Packers Boast Two of ‘Most Overlooked NFL Draft Picks’

The Green Bay Packers didn’t have a first-round pick and they didn’t have a lot of draft picks, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t maximize their opportunities in this year's NFL Draft.

NFL Draft On SI’s Justin Melo selected the “most overlooked” pick at every position group. The Packers selected two of those players.

At defensive tackle, Melo went with Chris McClellan, the team’s third-round draft pick.

“Chris McClellan possesses a pro-ready frame at 6-foot-3 and 313 pounds with 34-inch arms and 11-inch hands,” Melo explained. “He has incredibly rare size and length and the Green Bay Packers will place him in a rotational role immediately.”

That’s a fact. McClellan spent almost the entire offseason program working as the No. 1 nose tackle. Plus, he might be the next man up behind Devonte Wyatt and Javon Hargrave at defensive tackle in the nickel packages.

“McClellan displays flashes of dominance across the line of scrimmage,” Melo continued. “The former Florida transfer registered a combined 13.5 TFLs at Missouri across 2024-25. His sack production also increased to a career-high six takedowns this past campaign.”

At edge, Melo took Green Bay’s fourth-round pick, Dani Dennis-Sutton. He should have an opportunity for immediate playing time due to attrition at the position.

“The Packers landed another defensive lineman with baseline traits in Dani Dennis-Sutton,” Melo wrote. “He's hard-nosed and tough with an early-down run stopping skill-set.”

It’s impossible to ignore those baseline traits.

Dani Dennis-Sutton was drafted in round 4 with pick 120 in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.96 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 9 out of 2257 DE from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/P8hlpVu0IO pic.twitter.com/GETVs1EQUW
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 25, 2026

Now, can the size, athleticism and college production translate into being an immediate impact player? Micah Parsons will miss the start of the season following last year’s torn ACL, Rashan Gary was traded to Dallas and Kingsley Enagbare signed with the Jets. Combined, that’s 22 of the team’s 36 sacks.

“Dennis-Sutton also showed more athleticism than scouts expected at the NFL Combine by running a 4.63 and leaping a 39.5-inch vertical and 10-foot-11 inch broad jump,” Melo wrote. “He's a bit rigid as a pass rusher but did produce 8.5 sacks in back-to-back years.”

During his final two seasons at Penn State, he had 17 sacks, 25 tackles for losses and five forced fumbles. He forced seven fumbles in his career and blocked three kicks as a senior.

“I think we’ve got a really, really good football player,” said Parsons, who also went to Penn State. “I knew he was good at Penn State. But I think specifically in this 3-4 system, he’s going to have a lot of success, just with his length, his speed, his violence that he plays with, he’s going to be a really good football player for us.”

Rookie Starter?

Separately, Melo focused in on 10 position battles in which a rookie could compete for a starting job. One of those selections was the Packers’ second-round pick, cornerback Brandon Cisse.

10 rookies heading for position battles in training camp 👀 #NFLDraft https://t.co/6D8k4XHFV7
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) July 10, 2026

Keisean Nixon is coming off a Pro Bowl season in which he finished tied for sixth in the NFL in passes defensed, but he also tied for No. 1 for the most penalties. Carrington Valentine provided solid coverage but tackled poorly.

Combined, they had one interception last season, which was Nixon’s game-saver against the Bears. Valentine added another in the playoffs.

“Cisse is an explosive athlete who leaped a 41-inch vertical and 10-foot-11 broad jump at the NFL Combine,” Melo wrote in part. “Coverage instincts are a work in progress on tape. Cisse may need a developmental runway, but the Packers would really benefit if he was ready sooner than anticipated.”

Nixon and Valentine are entering their contract seasons. All of that will give Cisse a chance to win a starting job. Complicating matters is the Packers signed solid veteran Benjamin St-Juste and he also will compete for a starting job.

According to Sports Info Solutions, Cisse allowed a completion rate of 43 percent in 2024 while at North Carolina State and 41 percent at South Carolina in 2025. He allowed just one touchdown in each of those seasons. He also only had two interceptions in his career.

“Picks is picks but, at the end of the day, at that catch point, if you can get the ball out and make sure the receiver don’t get a completion, that’s what you want,” assistant director of pro scouting Mike Owen said at the draft.

More Production Than Most

Finally, at Sharp Football, Ryan McCrystal wrote about Green Bay’s potential draft impact. His closing paragraph was the big one.

“Without a first-round pick, expectations were low for this draft class, but Green Bay appears to have come away with two potential rookie starters plus a pass-rush specialist to help elevate the defense,” he wrote. “Despite the small size of this class, there’s a chance Green Bay gets more production from its rookies than most teams.”

He praised the selections of Cisse, McClellan and Dennis-Sutton, who he called an “explosive pass rusher” with the ability to contribute immediately on passing downs.

He also called fifth-round lineman Jager Burton an “ideal” fit for a Packers offensive line that looks to be fairly solid entering the 2026 and 2027 seasons because all five starters are under contract.

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