Packers' 2026 Free Agents, Targets and Draft Needs After NFL Playoff Loss

Entering the 2025 NFL season, the Green Bay Packers made it quite clear that they intended to challenge for a championship. Their late-August trade to acquire star pass-rusher Micah Parsons was the win-now move that could have shifted the balance of power in the NFC.

While Green Bay managed to reach the postseason for the third consecutive year, it also lost Parsons to a season-ending ACL tear in Week 15. His injury wasn't the only significant one the Packers had to navigate, either.

Parsons, tight end Tucker Kraft, defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, and offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins were among the players the Packers placed on injured reserve. Green Bay looked like one of the league's most dominant teams early in the year. However, it backed into the postseason, losing three straight before a meaningless season finale.

The season finally ended on a brutal first-round playoff loss to the division rival Chicago Bears.

Now that the Packers' postseason is over, head coach Matt LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst must begin preparations for another run in 2026, assuming both are back. Green Bay has a tremendous young roster that should be back in the NFC North mix next season, but there's plenty of work to be done in the coming months.

Free Agents

AP Photo/Julio Cortez

Packers LB Quay Walker

Unrestricted Free Agents

S Zayne Anderson

WR Romeo Doubs

Edge Kingsley Enagbare

LB Nick Niemann

OL Sean Rhyan

LB Quay Walker

OT Rasheed Walker

QB Malik Willis

Restricted/Exclusive-Rights Free Agents

RB Chris Brooks

Edge Brenton Cox Jr.

DL Jonathan Ford

CB Kamal Hadden

K Alex Hale

G Donovan Jennings

OT Darian Kinnard

CB Bo Melton

RB Emanuel Wilson

While the Packers won't have a considerable number of unrestricted free agents this offseason, they do have some key contributors slated to hit the market.

Rasheed Walker and Sean Rhyan are both multi-year starters along the offensive line and strong candidates for extensions. So is Quay Walker, a 2022 first-round pick whose fifth-year option was declined.

Despite missing time with a neck injury, Walker had a strong campaign with career-highs in tackles and quarterback pressures. Though not particularly reliable in coverage, Walker is an above-average starter and only 25 years old.

Kingsley Enagbare has been a regular contributor on the edge, but Green Bay may be willing to let him walk while pushing younger players into the rotation. The Packers drafted Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver in the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively.

The Packers may also be willing to allow Romeo Doubs to sign elsewhere. Doing so would free up reps for rookies Matthew Golden and Savion Williams while probably earning Green Bay a comp pick.

Backup quarterback Malik Willis has been incredibly valuable to the Packers but may get a legitimate opportunity to start elsewhere.

Ultimately, Gutekunst may only bring back one or two key free agents and look to reload in the draft. Green Bay is currently projected to be over the 2026 salary cap.

Potential Free-Agent/Trade Targets

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

CB Martin Emerson Jr.

Realistically, the Packers aren't likely to be major players in the free-agent or trade markets when the offseason opens on March 11. Gutekunst has typically preferred to build through the draft, though he's been a bit more aggressive in the last couple of offseasons.

In 2024, the Packers spent big to land running back Josh Jacobs and safety Xavier McKinney. They added guard Aaron Banks this past offseason before making the Parsons trade.

The Parsons deal cost Green Bay its first-round draft picks in 2026 and 2027. He signed a four-year, $186 million extension upon his arrival, though his cap hit will be just $19.2 million in 2026. The Packers also claimed Trevon Diggs off waivers just before the end of the regular season, and they can save $15.5 million in cap space by releasing him in the spring.

Gutekunst probably won't seek another blockbuster trade in the immediate future, but he could target players on expiring deals, like cornerback Jakorian Bennett or edge-rusher Keion White.

Big-name free agents will probably be off the table too, though budget-friendly players like center Ted Karras, offensive tackle D.J. Humphries, cornerback Martin Emerson Jr., and edge-defender Joe Tryon-Shoyinka could make sense as depth pieces.

If Willis departs, the Packers will probably be in the market for a veteran backup. 2023 fifth-round pick Clayton Tune is the No. 3 QB behind Jordan Love and Willis, and he's only on a one-year deal.

Expect quarterbacks like Trey Lance and Gardner Minshew to interest the Packers as Love's next understudy.

Draft Targets

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Michigan CB prospect Jyaire Hill

Expect Gutekunst to try filling Green Bay's biggest needs over draft weekend, which will begin on April 23. While the Packers won't have their first-round selection, due to the Parsons trade, they will have eight overall picks.

The offensive and defensive lines are likely to be priorities for the Packers, assuming Jenkins and Rhyan aren't both retained. Cornerback will be another position to target, even if Green Bay picks up depth before the draft.

Don't be surprised if Gutekunst moves up in Round 2 for a prospect like Georgia defensive lineman Christen Miller or Indiana cornerback D'Angelo Ponds. In the past, Gutekunst has been willing to go up and get prospects he likes, including Love.

If Green Bay stays near the bottom of Round 2, Michigan cornerback Jyaire Hill might be an ideal target. The Wolverines standout would be a fine fit in defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley's scheme.

"Hill has the tools and movement skills to excel in any scheme he plays, thanks to his growing technical ability, aggressiveness, and a 'next play' mentality that all corners need to succeed," Daniel Harmsof the B/R Scouting Department wrote. "He blows up screens with quick trigger and play recognition, navigating under and around blocks with a finisher's aggression."

Prospects like Florida center Jake Slaughter, Ohio State cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr., Alabama defensive lineman Tim Keenan III, and Boston College offensive tackle Jude Bowry should also interest Green Bay on Day 2.

On Day 3, the Packers will likely target players who can provide depth while preparing for future roles. Prospects like Kansas State interior lineman Sam Hecht, Auburn tackle Xavier Chaplin, Cincinnati defensive tackle Dontay Corleone, and Penn State cornerback A.J. Harris should draw attention early on Saturday.

Three of Green Bay's selections will come in the final round.

*Cap, contract and free-agent status information via Spotrac. Draft information via Tankathon