Second-Round Draft Prospects Who Could Be Day 1 Starters for Packers

The 2025 NFL season is over, and 2026 is set to begin in earnest this week when everyone who is anyone descends upon Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine.

The Green Bay Packers are one of those teams, and they’ll be searching for some diamonds in the rough. The Packers do not have a first round pick as a byproduct of the trade for superstar defensive end Micah Parsons.

The good news is, the Packers have had some success in finding impact players on the second day of the draft. Some of their best players like linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, safety Evan Williams, and wide receiver Christian Watson were all picked in the second round.

The third round is where the Packers found one of their best players in tight end Tucker Kraft. While the Packers should be able to do some work in free agency, a majority of their additions are going to come in April’s draft, and they’ll likely need to find some early contributors with limited resources.

With that in mind, here is a 12-pack of payers the Packers could find to start for them on the second day of the draft.

Cornerback

Chris Johnson, San Diego State

Brian Gutekunst might have said the Packers do not need wholesale changes at cornerback, but he also did not say the team did not need more impact at the position.

Perhaps it is true that the Packers feel confident about their cornerback room as constructed, but it’s hard to imagine they won’t add a player or two to the position based on their need there both now and in the future.

Chris Johnson has become a popular name among the fanbase. Justin Melo of NFL Draft on SI recently called Johnson a hidden gem the Packers could find this week in Indianapolis. Melo called him an excellent schematic fit. Johnson’s ball skills could be a sight for sore eyes in Green Bay, as his four interceptions in 2025 would have outdone the Packers’ entire cornerback room.

Right now, Johnson is projected as a second round pick, but could see his stock rise with a big week in Indianapolis.

Keith Abney, Arizona State

Abney was also pointed out by NFL Draft on SI’s Melo, as he took Abney for the Packers in his pre-combine mock draft.

Green Bay’s cornerback room needs an infusion of ball skills, and Abney has those. Abney piled up 21 career pass breakups at Arizona State and had at least one interception in every season.

Arizona State’s Keith Abney II was one of the best CBs in the country in 2025:

🔒 46.1 passer rating allowed
🔒 13.9% forced incompletion rate
🔒 12 pass breakups
🔒 2 interceptions
🔒 0.7 yards allowed per cov. snap
🔒 92.9 PFSN CB Impact grade pic.twitter.com/GmJE1TBSvj
— PFSN College (@PFSNcollege) February 19, 2026

Measurements will be the key at this position as well. The Packers typically do not take short cornerbacks, which should not be a problem for Abney, who was listed at 6-feet tall. Weight could become a concern at that size if he’s smaller, but perhaps that’s something the Packers can overlook with a trip to Culvers.

Kelonte Scott, Miami

Scott is the third cornerback in a cluster between himself, Johnson, and Abney who are ranked between 46 and 55 on the mock draft consensus board.

All three are expected to be second round picks, and ranked in a range where the Packers could realistically select them. Scott is an outside corner, who is tall enough for Green Bay’s typical preferences on the outside.

Scott was one of the top players on a loaded Miami defense that fell just short of a national championship.

One potential knock on Scott could be his ball skills, as he had just one interception in 2025. Something in his favor, however, could be that according to PFF he was ranked first with 17 total pressures, and first in sacks with five. If the Packers want to send their defensive backs on blitzes more often, Scott is someone who could add some punch to their pass rush.

Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State

Igbinosun has some experience playing in a pro style defense that was coordinated by former Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator Matt Patricia for the last two years.

Igbinosun is big at 6-foot-2, and 195 pounds. He’s a physical cornerback who is competitive and wants to play in the biggest spots. He transferred from Ole Miss to Ohio State after his freshman season, and has started the last three years for the Buckeyes.

He’s ranked 71st on the consensus big board, which could see him slip into the third round, and potentially be a target for Green Bay if they were to trade out of pick 52 to try and get him while acquiring some extra picks.

Offensive Line

Blake Miller, Clemson

Blake Miller is an interesting prospect for Green Bay because the Packers likely could cross train him to be a jack-of-all trades offensive lineman like they have in the past. They could also allow him to stick at left tackle in a competition with Jordan Morgan, who to this point at least, has not won the job.

Brian Gutekunst was not going to back down from his organizational philosophy that requires his linemen to cross train, and that included Morgan.

The other reality is that Green Bay simply was not good enough in the trenches a year ago, so the only player currently that should be guaranteed a spot in 2026 is right tackle Zach Tom.

Right now, Miller is ranked 37th on the consensus big board, which has him as a borderline first rounder. Would the packers be willing to move up for someone like him? It’s certainly possible.

If he slips to Green Bay in the middle of the second round, it’s a situation where the Packers might run the card to the podium. He’s a technician as a pass blocker, with some improvement required in the run game.

Gennings Dunker, Iowa

Dunker has made his rounds around social media due to his hairstyle, but he’s not just some cute anecdote. Dunker can play. He is your typical Iowa offensive lineman He’s well coached, a technician, and capable of moving guys off of their spot.

He projects best as an interior offensive lineman at the next level. He plays with an edge and effort, which is something the Packers could use on their offensive line after their lack of response to quarterback Jordan Love being dribbled off the field in Denver in mid-December.

With uncertainty surrounding all three of Green Bay’s interior offensive line slots, Dunker could be Green Bay’s choice in the second round.

Brian Parker II, Duke

An offensive tackle who could move inside. Does that sound like a Packers prospect to you? It certainly has in the past.

Parker is in the conversation for the best center prospect in this draft with another guy on our list. Parker is currently ranked 88th on the consensus big board and projected to be a third round pick.

The Packers are likely to be looking for a center with Elgton Jenkins expected to be a cap casualty, and Sean Rhyan set to hit unrestricted free agency.

Connor Lew, Auburn

Had it not been for an injury in his final season in college, Connor Lew would be a slam dunk for the top center prospect in this draft class. He’s a three-year starter and has plenty of brains to go with his braun.

The one knock on Lew is likely that he is going to be pigeonholed as a center. With Green Bay’s preference to have guys cross trained, would they take someone who is likely one dimensional in the top-100 of the draft?

Defensive Tackle

Lee Hunter, Texas Tech

Cornerback or defensive lineman? That’s going to be the debate all offseason as to what the Packers need to fortify the most.

Much like cornerback, Green Bay’s interior defensive line has some attrition waiting for it following the 2026 season. Colby Wooden, Karl Brooks, and Devonte Wyatt are all set to see their contracts expire at the end of the 2026 season. Wyatt is likely the only one to be in line for a contract extension this offseason.

They also need more juice up front regardless of who is coming back of the trio mentioned above. Green Bay’s defensive line was simply out of bodies at the end of the season.

One guy who could help solve that problem is Lee Hunter from Texas Tech. Hunter is ranked 35th on the consensus big board, and is likely to be picked in the second round.

Texas Tech DT Lee Hunter looks and plays like someone with a great nickname (complimentary). pic.twitter.com/NjUDP3x3QH
— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) February 18, 2026

Hunter is big, tipping the scales at 330 pounds, and has grown into his body as a 23-year-old prospect.

Hunter only had two sacks last season, but 25 pressures and 19 hurries.

Christen Miller, Georgia

Brian Gutekunst loves guys from Georgia, and the Dawgs have another guy in this class who could fit what Green Bay needs.

Christen Miller was teammates with Nazir Stackhouse and Warren Brinson in 2024, and could team up again in 2026 if the Packers look to Athens for another draft choice.

Miller is a true nose tackle, which the Packers need in the absence of Kenny Clark and Colby Wooden wore down as last year went on.

He’s 21-years-old and 310 pounds. That could mean Gutekunst sees him as a player with his best football in front of him. He’s seen as a second round pick that could get pushed down the board if there is a run on players at other positions.

Darrell Jackson Jr, Florida State

Jackson Jr. was one of the standouts of the East-West Shrine Game in early February, and has the size the Packers need along their front.

Tipping the scales at 328 pounds, Jackson Jr. could be a plug-and-play starter on the interior for in his rookie season.

He also flashed some pass rush ability at the Shrine game, which is going to help him get pushed up draft boards.

As of now, Jackson Jr. is ranked 70th on the consensus board, so he’d fall between Green Bay’s two picks in the top-100.

A Surprise?

LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech

Brian Gutekunst is always good for a surprise or two on draft day, and this certainly would qualify. Quay Walker is an unrestricted free agent, and in theory, the Packers could simply replace him internally with Ty’Ron Hopper and Isaiah McDuffie next to Edgerrin Cooper.

The Packers have shown to value linebacker more under Gutekunst as evidenced by using top-100 picks on Cooper, Walker, and Hopper, while also giving a second contract to McDuffie.

Jacob Rodriguez would be a surprise for a multitude of reasons, mostly because of the questions surrounding his athleticism.

However, a mistake was potentially made by betting too much on athletic upside with Walker, who never developed the instincts to be a true impact player in the middle of Green Bay’s defense. What Rodriguez lacks in athleticism, he makes up for with instincts and the ability to make plays on the ball.

Rodriguez had one sack, four interceptions, and a whopping seven forced fumbles in his final season on campus. Again, this would be a surprise if Gutekunst pulled the trigger on another linebacker, but he’s been prone to surprising people on draft day.

Focusing on a few positions of need, here are 10 prospects to watch for the Packers this week at the Scouting Combine, along with a "hidden gem" from @JustinM_NFL. ⬇️https://t.co/rsSmuzlvZK
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) February 22, 2026