The Green Bay Packers selected a defensive tackle in the third round of the draft.
The Green Bay Packers traded up in the third round, sending the 84th and 160th picks to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 77th pick. With that pick, they selected defensive tackle Chris McClellan.
McClellan was one of the top defensive tackles in the draft class and fills a big need for Green Bay.
McClellan has played nose tackle before and could do so for Green Bay in 2026, as Devonte Wyatt and Javon Hargrave will be their pass rushers from the interior defensive line.
"The thing I like the most about Chris [McClellan] is the versatility. He can play the nose, can play the three- he’s still scratching the surface a little bit," Director of football operations Milt Hendrickson said about the selection.
General manager Brian Gutekunst has been aggressive in upgrading the defense this offseason. They traded for linebacker Zaire Franklin and signed Hargrave, and have now added McClellan and cornerback Brandon Cisse in the draft.
Without a first-round pick due to the Micah Parsons trade, it was pivotal to nail their first two selections.
They added arguably their two biggest needs and now have a talented defensive unit for new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon to inherit.
The Packers are in their Super Bowl window with Parsons and Jordan Love, and it's pivotal for Cisse and McClellan to come in and perform at a high level right away.
"We wouldn't have taken them this high if we didn't think they could help us right away", general manager Brian Gutekunst said about Cisse and McClellan.
McClellan is joining a defense that has the potential to be elite if everyone plays up to their potential in Gannon's system.
While the Packers may not have had many picks the first two nights of the draft, they took full advantage of the ones they did and will look to bring the Lombardi Trophy home in the 2026 season.
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