Will from UK

Time to start planning how we will spend pick No. 64 next year.

I like how you think.

Jennifer from Middleton, WI

Wes, I enjoyed you and Larry doing Instant Reax and the “3 Things” from Spoff’s living room. He keeps you guys guessing, huh? What moments (with Larry, with other writers, with the waits, with the picks or otherwise) will stand out to you as you think back on this draft in the future?

The slow transition from quiet to chaos. I told my dad Sunday night that Thursday was one of the least productive days I've had in my professional career. We had to physically be at Lambeau Field just in case, but there wasn't much to do. Business quickly picked up Friday evening when the Packers traded up to get Chris McClellan and that sort of set the tone for the rest of the weekend. It was a different kind of draft but still fun. Whether it was trading for Micah Parsons or taking Brandon Cisse in the second round, some things in life are worth waiting for.

Jake from Los Angeles, CA

This draft gives a new meaning to the term "pick six."

And the Packers hope they've scored a touchdown.

Al from Green Bay, WI

Wes, with a couple days to ruminate on the draft class, which of these new guys are you most excited to see in pads later this summer?

Dani Dennis-Sutton. I was pulling for him to be the pick at No. 120. I see him as a guy who could come in and bang down the door in Year 1. DDS is a big, lengthy edge rusher who attacks the ball (and the ball carrier) with aggression. There are a few technique things for DeMarcus Covington to clean up, but Dennis-Sutton is the kind of rotational pass rusher and special-teams contributor Green Bay needs after losing the always dependable Kingsley Enagbare.

Dar from Mansfield, TX

Weston, you mentioned in Instant Reax that you thought Gutey got good value by trading up to grab the Florida kicker. But how surprised were you that he did it? Were you HodSmacked? (Yes, I'm now heading toward the door.)

I was stunned. I was walking through the Lambeau Field concourse on my way to get a slice of pizza when I received a text that we traded back into the sixth round. I didn't think it would be possible for the Packers to move up that high with only a late seventh-rounder in their back pocket…but here we are. The Packers were not afraid to go get the prospects they wanted when they wanted them.

Mike from Grovetown, GA

The draft is over, and I found it mildly entertaining. The chances of any pick coming in and being a every-down, impact player in the first year are low. It's Year 2 or 3 when you really see what a player has. Question, for this upcoming season, who are you most intrigued by from the last two drafts? For me it's Matthew Golden, and hopefully MarShawn Lloyd.

Texas teammates Golden and Barryn Sorrell with an honorable mention to Collin Oliver.

Russ from Odell, IL

Concerning a quote from Jon-Eric Sullivan, he said big guys don't get small. In an interview with Rock, Anthony Belton told of how much weight he lost in the offseason and how he did it. Intense training and strict diet. He still might not be the norm, but very impressive with his efforts and how bad he wants it to be a good starting player in the NFL.

Belton is up there with the aforementioned as far as Year 2 players to watch. He's a naturally strong dude with an NFL frame. With a dialed-in diet and second-round pedigree, Belton could absolutely be a breakout player for the Packers in 2026.

Jeff from Littlefork, MN

Packers' second-round pick, Brandon Cisse CB, stands 5-foot-11¾. Mercy, what's a guy gotta do to be considered 6-foot? Skip his pre-combine haircut?

I got a chuckle out of D'Angelo Ponds measuring in at 5-foot-8 5/8. Can we just help the guy out a little bit? But I suppose if you give him 3/8 of an inch, you give him a foot. Once a DB gets over 5-foot-10, I don't think height matters too much depending on how the player uses it. The Packers landed a solid, headstrong prospect in Cisse, who's only 20 years old. That's the headline.

Tallon from Castle Rock, CO

For a weaker draft class, it was very successful, we found depth in key areas. I've been high on Brandon Cisse for a while. He is so young and raw. If he stayed in college one more year, I would bet he would've been a first-rounder in 2027. My question for you: What do you think the most likely plan is for QB2 this year?

I enjoyed Gutekunst's candor, too. Not all drafts are created equal, and Gutekunst leveraged what he had to get the players the Packers coveted most in an objectively shallower class than the past couple years. As far as QB2, the Packers reportedly will add Virigina Tech's Kyron Drones into the mix with Desmond Ridder and Kyle McCord. It's up to those three to convince the Packers that they don't need to acquire a backup at the end of training camp like they did in 2024. Drones has tools Matt LaFleur can develop, along with three-year starting experience in the ACC.

Darrel from Pueblo, CO

II, it seems we now have a three-player kicking competition. How often does a team consume a place on the practice squad for a kicker?

It's a fairly common practice now that practice squads have expanded to 17 players. Teams like the option of running their field-goal operation every day in practice.

John from Byron, MN

Were Gutey's comments about not getting a TE in the draft a perfect example about not drafting for need, but still filling needs? Each time the Packers picked, there was probably a TE available to be drafted, but the TE might not have "fit" where they were picking. For example, a fourth-round grade but in the third round. So, you fill your needs, but you stick to your board and don't reach.

I suppose one way to read the tea leaves would be to look at how the Packers approached defensive line and drafting Chris McClellan. A positional need aligned with a prospect Green Bay liked and Gutekunst made the move to get him. The Packers obviously didn't go that direction with tight end.

Ray from Phoenix, AZ

To say I was happy about our draft picks would be an understatement. The pick that excited me the most was Jager Burton, because as you both know, I have been screaming for GB to get a true center. Next year, Sean Rhyan gets really expensive and it appears that Gute and Matt LaFleur are not totally sold on Jacob Monk. If Rhyan does not excel enough to warrant another contract, Burton could be the Packers' center for the next several years.

Rhyan just signed a three-year contract, so he's going to be in the Packers' plans for the foreseeable future, but you can never have enough jars on the shelf and Burton is one of the biggest in the cupboard with a lot of athletic upside.

Mike from Santa Fe, NM

OK, so we did the "draft" part (but so did everyone else). What makes Green Bay better at "development" that makes them a draft and develop team … why doesn't everyone "develop" their players?

Because they're busy churning through GMs and coaches. Anyone else remember Malik Willis talking about how he had four different offensive coordinators in three years?

Mike from Tama, IA

Gentlemen, now that the fun stuff is over and everyone has an opinion on who and how well every team did in the draft, was wondering how many undrafted kids will be asked to camp? Can you help out with what the rules are for this, because there are a lot of kids out there that are very good players and still can help out a team in need.

You can invite any unsigned free agent (veteran or rookie) to rookie camp. Green Bay welcomed 11 tryout players to rookie orientation last year, signing one (Canadian quarterback Taylor Elgersma).

Carlo from North Canton, OH

I know there isn't supposed to be any math in the Inbox, but am I correct in thinking there will only be about 20 players at the rookie minicamp between draft picks and UDFAs? Or is there another group I'm not aware of? Tryout players, maybe? Thanks!

Returning practice squad players and street free agents from January are eligible to participate as long as they haven't played in an NFL game. Whether the Packers will bring them in, I do not know.

Rudy from Rhinelander, WI

Gutey and staff should be very pleased and proud of their hard work paying off. Other than drafting a kicker, all others were not surprising. The UDFA list filled the holes the draft left. Question: Who makes the calls to UDFA? Also, can any of those calls occur before the draft officially ends? GPG.

The Packers' scouts make most of the calls on the undrafted free agents, usually working the phones throughout the final day of the draft.

Dick from Sarasota, FL

Good morning! If the rumor on the playground is true, the Packers have signed Josh Jacobs' younger brother as an undrafted free agent. Are you aware of any other instance in Packer history where two brothers played together for the team? Thanks, and great work with the draft information.

The Packers invited Isaiah Jacobs to rookie minicamp on tryout. They did something similar with Aaron Jones' twin brother, Alvin, in 2020. I get asked this sibling question from time to time and the only brothers I can recall being signed to the Packers' roster concurrently were Jeremy and Orrin Thompson in the late 2000s.

Frank from Oak Creek, WI

How much value do you feel "character" has when Packers evaluate and draft/sign talent? It seems, from my view in the cheap seats, that character is taken seriously in Green Bay and that may be a key factor for sustained success.

It's vital. An NFL team is comprised of 48 players working as one on gamedays. Some may have larger roles to play than others, but nobody is bigger than the team. On average, Ted Thompson and Gutekunst have done a remarkable job of bringing good people into this building who make the Packers, as a whole, better.

Troy from Menomonee Falls, WI

Now we are into UDFAs (not to be confused with what my Norwegian great-grandfather would have called Uf Das). How many players are the Packers allowed to have on their roster at this time of year? I noted that they released three last week just before the draft. Does the salary cap apply or only when they have their final 53 to start the season? Are there any other league limits on signing players at this time?

Teams can carry up to 91 players this time of year (including one player on international exemption) but only 51 count towards the salary cap until the day before a team's first regular-season game.

Joe from Swansea, IL

Dear II, all I know about our draft picks comes from you guys. But I also know this: Mr. Dennis-Sutton must be a large, large man to fit his name on that Packers jersey. How is that going to look? Can't wait to see.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling prepared Green Bay for this.

Arthur from Eau Claire, WI

Just curious. When a team has a small number of draft picks can that help their cap space and their ability to re-sign their better players? If so, could we see a team with tight finances trade up or would the higher pick negate any benefits?

The short answer is yes. While most rookie contracts don't break the bank, signing bonuses and guaranteed base salaries add up. The Packers got Jayden Reed locked up but you'd imagine they would also like to get deals done with Tucker Kraft, Christian Watson and Devonte Wyatt over the next 11 months.

Jay from Lutz, FL

Happy with the solid draft. What are we doing to gain depth at running back and tight end?

Player acquisition is more than just the NFL Draft. The Packers agreed to terms with 10 undrafted rookies and also return Messiah Swinson and Drake Dabney at tight end and former NFL draft picks Pierre Strong Jr. and Damien Martinez at running back. Also, Green Bay hasn't been shy about signing veteran free agents in the summer.

Joshua from Seattle, WA

Opportunity is wide open for Messiah Swinson, Desmond Ridder, and UDFAs at OL, RB, TE, LB, WR, and ...? What positions now have less depth and open roster spots to be won by an undrafted rookie?

There's a path to this roster at the five positions you mention, but I would think Green Bay was an attractive landing spot for quarterback, running backs and receivers. Those three positions had four departures from last year's 53-man roster with just one addition, Skyy Moore, whose return ability was a catalyst to his signing here.

Monty from Velva, ND

Hey Wes, what is the date that free agents can be signed for no compensation? I think we are going to dabble in that to help with depth on the OL and TE. Thoughts?

Starting yesterday any unsigned free agent no longer counts towards the compensatory equation for next year. We'll see if Gutekunst chooses to bring anyone else in. He's done it before, beginning with Byron Bell in 2018.

Paul from Ledgeview, WI

Wes, with nine home games this year, what do the Packers need to do to re-establish Lambeau as a tough place to play? Win all home games from November on? Win all home games versus division opponents? Go undefeated at home?

Mentality. Everyone wearing green and gold needs to bring it for four quarters, team and fans alike. Opponent must brace for 60 minutes of hell every time they walk onto Lambeau Field.

Jay from Altoona, WI

The Packers lost two major contributors at WR with the departures of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks and just drafted two CBs in Brandon Cisse and Domani Jackson. Do these moves indicate that Bo Melton will be spending more time in the WR room than CB room moving forward?

That's a better question for OTAs, but Green Bay knows what Melton can do as a receiver and had no issues using him on offense last year (four catches for 107 yards and a touchdown on 96 snaps). The past three years have proven Melton will do whatever is asked.

Mary from Pewaukee, WI

Will a rookie kicker really handle the pressure of the job?

We have a story about that.

Dennis from Parrish, FL

Where do I find a mock draft for 2027?

Just Google "Arch Manning."

Doug from Neenah, WI

Good morning, Wes. Like MVS and LVN, Dani Dennis-Sutton will soon become known as DDS or Doc. Wayne will make calls about QBs getting drilled by the DDS. Would a strip sack fumble qualify as an extraction?

That's a lot to sink your teeth into. Have a good Tuesday.

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