Inbox: The decision makes plenty of sense

Keith from Lincoln, IL

Does Wes have to see himself out for his "a lot to sink your teeth into" line or is he escorted out?

Whatever works.

Michael from Portland, OR

So with the draft behind us what's next?

Rookie minicamp, then schedule release, then OTAs and full minicamp, then the dead zone, then training camp. Plenty if you ask me.

Craig from Laramie, WY

Did I miss something or do I "misremember"? In past years, wasn't there a rundown on packers.com of all the UDFAs posted within a day or two of the close of the draft? I always look forward to getting my GBP info here rather than any other sources but I haven't seen the UDFA stories here this year (yet?)

Some years we've been given the official announcement shortly after the draft. Last year we got it when the players arrived for rookie minicamp at the end of the week. It's all above our pay grade.

Scott from Reno, NV

Interesting draft. Seems like we got the defensive depth we were looking for PLUS best kicker in the draft AND one more O-line jar for the shelf. Not bad. Two questions: How many of our picks had pre-draft visits to Green Bay? What position group do you think will change the most between now and training camp? I'm think RB or TE.

Based on the reported list of pre-draft visits, the Packers didn't draft any of them, but two are reportedly signing as UDFAs. To your last question, that depends on the first impressions of the UDFA class.

John from Stevens Point, WI

If you could sum up the Packers' 2026 draft in one word, what would it be?

Concentrated.

Jimmy from Chicago, IL

Lots of talk about Dani Dennis-Sutton being one the "steals" of 2026. The superlatives are all over the post-draft-O-sphere. "Great value," "elite RAS," "prototypical edge rusher," "high floor," "big, long, explosive," etc. Kinda begs the question – why the slide to the fourth?

Beauty/beholder applies to nothing if not the draft.

Tyler from Cross Plains, WI

Hey guys, Gutey mentioned a couple guys he was considering for a pick, even considering trading up for one of those guys, only for them to still be available when we pick in the next round. Gutey seemed excited for this, to get a guy he didn't think would be available, but is there also some pause that you may have gotten the evaluation wrong? I guess that's where you tell yourself, "Trust the board."

No process produces flawless results, but a personnel department that questions its evaluations in real time doesn't have a process it believes in.

John from Los Angeles, CA

For two different players, I heard Gutekunst express surprise they were still available, saying they had them graded significantly higher. Do our scouts know something the other 31 teams' scouts don't? If those players hit or miss, how does that affect how the team evaluates the related scouts? If a player you grade busts, are you evaluated more harshly if you graded him way higher than consensus?

I don't know how the Packers evaluate their scouts, but the draft board is built by consensus, with several personnel executives writing their own reports on players as cross-checks on others. It's never one individual's opinion. It's just one individual's final decision.

Ed from Minneapolis, MN

Gents, thank you for guiding us through the draft hullabaloo. It seems like the draft selections are as much tangibles (stats, film, combine numbers, etc.) as they are intangibles (interviews, player character, football IQ.) My question is how much do scouts, coaches, and BG, depend on the former versus the latter?

There's no set formula. It's about getting to know as much as they can about the entire picture of a player and feeling confident in the investment. But above all, the game film has to show the player has the ability to play at this level. None of the other categories can override that.

Bryan from Madison, WI

Your comment about Domani Jackson and "if he is willing to work" got me wondering. Are there actually guys at this level who are not willing to work? Can you recall any players you covered who you felt just didn't put the effort in?

There can be a shock factor as to how much work it takes at this level when rookies arrive and get the lay of the land. They've been told their whole athletic careers they're hard workers, but they've never worked this hard. Not with everyone, but with some players.

Andrew from College Grove, TN

Some of the "Year 2 and 3" discussions have reminded me of a question on physical development. Given how young some of these draftees are, how much focus do you think is given to physical upside from NFL training or just growth? Asked differently, how much of that do you see in players across their first few years in the league?

That's why it's called a crystal ball business. Some draftees who are 23 or 24 years old are closer to fully physically developed, but many are not. David Bakhtiari is an example that'll always stick with me. What he became physically by the time he got his second contract versus looking back at his rookie highlights was night and day.

Andrew from Clearwater, FL

Fifth-year option is coming up for Lukas Van Ness, Over the Cap has his option at $13,752,000. What are the chances Green Bay will pick that up?

I honestly don't know. I could see it going either way. But I'll say this: If the Packers decline the option, it doesn't automatically mean LVN won't be on this team in 2027.

Scott from Holly Springs, NC

After drafting a center, does this mean Jacob Monk is on his way out? Go Blue Devils!

Not at all. Jager Burton can play any of the three interior spots. So can Monk. The Packers don't consider either player a center only.

Colin from Milwaukee, WI

The Packers traded two sevenths in order to get the kicker they wanted. Is it possible that they didn't have a single player left on their board that was rated higher than a UDFA, minus Trey Smack?

Didn't I basically say something to this effect, if not exactly to this effect, on Monday?

Bill from Menominee, MI

In Gute we trust. I've just learned to accept that whatever GB decides in the war room, it is by far the most calculated shake of the Magic 8 ball. Seeing the overall roster and knowing there isn't a lot of room on the potential 53 is a good problem and speaks volumes to the previous classes.

Gutey had drafted 32 players the previous three years (13, 11, 8), and 21 of them are on the current roster on first contracts (Jayden Reed was 22 until last Friday's extension). When you consider the recent draft picks who have lost entire seasons, or close to it, to injury and still need some runway to prove themselves, like MarShawn Lloyd, Travis Glover, Collin Oliver, and John Williams, we probably should've foreseen Gutey being fine with a small draft class.

Keith from Grand Rapids, MI

I was looking at the 91-man roster, and I see at least one or two players at nearly every position who has NFL level talent and will not be able to make this team for the 53. Why do you think we don't see more pundits talking about the quality of this Packers roster?

First, who cares? Second, because this team has won one playoff game in the last four years. It's a results-based business.

Craig from Appleton, WI

Looking at the contracts that Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed recently signed, they both average about $17 million per year. Why do you feel Reed was retained while Doubs was not for roughly the same amount of money?

Reed was this offense's leading receiver in both 2023 and '24, ahead of Doubs. He's also the more explosive weapon. Before breaking his collarbone, Reed was averaging 13.9 yards per catch in his career. Doubs' mark is 12.0. That's not an insignificant difference in terms of playmaking. Throw in Doubs' concussion history plus his one-game, team-imposed suspension in '24 and the decision makes plenty of sense.

Eric from Kenosha, WI

Good morning. I thought I read somewhere that a team cannot sign a player to a new extension within one year of a previous extension. That would mean they cannot sign Christian Watson again until sometime in season. Is that correct?

I'm not versed in all the particulars, but there's something about the way Watson's extension last fall was structured (with void years) that will allow the Packers to bypass the 12-month rule on renegotiation if they desire.

Jr from Arlington, TX

When will the Packers sign Tucker Kraft to an extension?

For what it's worth, the Packers signed Watson to his extension last year about six weeks before he returned to game action coming off his ACL.

Shannon from Ovilla, TX

With all the dust settled on the roster I am happy with the WR room. I have complained the past few years about all the change in WR from play to play. I prefer 2-3 main players with depth for injuries. With Wicks and Doubs gone there is a clear top three with depth in Savion Williams, Bo Melton, and Skyy Moore if needed. Watson, Reed, and Matthew Golden on the field most plays should lead to better offensive production.

I hear you, but I think there's a fine line between possessing adequate depth so the offense doesn't suffer due to injuries, and having too many weapons. I think back to the Philly playoff game two seasons ago, when the offense didn't have Watson, and then Reed (shoulder) and Doubs (concussion) both left the game. The Packers were left trying to rally in the fourth quarter to save their season with Wicks, Melton and Heath at receiver, and that trio combined for three receptions on 13 targets. It wasn't good.

Venny from Montgomery, AL

How often do you expect to see Brandon Cisse on the field? Similar to the 2025 draft class, it will be difficult for rookies to crack the starting lineup. With Bullard locked in at nickel, it may be a tall task for Cisse to beat out Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, and Benjamin St-Juste for starter snaps at the outside corner.

I expect Nixon to remain CB1 on this defense, but the rest of the depth chart at outside corner looks totally up in the air to me. It may not be likely that Cisse wins CB2, but I'm not ruling it out.

Dave from Kaukauna, WI

Since 22 TEs were drafted, there's got to be a fair number of TEs being released, either now or by the final cutdown, right? Do you think the Packers might be able to find a TE among the chaff?

Not out of the question.

Joe from Harrisburg, SD

Hello, so it comes out that Gutey tried to trade back into the third round to make another selection. If it was DDS then it turned out to be a great no-trade for us. If he would have had a taker late in the round, who do you think it would have cost us that we drafted later? Gutey said he didn't want to trade next year's picks so I'm guessing the entire rest of our draft would have changed.

For sure. It would've cost at least the fifth-rounder used for Burton, I would imagine, because it cost him his other fifth to move up seven spots in the third and he was looking to move up 20 spots this time, but at the end of the round. There's no way to know how the rest falls but to me the most likely outcome is there's no draft pick(s) spent on a kicker.

Tom from Holmen, WI

Have you ever seen a more honest, straightforward and humorous press conference response from a professional sports general manager than the one that Gutey gave to the reporter who asked: "Pre-draft, how do you judge a placekicker?"

That was, if I may, nicely done.

Tommy from Washburn, WI

Seeing the pictures from inside the draft room was really eye opening. It's like a call center in there! Way more people than I imagined, so many that BG couldn't possibly have his finger on the pulse of every conversation. How does that all work? What if someone working the phones makes a trade deal that Gutey doesn't like?

Ha. This is close to II HOF-worthy. Those working the phones don't make the trades. They relay the offers and Gutey decides.

Paul from Lao People's Democratic Republic

We have the preseason, regular season, postseason, and dead season. How about we call this time of the year the fairy tale season? This fits in two regards. One, being drafted or signed as a UDFA is like a fairy tale come true for the young men. Also in the sense of "Once Upon a Time there were 32 football teams. Every team drafted every player they wanted and every player drafted will absolutely make their team better." Or so the story goes …

Baloney season remains the more all-encompassing label.

David from Prior Lake, MN

Hello II. Gute when talking about the draft said a version of, "We do our homework, prepare for what we can and let the board fall as it will, but when we see an opportunity we will go after it." Couldn't be a better metaphor for life than that. We all need to prepare our draft boards and go after the player/opportunity when we have it.

Happy Wednesday.

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