PHOENIX – As the new NFL year dawned, the Packers needed to strike a balance between complementing a championship-caliber roster in 2026 and keeping one eye turned to the future.
Holding the pen was General Manager Brian Gutekunst, who had to be pragmatic about which players were coming and which players were going during the madness of March.
With the free-agency winds beginning to calm, the Packers are pleased with how all the pieces fell. Green Bay utilized all avenues to build its roster, along with re-signing center Sean Rhyan and a slew of other veterans with expiring contracts.
They did so while addressing four of their biggest external needs: trading for former All-Pro linebacker Zaire Franklin and signing two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, cornerback Benjamin St-Juste and receiver/returner Skyy Moore.
"I really like the guys we brought in," said Gutekunst at last week's NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix. "There's a lot of work to be done, but I really like the energy of our guys that we're bringing back and I'm really excited to see how the new guys, coming from where they came from and what we know about them so far, how they fit in with our squad."
Most important, Gutekunst made those moves without jeopardizing the Packers' compensatory picks in 2027.
According to Over the Cap, Green Bay is projected to receive four compensatory picks in next year's NFL Draft after losing quarterback Malik Willis (estimated fourth round), receiver Romeo Doubs (fourth), linebacker Quay Walker (fifth) and edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare (sixth) as unrestricted free agents.
Of the four veterans the Packers added, only St-Juste counts towards the compensatory equation, but Green Bay will maintain four picks because a fifth Packers unrestricted free agent, left tackle Rasheed Walker, signed with Carolina.
Franklin and Hargrave don't count against the formula because Franklin was acquired in a trade with Indianapolis and Hargrave was released by Minnesota in a cost-cutting move on March 11.
Both veterans come highly regarded for their leadership and have experience working with new Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. He first worked as the Colts' secondary coach during Franklin's first three NFL seasons before becoming Philadelphia's defensive coordinator, where he coached Hargrave for two seasons.
"They both played for Gannon, different situations obviously," Head Coach Matt LaFleur said. "In limited interaction with those guys, I was really impressed by the people. Certainly, the tape speaks for itself. I think we've got two really good football players, but I'm really excited about the type of guys they are coming into the locker room – some veteran leaders that we're going to have to lean into."
Signing Hargrave was a move straight out of former Packers general manager Ted Thompson's book. He preferred signing free agents who'd been released from contracts as opposed to signing unrestricted free agents that threatened the compensatory picks.
The Packers feel the 33-year-old Hargrave still has plenty left to offer, too. The former third-round pick has started 130 of his 146 career regular-season games, registering 432 tackles, 85 quarterback hits and 49 sacks.
The Packers were left a bit in the lurch at defensive tackle last season after trading three-time Pro Bowler Kenny Clark to Dallas as part of the blockbuster deal to acquire Micah Parsons.
Green Bay then cycled through several defensive tackles after losing burgeoning star Devonte Wyatt for the season to a broken fibula suffered in Detroit on Thanksgiving.
Hargrave brings talent, versatility and experience to Green Bay. The 6-foot-2, 307-pound defensive lineman made his first Pro Bowl appearance with Gannon as his defensive coordinator in 2021.
He's also been very durable. Hargrave missed most of the 2024 season due to a partially torn right triceps but otherwise has sat out just five games over his other nine NFL seasons.
"He's been an exceptional player in his career," Gutekunst said. "He's been one of those guys that's excelled as a run stopper and a pass rusher. He's a complete player and I just think as again, we've lost a few guys in the defensive interior there. We just needed to add something and I think particularly because he was released, it was not part of the compensatory formula. He just fit really well."
Franklin is two years removed from an All-Pro season in which the 6-foot, 235-pound linebacker led the NFL with 179 tackles. A 2018 seventh-round pick, Franklin mainly played special teams for the Colts during his first three seasons before claiming a starting job in 2021.
In addition to his on-field contributions, Franklin was a former team captain and the Colts' Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year honoree in 2023.
Franklin's addition comes at a critical time for the Packers' defense after Quay Walker left for Las Vegas. The former 2022 first-round pick wore the communication headset for a majority of the past three years.
"Whenever you have experience in this league, you're able to draw from that," Gutekunst said. "Hopefully you can pass a little bit on to your teammates and younger players, as well."
Both St-Juste and Moore bring premium traits to Green Bay and untapped potential. After spending four years in Washington, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound St-Juste took his game to the next level on the Los Angeles' Chargers perimeter last season.
Moore did the same last year in San Francisco, a needed reset after three years in Kansas City. A two-way returner and offensive gadget player, Moore totaled 1,296 all-purpose yards for the 49ers on special teams and offense in 2025.
"Last year was the first year where he really had both the kick and punt return roles exclusively," Gutekunst said. "He did an excellent job, was very explosive, very, very tough to take down by the first tackler. I do think on offense, once Matt and that staff gets to know him, there will be some opportunities there, as well."
Keeping the books balanced was a must for the Packers this offseason, as several cornerstones enter contract years in 2026. That group includes tight end Tucker Kraft, receivers Christian Watson and Jayden Reed, and Wyatt.
Yet the Packers still found ways to get better for 2026. With seven picks in this year's NFL Draft, the Packers feel they have the resources and flexibility to improve a young roster that's advanced to the postseason in each of the past three seasons.
"I think we have a lot of experience coming back across the board and guys who have played a lot of football, playoff football," Gutekunst said.
"I know as we get going, it's going to be important for us to have that as we try to accomplish what we're going to accomplish."
