Six Things Learned: Packers Will ‘Add Numbers’ At This Position in Draft

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst didn’t necessarily break news during his predraft news conference on Tuesday, but he did confirm what probably has been obvious.

The Packers will be looking to fortify their cornerback room in this week’s NFL Draft.

“We are going to add numbers there,” Gutekunst said. “Obviously, bringing in Benjamin (St-Juste) along with Keisean (Nixon) and Carrington (Valentine), you’ve got three guys that have seen significant snaps in their career, and I feel good about those guys going out and playing.”

Over the last four drafts, Gutekunst has drafted only three cornerbacks – seventh-round selections in 2023, 2024 and 2025. His one big swing at the position, Nate Hobbs in free agency last year, was a swing and a miss. Gutekunst dumped him in free agency this offseason and signed St-Juste, a third-round pick by the Commanders in 2021 who had a strong rebound season with the Chargers in 2025.

Behind those three are the unproven quartet of Kamal Hadden, Bo Melton, Shemar Bartholomew and Jaylin Simpson.

With that, it’s little wonder why the Packers used five of their “30” visits on cornerbacks.

“Some of our young guys, I’m interested to see with our new coaching staff how they adapt to what we’re going to ask them to do,” Gutekunst said, “but we do need to add some numbers there. From a numbers perspective that we sit here today, we’re going to need to add the most numbers, so we’ll see how that goes.”

Two: Gutekunst on Quarterbacks

The Packers signed Desmond Ridder late in the season; he is the front-runner to be the No. 2 job. | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The Packers had been in good hands behind Jordan Love for two seasons with Malik Willis. Willis signed with the Dolphins in free agency, meaning there will be a new No. 2 quarterback this season.

Gutekunst got a jump on things late in the season by signing Desmond Ridder and after the season by signing Kyle McCord. Both are former draft picks, with Ridder having 18 starts under his belt.

Will Gutekunst, who brought in two quarterbacks for “30” visits, be looking to add another passer to the mix this week?

“I think we’re always looking to add to that room,” he said. “Picking up Desmond at the end of last year and then McCord right after the season ended, I think we did some things already for this year. But, at the same time, I’ve said this many times, I think it’s the most important position of all professional sports. Probably the hardest.

“So, we evaluate that position every year, regardless, very thoroughly. And there’s some good players in this draft. If we have an opportunity to add to that room, we will.”

Three: Gutekunst on Nose Tackles

The Packers have downplayed the schematic change, with new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon going back to the 3-4 employed by Dom Capers, Mike Pettine and Joe Barry for more than a decade. However, the team will need a rugged nose tackle in the middle of the defensive line.

While Javon Hargrave played some nose for the Vikings last season, that won’t be part of his job description this season.

“I think he’s one of those guys that can kind of play up and down the line, along with D-Wy,” Gutekunst said of Hargrave and Devonte Wyatt. “Those guys are going to play a lot of snaps for us, God willing, and they can do a lot of different things. I like to be versatile that way.”

Gutekunst knocked on the wooden podium before the “God willing” part of the statement. Then, he got to the meat of the matter. The in-house candidates are Nazir Stackhouse, an undrafted free agent last year, Jonathan Ford, a seventh-round pick in 2022 who returned to the team late last season, and Warren Brinson, a sixth-round pick last year.

“I do think there’s probably a little bit more appetite for a pure nose because some of the snaps we’re going to play, you’re going to have that; maybe we wouldn’t have had that with Jeff (Hafley),” he continued. “I think we have a lot of guys in-house that we’re pretty excited about – Stackhouse, Ford, Brinson – that have that kind of size that can do some of those things. Hargrave and Wyatt are so versatile; they’re able to go up and down the line of scrimmage, which is nice.”

Four: Gutekunst on the Offensive Line

This offseason, Gutekunst released Elgton Jenkins and didn’t re-sign Rasheed Walker. With that, Sean Rhyan will start at center and Jordan Morgan will get his chance at left tackle. While the Packers probably feel good about their new starting lineup, the math shows the Packers are down two on the line.

“I feel really good about it,” Gutekunst said of the depth. “Obviously, we’ve got a couple guys coming off injuries. Zach (Tom) is coming off an injury, Jacob (Monk) is coming off an injury, but I really like our starting five and I thought Jacob did a really good job in that last game at center, so I feel really good about his ability. We’re going to get (Travis) Glover back, as well.”

As fifth- and sixth-round picks in 2024, Monk and Glover are two of the 14 picks used on offensive linemen over the last six drafts. Monk’s experience consists mostly of his start at center in Week 18 last season. Glover spent last season on injured reserve. Gutekunst also mentioned Donovan Jennings, an undrafted free agent in 2024 who has played six snaps on offense in two seasons.

Really, the only proven depth is Darian Kinnard.

“I feel really good about our whole group and the competition that’s in that room,” Gutekunst said. “We’re always going to try to add to the offensive line. There’s only so many big guys in the world that can play at a high level, but I feel good about it.”

Five: Gutekunst on Trading Dontayvion Wicks

Green Bay Packers receiver Dontayvion Wicks (13) dives for the end zone for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions. | David Reginek-Imagn Images

There’s been significant upheaval at receiver with the decision to not re-sign Romeo Doubs and the subsequent decision to trade Dontayvion Wicks to the Eagles for a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft and a sixth-round pick in next year’s draft.

“The situation we were in with the amount of players that we had in that room, what we’re probably going to do in the future, him being in the last year of his contract, it just made a little bit of sense,” Gutekunst explained.

“The ability to get two picks for a player that we weren’t sure exactly how it was going to fit into our future plans, it just made a lot of sense. I do think it was good for us and I think it’s going to be good for Dontayvion, too, because he’ll see his opportunities increase there, as well.”

While the Packers are down in numbers, there will be added opportunities for the returning group that will be led by Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden.

“I think there could be some positives from that,” Gutekunst said. “That depends on if you stay healthy, right? So, for me, I’d like to have as many good players as you can because, if you do have injuries, you want guys that are ready to step in and have enough talent to perform.

“I do think that there is something to be said that if you can stay healthy and there’s continuity on the field, that you can be much a better team late into the season and into the playoffs because your players had so many reps on third down, red zone, different things like that. I think that can help if you stay healthy and that happens.”

Because he was coming off a torn ACL, Watson played only 39.8 percent of the snaps. Because of a broken collarbone, Reed played only 16.2 percent of the snaps. Because of his own injuries and then the returns of Watson and Reed, Golden played only 43.0 percent of the snaps and didn’t find the end zone until the playoffs.

Because of the injuries, “I don’t know if we ever developed that [chemistry] as much as we probably wanted to,” Gutekunst said. “But I’d rather really have a bunch of really, really good players and have the issue of having the mouths to feed more so than not having them.”

That line could signal Gutekunst adding to the group this week.

Six: Gutekunst on Lukas Van Ness’s Fifth-Year Option

A big deadline is looming on the Friday after the draft.

The Packers must decide whether to trigger the fifth-year option on Lukas Van Ness, the 2023 first-round pick, by May 1. Pick up the option, and Van Ness will be under contract for 2027. Decline the option, and Van Ness’s first season as a starter will be his last season under contract.

Gutekunst said he’d announce the expensive decision at the “appropriate time.” The decision, seemingly, already has been made.

“I haven’t talked to him about it yet,” Gutekunst said. “Just got here yesterday. So, that’s it.”

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