Grading the Six Players From Packers’ Top-10 Draft Class With Huge Test Looming

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Who says you need a first-round pick to have an impactful draft class?

Having sent two first-round picks to Dallas in the Micah Parsons trade, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has turned lemons into lemonade with his six-man draft class.

In his recent draft-class rankings, NFL Draft On SI’s Justin Melo ranked the Packers ninth. He gave them a B-plus, saluting in particular cornerback Brandon Cisse and edge player Dani Dennis-Sutton.

Going through each individual, here is our grade for the six players. Plus, it’s a look ahead to ahead to their challenges on Sunday night against the Cowboys.

Second Round: CB Brandon Cisse

It didn’t take long for Brandon Cisse to emerge as the no-doubt-about-it starter. With 1.5 sacks and two pass breakups, there’s been a lot more good than bad in his five starts.

According to Pro Football Focus, 109 cornerbacks have played at least 68 coverage snaps. Cisse is 70th with a completion rate allowed of 68.8 percent and 90th with 16.9 yards allowed per catch. Those numbers seem terrible, but he’s only been targeted 16 times and given up 11 catches. That makes him 19th with 16.1 coverage snaps per reception allowed.

Of the 14 rookie cornerbacks to play at least 40 coverage snaps, Cisse is No. 1 in snaps per reception.

Cisse has given up more than two catches in only one game – Week 3 against Atlanta – and was charged with three receptions allowed for 20 yards the last two weeks combined. He’s missed too many tackles but the mentality is there, which is a good starting point.

He’ll obviously face a much, much bigger challenge on Sunday night against Dak Prescott and premier receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. We’ll know a lot more about Cisse after this game and then next week at Detroit.

Green Bay Packers cornerback Brandon Cisse (2) celebrates after sacking Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Grade: B.

Third Round: DT Chris McClellan

Chris McClellan has played a lot as defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has leaned on a rotation to minimize everyone’s workload. Playing 29 snaps a game, the box-score production hasn’t been there with only five tackles and one quarterback hit.

The Packers drafted McClellan over Vikings run-stuffer Domonique Orange because of his ability to be a three-down player. They’re still waiting for that to show up because he hasn’t produced in either phase.

Of the 100 defensive tackles with 53 pass-rushing opportunities, McClellan ranks 89th in PFF’s pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and 91st in pass-rush win rate.

Of the 13 rookie defensive tackles with 20 pass-rushing snaps, McClellan is eighth in both categories. Two of his three pressures came against the Bears.

During one run play against the Bears, he wound up being pushed about 8 yards downfield. There were some impactful reps, though.

Chris McClellan is off to a quiet start. Without Javon Hargrave, they'll need more of this. pic.twitter.com/W0dpIs6HrN
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) October 14, 2026

With Javon Hargrave out for the rest of the season with a torn Achilles and with Warren Brinson on injured reserve, the Packers need more from their five remaining players. McClellan is front and center in that conversation. He will face a huge test against the Cowboys, who feature three-time Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith and 2025 first-round right guard Tyler Booker.

Grade: C-minus.

Fourth Round: Edge Dani Dennis-Sutton

The Packers were thrilled that Dennis-Sutton fell into their laps in the fourth round. That optimism seems warranted. He has 13 tackles, 1.5 sacks, four quarterback hits and two tackles for losses. Barryn Sorrell, a fourth-round pick last year and a starter this year, has 13 tackles, a half-sack, one quarterback hit and no tackles for losses.

Third of three clips on Dennis-Sutton. Here's his sack. pic.twitter.com/716KYQ8yI9
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) October 14, 2026

Of the 99 edge players with at least 50 pass-rushing opportunities, Dennis-Sutton is 47th in pass-rushing productivity – just behind T.J. Watt and Khalil Mack – but 87th in pass-rush win rate.

Of the 16 rookie edge players with 20 pass-rushing snaps, Dennis-Sutton is sixth in PRP and 12th in win rate. Of his nine pressures, four came against the Jets and three against Chicago.

He has used his length and strength against the run. In fact, his average distance of tackle vs. the run has produced a loss of 0.7 yards; only the Vikings’ Andrew Van Ginkel is better. His aggressive play has worked against him in the bootleg game …

First of three clips on Dennis-Sutton. He has been suckered frequently by bootlegs, like this one. pic.twitter.com/vhFyUwiTPi
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) October 14, 2026

But this play against a receiver screen was impressive.

Second of three clips on Dennis-Sutton. The awareness and hustle here is excellent. I don't think an offense schemes for an edge player to ruin a receiver screen. pic.twitter.com/6KdjjkAmkq
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) October 14, 2026

Dennis-Sutton played a lot on the right side of the defense against Chicago. If he stays there, that would mean a match against the Cowboys’ excellent young left tackle, Tyler Guyton.

Grade: B.

Fifth Round: C/G Jager Burton

Jager Burton’s starting debut was a disaster as he allowed 10 quarterback pressures against the Falcons. Burton allowed five quarterback hits in that game. Only one guard has allowed more hits this season.

The team quickly pivoted by signing veterans Laken Tomlinson and Kevin Zeitler to the 53-man roster and Mekhi Becton to the practice squad. At this rate, Burton might not be heard from for the rest of the season.

That doesn’t mean his career is over, obviously. The Packers were bullish on him throughout training camp; one bad game shouldn’t change the outlook.

Grade: D.

Sixth Round: CB Domani Jackson

With Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine entering the final season under contract, the Packers took a flier on Domani Jackson with the 201st pick, hoping to get the best out of a touted prospect who had a disappointing senior season at Alabama.

Jackson didn’t make the roster and is on the practice squad. Taken a few picks later, Lions defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard has 13 pressures. All of Green Bay’s defensive tackles have 21 pressures, led by Javon Hargrave with six.

Grade: F (for now, obviously).

Sixth Round: K Trey Smack

Green Bay Packers place kicker Trey Smack (28) reacts after missing a second field goal attempt against the Chicago Bears. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Trey Smack was the only kicker who was drafted and is one of three on a roster. He missed two kicks in the first four games – a missed extra point and a blocked field goal – but had three against Chicago. Smack, fellow rookie Drew Stevens of Washington and veteran Eddy Pineiro have each missed a league-worst five kicks.

“It’s something we can build off of,” special teams coordinator Cam Achord said on Tuesday. “We talked about it (that it) wasn’t always going to be perfect. Whether you’re a kicker or another position, you’re a rookie. There’s going to be a bump in the road, and he’s got the right mental makeup to trust the process, trust what we’re doing in practice, trust what he did the first four weeks. Good contact on the ball, and just trust it. And I think he’s going to be fine. I have no fear about that.”

For field goals among the rookies, Smack is 7-of-10 (70.0 percent), the Giants’ Dominic Zvada is 11-of-14 (78.6 percent) and Stevens is 9-of-11 (81.8 percent).

The stats suggest the grade should be an F, but he’s really only had one bad game.

Grade: C-minus.

The Packers have been hit harder than most teams by injuries. Their injuries keep hitting key players with big contracts. ⬇️https://t.co/0mPPEUNkPJ
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) October 14, 2026

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