overton. His versatility isn’t rooted in power, but in quickness and technique. Think more Haason Reddick than Preston Smith.
Again, if Van Ness doesn’t seize a starting role this season, or if injuries hit the depth chart, then Bain could be the next man up on the 2026 radar.
Drafting to Stay Dangerous
With Super Bowl aspirations and a loaded offense, the Packers are once again entering a season with hopes of climbing all the way to the top. That said, if they want to beat the best teams in football, they’ll need to keep replenishing their pass rush.
Overton brings size and steadiness. Bain brings explosion and disruption. Green Bay would be lucky to land either in next year’s draft.
