The Packers and Film

The Packers enter the 2026 offseason after a dreadful and disappointing end to the season. With five straight losses, including a playoff loss to the division rival Chicago Bears, the Packers have a lot of needs to address. Here is the team’s biggest needs.

Cornerback

On a consistent basis throughout the season, the secondary for the Packers underperformed. Even after acquiring Nate Hobbs in free agency a year ago, the cornerback core did not see much improvement and struggled throughout the season. That was evident in the playoff game against the Chicago Bears, where the Packers defense gave up 361 passing yards and 2 passing touchdowns. Earlier in the season, with Micah Parsons and the pash rush playing incredibly well, that hid a lot of the problems in the secondary. However, after Micah Parsons got injured, the holes became incredibly apparent. I think the best name to get is Jamel Dean, who will be entering free agency after a great 2025 season with the Bucs, where he was one of the most efficient corners in the NFL. Some other great additions include Dee Alford, Chidobe Awuzie, Avonte Maddox, and Nahshon Wright.

Offensive Line

Throughout the season, the Packers dealt with multiple injuries to their offensive line. Players like Zach Tom, Elgton Jenkins, and Jordan Morgan dealt with injuries throughout the year, and some of the backups, like Sean Rhyan, were inconsistent and struggled. Getting some depth to the offensive line, as well as some more competent starters, could help the offense as a whole, but specifically Jordan Love. The more time he has to throw each snap, the more effective he will be each game. The top offensive lineman available in free agency this year is center Tyler Linderbaum. Linderbaum is an All-Pro center, one of the best in the league at his position, and he’s only 25. It is incredibly rare for an offensive lineman of his caliber to be available in free agency, so I believe he is a must sign for the Packers. Outside of Linderbaum, some of the other offensive lineman I believe the Packers should go after are Jonah Williams, Connor McGovern, Joel Bitonio, and Braden Smith. Bitonio in particular would be great, as he is 34 and has played 11 seasons in the NFL. The Packers are one of the youngest offenses in the NFL, and having a guy like Bitonio would be good to act as a mentor to the rest of the offensive line.

Wide Receiver

Ever since Devante Adams left, the Packers have struggled at the wide receiver position. For the past two years, the unit has been in the top five in most dropped passes in the NFL. On top of that, guys like Jayden Reed and Christian Watson have struggled with injuries, and one of the Packers other top targets, tight end Tucker Kraft, went out with a torn ACL halfway through last season. Having a top receiver will help give the team more stability at the position, will help open things up for the other receivers on the team, and give Jordan Love a steady target he can look for each time he goes to pass. The top wide receiver in this free agency is easily Alec Pierce. Over the past two seasons, Pierce have averaged over 20 yards per reception, one of the best in the league, and he is only 26. He would be a great addition to the Packers, and would give Love a deep threat target he has been looking for. Some of the other wide receivers the Packers should go after are Rashid Shaheed, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Jauan Jennings.

Kicker

One of the biggest factors for the Packers losing the wild card playoff game against the Bears was the inconsistent play of kicker Brandon McManus. McManus missed two field goals and an extra point, which equals an entire touchdown. McManus struggled throughout the season, going 24 of 30 for the season, and hitting only 42% of his kicks between 40 and 49 yards. The inconsistent play of McManus contributed to several tough losses for the Packers. Getting a new kicker would help the Packers be able to “take the points” in several situations they haven’t been able to. At the very least, the Packers need to bring in a new kicker to compete with McManus. Some of the kickers the Packers could bring in include Eddie Piniero, Nick Folk, Matt Prater, and Joey Slye.

The Packers are in a good spot. Before the injuries to end the year, they were the second seed in the playoffs and were talked about as a Super Bowl contender. If they get the players back from injury and if they can make the additions and fix these positions, they will be in a much better place, and will be primed for a Super Bowl run.