5 lingering questions Packers still must answer before 2026 season
· Yahoo Sports
The NFL Draft is still to come, but based on the Green Bay Packers' transactions over the last couple of weeks, some insight has been gained into what the decision makers thought needed to change on the roster, and what their plans were for the solutions.
However, there are still some lingering questions to be answered between now and when the Packers open training camp, with some position groups not fully settled just yet.
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Are the Packers content at backup quarterback?
Brian Gutekunst has shown before that he will not settle for substandard backup quarterback play.
Ahead of the 2024 season, he traded for Malik Willis after Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt underwhelmed during the preseason. That turned out to be an important move in ensuring Green Bay made the playoffs in each of the last two seasons.
Right now, it will be Desmond Ridder and Kyle McCord battling for the QB2 spot. Ridder has experience as a starter in the NFL, but it was not overly positive. McCord was a draft pick of the Eagles just last year, but a franchise who likes to collect quarterbacks choosing to move on from him pretty quickly may not be a great sign.
There is still the potential for Gutekunst to add more competition, perhaps via a Day 3 draft pick. Whether that happens or not, this may be a ‘wait and see’ situation where the Packers let training camp play out before trying to make a move to upgrade the position if no one stands out.
Could changes be coming at wide receiver?
The Packers are very well stocked at wide receiver for the 2025 season, with a top six of Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Savion Williams and Skyy Moore. They also still have two-way player Bo Melton in the mix.
Based on the crowdedness of the room, there is not really space for Green Bay to draft someone and give them much of a chance to make the initial 53 as a rookie.
They might want to draft someone in order to reset the rookie contract timeline, with Watson, Reed and Wicks all out of contract at the end of the upcoming season. Watson should get re-signed, but the future of the other two remains up in the air.
With Green Bay not set to lose as many free agents overall next season, and their projected cap space giving them the option to spend, they are unlikely to be playing the compensatory pick game again. That means they probably will not get comp picks for Reed and Wicks if they walk.
With that in mind, could they be open to trading a receiver before the draft, either for a player or a pick which they could use to replace said receiver with a more cost-controlled one?
There was talk of Green Bay discussing a trade for Romeo Doubs last year, but the injuries at receiver nixed that idea. Wide receiver is a position to monitor.
What is the early-season pass rush plan?
Assuming Micah Parsons will at least miss Week 1, which he admitted is the more realistic scenario, the projected starters as of this moment are probably Lukas Van Ness and Barryn Sorrell. Are the Packers okay with that?
Sorrell contributed as a rookie and was impressive in the run game, but his pass rush win rate of 4.3% ranked 123rd out of 124 qualified edge defenders in 2025. Brenton Cox could also compete to start and has flashed in the past, but he missed most of last season, while Collin Oliver is never likely to be a full-time player at his size.
Whether it is another veteran or maybe even an early draft pick, the Packers could benefit from another legitimate option, initially to make up for Parsons’ absence, and then to complement him and the rest of Green Bay’s rushers when he returns.
How do the Packers address nose tackle?
Green Bay has been short of a true nose tackle since TJ Slaton left after the 2024 season. As they switch back to a 3-4 defense under Jonathan Gannon, they cannot get away with not having one anymore.
Javon Hargrave is not the answer to that issue, so it remains to be seen whether the Packers will look to the draft or the later throes of free agency to solve it.
It is worth remembering that in a world where teams are not in base very often, a nose tackle is not going to be a full-time starter, as they will often come off the field to be replaced by an extra defensive back.
Given that fact, it will be interesting to see if Gutekunst deems it necessary to invest a Day 2 draft pick in a nose tackle, or whether he is content to wait until Day 3, as he did with Slaton once upon a time.
Who are the starters at cornerback?
The only change at cornerback to start the offseason is the Packers swapping out last year’s failed free agent signing Nate Hobbs for another (much cheaper) bite at the apple in Benjamin St-Juste.
As things stand, Keisean Nixon is written in pen, not pencil into the starting lineup, St-Juste will be competing with Valentine for the other boundary spot, and Javon Bullard will continue in the slot.
St-Juste may have the edge over Valentine, who it seemed like the coaching staff wanted to bench late in the year due to his unreliable run defense.
Green Bay are almost certain to draft a corner with one of their first two draft picks though, and whoever that player is should have a great opportunity to compete for playing time right away. Eyes will be on the cornerback group in camp to see who comes out on top.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: 5 lingering questions Packers still must answer before 2026 season