With linebacker depth uncertain, Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr. offers explosive athleticism and game-wrecking potential for the Green Bay Packers' second-round strategy.
It may feel a bit too early to start thinking about the 2026 NFL Draft, but mock draft season will be upon us before you know it. In fact, for many fans, mock draft season started the minute the Green Bay Packers' 2025 season ended.
A lot is going to happen between now and April 23rd, when the draft kicks off in Pittsburgh. Right now, the Packers don't have a first-round pick, and they'll start their selections with pick No. 52, which is in the second round.
Not having a first-rounder in the 2026 and 2027 NFL Drafts was part of the price the Packers paid for getting Micah Parsons. They gave a lot to get a lot back in return, and that's just part of the reality general manager Brian Gutekunst will have to work with unless he's able to swing another trade and somehow get back into the first round.
So who should the Packers target in Round 2 and beyond? There are going to be a ton of names thrown around and many of them will be great picks.
Previous Green Bay Packers 2026 NFL Draft Previews:
Iowa offensive lineman Genning Dunker:
Iowa State defensive lineman Domonique Orange:
Texas defensive back Malik Muhammad:
Arizona State defensive back Keith Abney II:
Texas Tech Red Raiders DL Lee Hunter:
Northwestern Wildcats OL Caleb Tiernan:
Getting to know Texas Longhorns LB Anthony Hill Jr.
Oct 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. (0) celebrates during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.The Packers could find themselves with an immediate need at outside linebacker if Quay Walker ends up leaving for more money in free agency, and that's even with the trade for Zaire Franklin.
The Packers could replace Walker with veteran Isaiah McDuffie or 2023 third-round pick Ty'Ron Hopper.
They could also go into the draft and pick up a linebacker who could become a superstar right away for them, especially playing next to Edgerrin Cooper and Franklin. That player would be Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., whom the Packers could select in the second round.
Hill fits everything Gutekunst looks for in a front-seven defender. He's got good size at 6-foot-3, 238 pounds and his athleticism is off the charts. He ran a 4.51 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and posted elite athleticism metrics in both the vertical jump and the broad jump.
It's not just athleticism, though. Hill is a straight-up game-wrecker. As a freshman at Texas, he tallied 67 tackles, five sacks a forced fumble and two passes defended. He followed that up with 113 tackles, eight sacks, four forced fumbles and an interception as a sophomore.
His numbers went down last season, but that's because he suffered a broken hand mid-season, which caused him to miss some games. He still finished with 70 tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles and two interceptions.
This is a player who can be dynamic in new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon's scheme. Again, projected next two Cooper, the Packers would have arguably the most athletic and explosive linebacker pairing in the NFL.
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