The Green Bay Packers' 2025 season is already over, giving them few options but to focus on the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. With reports that he is set to stick around for the long haul, general manager Brian Gutekunst has an interesting task at hand for his ninth offseason on the job. Here is what the Pro Football Focus mock draft has for the Packers' first three rounds in April.
The Packers would have had three picks in the first three rounds, one for each round. However, they relinquished their 2026 first-round pick — along with their 2027 first-rounder — to acquire Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys in the 2025 offseason.
That trade makes the Packers' first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft the 52nd overall selection. Green Bay will be among the last teams to make its first selection, barring any trades in the coming months. Gutekunst's second opportunity will come as the 84th pick in the third round.
With that noted, here are the Packers' projected first two picks of the 2026 NFL Draft, according to the PFF mock draft simulator.
Round 2, Pick 52: TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
Not a bad idea for the Packers to take Vanderbilt prospect Eli Stowers with their first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. It is not their No. 1 position of need, but Jordan Love desperately needs reliable pass-catchers who can stay on the field, and Stowers is arguably the best tight end of the class.
The 2025 Mackey Award winner recorded a team-high 62 catches for 769 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2025. He is listed as the No. 2 tight end of the class by ESPN, behind Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq, and No. 4 by PFF.
Packers fans might question the pick with Tucker Kraft on the roster. Kraft is a fine tight end, but not a game-changer, and is coming off an inconsistent season that ended with a torn ACL in November that could keep him out for the entire 2026 season. Adding Stowers would not only fill that void but also potentially give Love the first consistent pass-catcher of his career.
Stowers' elite athleticism and run-after-catch ability for the position have drawn comparisons to players like Brock Bowers, Sam LaPorta and Evan Engram. He is undersized, but the upside would be worth the risk for Brian Gutekunst to take.
Round 3, Pick 84: OT Carter Smith, Indiana
Rasheed Walker's rookie contract is set to expire once the calendar officially turns, making him a free agent in the upcoming offseason. Brian Gutekunst and the Packers should prioritize re-signing him, but the PFF mock draft has them instead drafting Walker's successor in April.
Perhaps the Packers re-sign Walker anyway, but this mock has them taking Indiana's Carter Smith in the third round. The redshirt junior is a three-year starter who has spent his entire collegiate career with the Hoosiers.
Smith was never recognized as an All-Big Ten tackle in his career, but he was a semifinalist for the 2025 Outland Trophy Award, given to the nation's best interior offensive lineman. Smith was named the Outland Trophy Player of the Week in Week 7, following Indiana's 30-20 win over No. 3-ranked Oregon.
The 6-foot-5, 313-pound Smith is not a flashy player, but he is as reliable and consistent as he is durable and loyal. That is precisely what the Packers need in 2026 after injuries ripped them apart down the stretch of the season.
