{"id":180332,"date":"2026-04-26T03:19:51","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T03:19:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=180332"},"modified":"2026-04-26T03:19:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T03:19:51","slug":"green-bay-drops-bombshell-packers-officially-select-chris-mcclellan-in-2026-draft-get-to-know-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=180332","title":{"rendered":"GREEN BAY DROPS BOMBSHELL: Packers Officially Select Chris McClellan in 2026 Draft \u2014 Get to Know Him…"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Green Bay Packers didn\u2019t just draft Chris McClellan in the third round. They traded a fifth-round pick to make it happen.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

GREEN BAY, Wis.<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 The Green Bay Packers didn\u2019t just draft Chris McClellan in the third round. They traded a fifth-round pick to make it happen.<\/p>\n

Just how much did general manager Brian Gutekunst like the Missouri defensive tackle? Enough to consider taking him in the second round before ultimately trading up from No. 84 to No. 77 to secure McClellan in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\u201cWe really had a few players with that first pick at 52 that we liked, and it was kind of a tough decision there,\u201d Gutekunst said at the end of Day 2 on Friday, a night that also included cornerback Brandon Cisse in the second round. \u201cAnd then a couple of them hung around and we tried to get one, and we did.\u201d<\/p>\n

How Chris McClellan Fits the Packers<\/h2>\n

The Packers\u2019 move to a new defensive scheme meant filling a new position. Green Bay needed a big, tough defensive lineman to man the nose tackle position in defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon\u2019s 3-4 scheme.<\/p>\n

The Packers are betting that McClellan \u2014 a naturally massive presence at 6-foot-3 7\/8 and 313 pounds with 34-inch arms \u2014 can be that player to anchor the run defense.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\u201cHe certainly can,\u201d director of football operations Milt Hendrickson said. \u201cThe thing I like most about Chris is the versatility. He can play the nose, he can play the three, in some of our base (with) some of our big-end stuff, he can do that, as well. He\u2019s just one of those guys that I think, even though he\u2019s four years in college, he\u2019s still scratching the surface a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

McClellan agreed with that assessment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can play anywhere across the line, and that\u2019s what I\u2019m willing to do,\u201d he said. \u201cWherever they need me to go, I\u2019ll go and play and contribute and just help the team in whatever way I can. I don\u2019t care if I have to be a zero, nose or a five technique. Wherever I can go to play and help the team is where I want to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

There were other defensive tackle prospects on the board that Gutekunst could have drafted without sacrificing a fifth-round pick. It was McClellan\u2019s ability to rush the passer \u2014 he recorded six sacks as a senior \u2014 that \u201cset him apart a little bit for us,\u201d the GM said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think as the third round wore on,\u201d Gutekunst added, \u201che was kind of sticking out there like a sore thumb. You know what I mean? He was like, \u2018That\u2019s the highest guy. Let\u2019s go get him.’\u201d<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

Potential Concerns?<\/h2>\n

For what it\u2019s worth \u2014 and it might be worth nothing at all \u2014 the media pundits didn\u2019t agree with the assessment. Only NFL Network\u2019s Daniel Jeremiah, who had McClellan ranked as the No. 77 prospect, had him ranked anywhere near where he was drafted.<\/p>\n

The media scouts pointed to inconsistent play, pad-level issues, and his inability at times to get off blocks.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

However, McClellan is a young player in terms of age (22) and experience. He didn\u2019t start playing defensive tackle until he arrived at Florida in 2022. That means there are lessons to be learned through experience \u2014 and perhaps significant untapped upside.<\/p>\n

After trading away Colby Wooden, the Packers had a major need for a run-stopping defensive tackle. Can McClellan contribute immediately?<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a big man,\u201d Hendrickson said. \u201cYou\u2019ll see him, he\u2019s broad shoulders, long arms. He certainly can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What Else Could They Have Done?<\/h2>\n

The Packers traded up to No. 77 to get a defensive tackle. And they could have taken a different one \u2014 Iowa State\u2019s Domonique Orange. Was that the right decision? Well, they\u2019re going to find out twice a year when they face the Vikings, who drafted Orange at No. 82.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

What about the long-term need at receiver? Two players who the Packers hosted on \u201c30\u201d visits \u2014 Tennessee\u2019s Chris Brazzell II and Georgia State\u2019s Ted Hurst \u2014 went at No. 83 to the Panthers and No. 84 to the Buccaneers, respectively.<\/p>\n

Green Bay also needs depth on the offensive line and bypassed Florida\u2019s Austin Barber (No. 86 to the Browns), Texas A&M\u2019s Trey Zuhn (No. 91 to the Raiders), Iowa\u2019s Gennings Dunker (No. 96 to the Steelers) and Northwestern\u2019s Caleb Tiernan (No. 97 to the Vikings).<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

For now, the Packers are all-in on their man. And McClellan is excited to get started.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, I know just a little bit\u201d about Green Bay, he said. \u201cI know it\u2019s one of the most legendary franchises in the league, and I know the expectation is to win games year in and year out. That\u2019s pretty much what I know. I know they\u2019ve had great success with defensive linemen in the past with guys like \u2014 I know he\u2019s not there anymore, but Kenny Clark and things like that. Just wanting to go in there and learn from all the guys there and try to soak up as much knowledge as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Green Bay Packers didn\u2019t just draft Chris McClellan in the third round. They traded a fifth-round pick to make it happen. GREEN BAY, Wis.\u00a0\u2013 The Green… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":180333,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-180332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\nGREEN BAY DROPS BOMBSHELL: Packers Officially Select Chris McClellan in 2026 Draft \u2014 Get to Know Him... - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=180332\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"GREEN BAY DROPS BOMBSHELL: Packers Officially Select Chris McClellan in 2026 Draft \u2014 Get to Know Him... - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Green Bay Packers didn\u2019t just draft Chris McClellan in the third round. 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