The Green Bay Packers will not be a part, at least for the moment, of the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The team doesn’t have any first-rounders, so unless they trade up, they’ll be watching as spectators.
The Packers are one of six teams that don’t have a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They opted to trade that pick last year in a deal with the Cowboys that landed Micah Parsons with the Cheeseheads.
That pick turned out to be pick number 20 in this year’s first round. It’s safe to say the Packers must feel relatively good, given that Parsons is one of the few truly elite players in the NFL, which is worth way more than a 20th pick. That’s said despite the fact that Parsons tore his ACL last season.
Parsons’ return date with the Packers
Micah Parsons tore his ACL on December 14th, 2025. While it’s not been confirmed when he will return, the hopeful think he could be back for Week 1. However, the more realistic target is for Parsons to return in Week 3 or Week 4 of the 2026 NFL season.
Micah Parsons #1 of the Green Bay Packers
Parsons was wrecking havoc before falling down to the injury. In 2025, Parsons had 12.5 sacks, 41 combined tackles, and 27 QB hits in 14 games. Despite the injury, he ended up third in Defensive Player of the Year votes.
What will the Cowboys do with the 20th pick?
It’s just the fourth time in history that the Cowboys have two or more top 20 picks in the NFL Draft. The Cowboys first had that privilege in 1975, then 1991, and more recently in 2005. They used five of those picks in defensive players, and traded another one for more draft capital. These are the teams that have multiple first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
While it’s pretty likely that their first pick will be used on defense, the 20th pick might be too. However, there’s also the possibility of taking an offensive tackle, or picking the best player available. That will depend on how the draft develops.
