The 2026 NFL Draft starts in a month from today and all eyes in Green Bay will not be on the first day of the draft, but be on the 2nd day of the draft.
Because of the trade for Micah Parsons, this year it is likely the first time since 2008 that the Packers will not be picking in Round 1. Despite the disappointment on the Thursday of the draft, not having a first round pick, the second round has been the Packers best round since Ted Thompson took over in 2005.
Starting with the selection of Nick Collins in 2005, the Packers under both Thompson and current general manager Brian Gutekunst, the Packers have selected 18 starting caliber players in Round 2 in the last 21 drafts.
Packers' 2nd Round picks 2005-2017 (Ted Thompson)
Year Pick # Player Pos School
2005 51 Nick Collins DB Bethune-Cookman
2005 58 Terrence Murphy WR Texas A&M
2006 47 Dayrn Colledge OL Boise State
2006 52 Greg Jennings WR Western Michigan
2007 63 Brandon Jackson RB Nebraska
2008 36 Jordy Nelson WR Kansas State
2008 56 Brian Brohm QB Louisville
2008 60 Pat Lee DB Auburn
2010 56 Mike Neal DE Purdue
2011 64 Randall Cobb WR Kentucky
2012 51 Jerel Worthy DT Michigan State
2012 62 Casey Hayward DB Vanderbilt
2013 61 Eddie Lacy RB Alabama
2014 53 Davante Adams WR Fresno State
2015 62 Quinten Rollins DB Miami, OH
2016 48 Jason Spriggs OL Indiana
2017 33 Kevin King DB Washington
2017 61 Josh Jones DB NC State
Some of those 18 players were only starters for one season or parts of a season. But a large chunk of the 18 players have been the best players the franchise has had in the last 20 years.
Seven players have made at least one pro bowl: Collins, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Eddie Lacy, Davante Adams and Elgton Jenkins.
Several current players have become starters: Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Javon Bullard, Edgeriin Cooper and Anthony Belton.
Packers' 2nd Round Picks since 2018 (Brian Gutekunst)
Year Pick # Player Pos School
2018 45 Josh Jackson DB Iowa
2019 44 Elgton Jenkins OL Mississippi State
2020 62 A.J. Dillon RB Boston College
2021 62 Josh Myers OL Ohio State
2022 34 Christian Watson WR North Dakota State
2023 42 Luke Musgrave TE Oregon State
2023 50 Jayden Reed WR Michigan State
2024 45 Edgerinn Cooper LB Texas A&M
2024 58 Javon Bullard DB Georgia
2025 54 Anthony Belton OL NC State
With this year and next year’s draft being similar in the Packers being without a first round, it will be so important for this trend to continue on hitting a home run in Round 2. A case can be made that the Packers would be better off starting their draft in Round 2 every year. It worked out in 2008, the second-to-last time the team did not make a selection in Round 1.
In that draft, Ted Thompson traded out of the team’s late 1st round pick, getting pick No. 38, which was used on Jordy Nelson. Thompson then had success in the later rounds in 2008, drafting Jermichael Finley, Josh Sitton and Matt Flynn.
Those four players were key components of the 2010 and 2011 teams that won Super Bowl XLV and then had the league’s best record.
However, the last time the team did not draft in Round 1, it did not work out as well. In Thompson's last draft, he chose to trade out pick 29, to get the first pick in Round 2 and first pick of Round 4. The picks were Kevin King and Vince Biegel. And unfortunately for the Packers, they passed on two future All Pros out of Wisconsin, T.J. Watt and Ryan Ramcyzk.
For Gutekunst, it is likely he focuses this year’s second round pick (pick 52) on a position of need. The Packers are in need of improvement along the defensive line and at cornerback. Another edge defender in the top 60 would not be out of the realm of possibility either. But not picking until the 52nd pick, there is also the chance of just best player available.