As the 2026 NFL Draft approaches, news of pre-draft, or ‘30’ visits is filtering in regularly, with the 16 Packers visits already reported from various sources.
These are important to keep track of, as in Brian Gutekunst’s tenure as general manager, prospects who come to Green Bay for visits end up on the team at one point or another at a pretty high clip.
Of the 216 players who were reported to have visited with the Packers between 2018 and 2025, 48 of them eventually found their way to Green Bay, which is a rate of 22.22%, almost one in four.
That comprises 26 draft picks, eight UDFA signings and 14 who joined Green Bay later. In 2025, five Packers picks were visitors: Matthew Golden, Anthony Belton, Savion Williams, Micah Robinson and John Williams. Taylor Elgersma signed as a UDFA and Dalton Cooper joined later.
In Ted Thompson’s days as GM, pre-draft visits were often used as a recruitment tool for potential UDFA targets, and this is a process Gutekunst has continued on.
This year though, there has been a noticeable uptick in those types of visits.
Of the 26 players who were confirmed to have visited with the Packers last year, five were ranked outside of the top 275 players on the consensus big board. In 2026, there are already nine such players from just 16 reported visits so far. Those players are:
There are over 700 players on the consensus board, and only 257 will get drafted. Having three players in for visits who are not even among the top 700 or so speaks to how committed Green Bay has been to using their visits for UDFA recruiting this year.
It is possible at least one of the players listed ends up as a Packers draft pick. They took Williams and Robinson in the 7th round a year ago, with Williams ranked 279th on the consensus board and Robinson not ranked at all.
This aggressive approach to the UDFA class makes sense for a team entering the draft with only seven total picks, their fewest since 2016, and no 1st round pick after trading for Micah Parsons on the eve of the 2025 season.
Their highest ranked visitor so far has been Georgia defensive tackle Christen Miller, who is 47th on the consensus board, followed by Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. (70), Texas Tech pass rusher Romello Height (75) and Georgia state receiver Ted Hurst (77).
The 2026 draft is not believed to be a strong one, particularly near the top. While there are plenty of good prospects to be found in the middle and late rounds, Green Bay’s heavy usage of visits on potential UDFA signings may also signal their lack of interest in the class as a whole.
More likely though, their lack of draft picks may simply mean they are set to be big players in undrafted free agency to add depth to the roster, having lost more players than they added at the start of the new league year via free agency, cuts and trades.
Either way, all signs point to the Packers being very active once the draft ends.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers leaning heavily on UDFA recruitment with 30 visits in 2026
Reporting by Mark Oldacres, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
