Packers Stay Local, Waste Pick in New Day 2 NFL Mock Drafts

GREEN BAY – After a first round that was the equivalent of a Seinfeld episode, the Green Bay Packers are scheduled to make picks at No. 52 of the second round and No. 84 of the third round on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft on Friday.

“We’re going to get good players that will help us,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said.

Here’s who the Friday morning mock drafts say the Packers will select.

Sports Illustrated: Edge, Guard

SI.com’s Daniel Flick’s Day 2 mock led off with Michigan edge Derrick Moore.

“The Packers are expected to tap into the edge market, and Moore is a rock-solid option,” Flick wrote. “He’s physical, consistent and a ready-made run defender with enough pass-rush flashes to eventually become a three-down player.”

The Packers need help on the edge after letting go of Kingsley Enagbare in free agency and trading Rashan Gary. Week 1 will start with Micah Parsons on the sideline, Lukas Van Ness and Barryn Sorrell starting, and Collin Oliver and Brenton Cox providing depth.

Moore had 10 sacks and two forced fumbles as a senior. He is Flick’s No. 55 overall player.

In the third round, the choice was Notre Dame guard Bill Schrauth. The native of Campbellsport, Wis., was an all-state performer at Saint Mary’s Springs High School in Fond du Lac.

An injury limited him to seven games in 2025, but he was still a second-team All-American.

“Schrauth has experience at both guard spots and was a team captain in 2025,” Flick wrote in his best-available list. He called him “strong, tough, reliable,” and noted “his impressive balance to anchor against bull-rushers. He’s not an elite athlete, but Schrauth looks the part of a starting guard.”

ESPN: Linebacker, Cornerback

The Packers need a linebacker like a hole in the head. In the new 3-4 scheme that requires only two off-the-ball linebackers, they got potential star Edgerrin Cooper ready for Year 3 and they traded for Zaire Franklin to replace Quay Walker. In reserve, they’ve got steady Isaiah McDuffie and 2024 third-round pick Ty’Ron Hopper. They also have Nick Niemann and Kristian Welch for special teams duty.

In his Day 2 mock, ESPNs Matt Miller started with Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr.

“Finding fast, rangy linebackers who can also affect the game as a pass rusher is rare, but Hill is available in Round 2 after teams were uncertain about his run-game instincts,” Miller wrote.

Hill’s an excellent player. He was a Freshman All-American in 2023 and a second-team All-American in 2024 and 2025. During three seasons, he had this eye-popping production: 249 tackles, 17 sacks, 31.5 tackles for losses, eight forced fumbles and three interceptions.

The Packers bypassed Illinois edge Gabe Jacas (who went to Chicago), Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter (who went to New England), Michigan edge Derrick Moore (who went to Seattle) and Penn State edge Dani Dennis-Sutton (who went to Buffalo).

Miller also bypassed cornerback, though he took one in the third round with Arkansas’ Julian Neal, who would bring size to the position at 6-foot-1 5/8 and 203 pounds.

The Athletic: Defensive Back, Offensive Tackle

The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner started his Day 2 mock with defensive back Treydan Stukes.

Stukes is one of the more interesting prospects in the draft. At 6-foot 5/8, he’s got the size of a cornerback. With 4.33, he “can absolutely fly,” Baumgardner noted. He’s a good player, too, having earned third-team All-American in 2025 with four interceptions.

However, that was his sixth-year senior season. He also lived in the slot for his final three seasons in college. There’s no reason why he can’t play perimeter cornerback, which is what the Packers need; there just isn’t a lot of fresh video of it.

In the third round, the choice was gigantic Miami offensive tackle Markel Bell. He’s 6-foot-9 1/4 and 346 pounds with 36 3/8-inch arms. He’d be the biggest player in franchise history. Bell started 21 games at left tackle in his career.

The Packers have turned their attention to more power-based linemen, and Bell certainly would fit from that standpoint. Is he a good enough athlete, though?

Pro Football Focus: Cornerback

Bradley Locker did only a second-round mock. He grabbed South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse, correctly noting that Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine will be free agents after the upcoming season.

“Cisse’s physicality and ball skills, especially in zone – where he earned a 72.1 PFF coverage grade in 2025 – make him an ideal fit,” Locker explained.

Cisse is 5-foot-11 3/4 and 189 pounds with 4.41 speed. In 34 games (21 starts) in three seasons, he intercepted two passes. He is more of a man-coverage corner who at least has the right attitude to play run defense.

CBS: Nose Tackle, Receiver

CBS’s Josh Edwards’ Day 2 mock led off with the Big Citrus, Iowa State defensive tackle Domonique Orange, who would fill the big need for a big man at the center of Jonathan Gannon’s 3-4 defense.

“Green Bay adds a stout interior defender to the equation,” Edwards explained. “He will bottle up the middle and allow Micah Parsons to make more plays in the backfield.”

In the third round, the choice was Connecticut receiver Skyler Bell. Presumably, the Packers would be looking for a bigger perimeter receiver after parting ways with Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks this offseason. Bell is only 5-foot-11 5/8, but he’s got 10-inch hands and 4.40 speed. He probably will do his best work in the slot.

He’s an outstanding player, though. He was a consensus All-American in 2025 with 101 catches for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Pro Football Network: Seven Rounds

The Packers need a cornerback. It can be said with almost absolute certainty that it won’t be Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds, who was the pick in Jacob Infante’s updated seven-round mock.

The Packers don’t like short players at any position, and they really don’t like short cornerbacks. Pond is 5-foot-8 5/8. Sticking with the corners, Infante went with Ponds over South Carolina’s Brandon Cisse, who he called a “freak athlete.”

The third-round choice was Northwestern offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan, who could provide critical depth at tackle while cross-training at guard.

“Caleb Tiernan is a massive blocker … with versatility in gap-zone run-blocking,” Infante explained. “He has the size, strength, hand usage, and spatial awareness to become a good starter in the NFL.”

The Day 3 picks included Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson, Cal cornerback Brent Austin, Florida kicker Trey Smack and a few small-school targets.

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