2026 Green Bay Packers Rookie Preview

Green Bay's 2025 season had everything but an ending. A 9-8-1 finish, a top-two third-down offense, and then five straight losses to close the year, including a playoff exit that still stings. With Micah Parsons on the mend, a new defensive coordinator installing a 3-4, and a rookie class built for depth and special teams, the Packers enter 2026 with one question that matters more than any other: can they finish what they start?

Team Snapshot

• Conference: NFC North

• Head Coach: Matt LaFleur

• 2025 Record: 9-8-1

• Key Games: Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit, Dallas

Season Outlook

A look at the 2025 numbers tells the story of how the Packers fared last season. Green Bay finished near the middle of the pack—no pun intended—in most offensive categories, with two notable strengths: only 29 sacks allowed, tied for seventh in the NFL, and a 48.8% third-down conversion rate that ranked second. On the other side of the pigskin, the Packers were again mostly middle-of-the-road, but the negatives stood out. They finished with 36 sacks, tied for 20th, and only seven interceptions, which ranked 28th.

Quarterback Jordan Love is expected to continue his climb toward the league’s elite signal-callers. New defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, the former Cardinals head coach, will revamp the unit into a 3-4 scheme and try to hold down the fort until outside linebacker Micah Parsons is cleared to return. Both return units were abysmal last season, so any improvement on special teams will be welcomed.

2026 Prediction: Projected Record 10-7

A truly impressive season crashed and burned when the Pack lost its final five contests—four during the regular season and one in a catastrophic playoff collapse. That skid coincided with the loss of linebacker Micah Parsons to a torn ACL, and Green Bay never really recovered.

Parsons’ injury was not the only issue. The Packers also lost three offensive starters in wide receivers Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks and tackle Rasheed Walker, along with three defensive starters in lineman Rashan Gary, linebacker Quay Walker, and lineman Colby Wooden. Green Bay responded by adding veteran help on defense with lineman Javon Hargrave and linebacker Zaire Franklin.

The good news is that the Green & Gold’s offense finished second in the league on third down, converting 48.8% of its opportunities and earning a fresh set of downs nearly half the time. If Green Bay can find a way to close out games early in the season and stay afloat until the walking wounded return around the mid-November bye, there could be a playoff game on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field in late January.

Rookie Prospects

Brandon Cisse, CB, 5’11”, 189 lbs., South Carolina

Cisse played better during his two seasons at NC State than he did last year with the Gamecocks. He is an excellent candidate for significant special teams work. At times, he can misread plays, but he has above-average closing speed and recovers quickly to the football. He is also willing to attack the edge against the run. His biggest area for improvement is his ball skills.

Chris McClellan, DT, 6’3”, 313 lbs., Missouri

McClellan spent two seasons at Florida before transferring to Missouri. He uses his hands well but is still in need of technique work. He has a tendency to play too high, which can allow a single offensive lineman to control him. He has the build to become a nose tackle on Sundays. He is a project, but there is upside worth developing.

Dani Dennis-Sutton, DE, 6’5”, 256 lbs., Penn State

Dennis-Sutton is an experienced defender with good size and toughness. He excels against the run but needs to improve his pass-rush technique to succeed consistently at the NFL level. He is at his best when using his hands to work around blockers and has a chance to earn playing time in early-down situations.

Jager Burton, C, 6’4”, 312 lbs., Kentucky

Kentucky’s poor overall season hurt Burton’s draft standing. He also played guard during his collegiate career and is a much better run blocker than pass protector at this stage. Burton will probably need some time to learn the nuances of NFL offensive line play, but his versatility could make him a valuable game-day backup.

Domani Jackson, DB, 6’1”, 194 lbs., Alabama

Jackson started at Southern Cal for two seasons before heading to Tuscaloosa. A former track athlete, he has battled knee injuries that kept him from making a consistent impact. He is not the most physical defensive back, but his combination of size, speed, and athletic ability is intriguing enough to explore at the next level.