Dane Brugler of The Athletic liked several of the picks made by the Green Bay Packers during the 2026 NFL draft, but the author of “The Beast” draft guide still ranked the Packers’ six-player draft class as the 26th best class out of the 32 NFL teams.
Why did Brugler rank the Packers so low? His introduction to the rankings provides an important clue: “Naturally, teams that made multiple first-round picks or a larger volume of picks have a better chance of being higher on this list.”
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The Packers didn’t have a first-round pick and had to wait until the 52nd pick in the second round to take a player, and due to two trades up the board, Brian Gutekunst ended up selecting only six players. No premium pick and a lack of volume probably doomed the Packers for Brugler (and many other analysts instantly grading the draft).
Brugler highlighted fourth-round pick Dani Dennis-Sutton as his favorite pick in the Packers’ class.
“Brandon Cisse was a quality pick (especially outside the top 50), and Chris McClellan should be a solid role player for a long time. But Dennis-Sutton’s value at No. 120 makes him my favorite of the Packers’ haul. Although he doesn’t perform up to his testing numbers, he is a commanding presence who plays with force on defense and special teams (blocked three punts in 2025).”
His Day 3 pick who would surprise was fifth-round pick Jager Burton.
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“The Packers have an established starting five on the offensive line, but Burton started double-digit games at both guard and center in college and will be an immediate swing lineman on the interior.”
Despite not having a first-round pick, the Packers picked two players inside Brugler’s top 70 players — Cisse (No. 45) and Dennis-Sutton (No. 60). In the third round, the Packers traded up for Chris McClellan, bypassing Domonique Orange, Brugler’s No. 64 player. Still, Brugler ranked McClellan as a third- or fourth-round pick, so his selection at No. 77 was in line with the ranking.
The Packers also took Burton over Brian Parker II, a center Brugler ranked as a likely fourth-round pick.
Cornerback Domani Jackson, a sixth-round pick, was right in line with Brugler’s ranking. So was kicker Trey Smack, who Brugler ranked as the top kicker in the class and a likely sixth-round pick. The Packers took him with the last pick in the sixth round.
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This doesn’t look like a case of Brugler not liking the players the Packers picked, but instead an acceptance of the reality: the Packers didn’t have a first-round pick, meaning there was no premium player in the class, and two trade-ups meant the Packers lacked volume in picks.
The Detroit Lions had Brugler’s top class in the NFC North, ranking 14th. The Chicago Bears ranked 19th, while the Minnesota Vikings fell below the Packers at No. 29. The Cleveland Browns had Brugler’s favorite class; the Jacksonville Jaguars ranked 32nd.
