The Green Bay Packers spent the early portion of Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft doing what general manager Brian Gutekunst has built a reputation for: finding value in the middle rounds and addressing needs without reaching. The team made two selections in the sixth round on Saturday, first taking Alabama cornerback Domani Jackson with the 201st overall pick, then trading up with the Seattle Seahawks to select Florida kicker Trey Smack at No. 216 overall.
Both picks represent the kind of calculated roster building that defines the Packers' late-round approach: athletic traits with upside at a premium position, and a specialist who could provide immediate competition for a kicking job that has been unsettled for years.
Domani Jackson: A Cornerback With Measurables and a Journey
Jackson arrives in Green Bay as a 6-foot-¾, 195-pound cornerback whose college career followed an unconventional path. He began at USC, the program he committed to as a five-star prospect out of high school, before transferring to Alabama for the 2025 season. That move proved fruitful -- Jackson started 12 games for the Crimson Tide in 2025, recording 10 pass breakups and two interceptions while showing the kind of sticky coverage skills that made him a coveted recruit out of Santa Ana, California.
The measurables jump off the page. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Jackson ran the 40-yard dash in the 4.4-second range and posted a vertical jump over 38 inches. Those numbers, combined with his arm length and fluid hips, give him the physical profile of a potential outside cornerback who can match up with bigger receivers on the boundary. But there are reasons he lasted until the sixth round.
Jackson's tape is inconsistent. He can be overly reliant on his physical gifts, sometimes baiting quarterbacks into throws he can't quite finish on. His ball production has never matched his athletic profile, and there were games at Alabama where he was targeted heavily because offenses detected a tendency to get grabby downfield. He's also still developing in zone coverage, where his recognition skills need to catch up to his raw talent.
That said, the Packers have shown a consistent ability to develop cornerbacks with similar profiles. Their defensive backs coach has a track record of refining press technique and teaching route recognition. Jackson will benefit from a room that already includes a mix of veteran savvy and young competition. With Jaire Alexander still anchoring the secondary and a handful of younger players fighting for snaps, Jackson won't be asked to start immediately. He can learn, develop his technique, and carve out a role on special teams while he grows into a potential contributor on defense.
The value here is clear. A sixth-round pick with Jackson's physical traits is a worthy lottery ticket. If he cleans up his discipline and adds consistency to his coverage technique, the Packers could have found a rotational outside corner with starter potential. If he doesn't, the investment is minimal and the risk is low.
Trey Smack: A Kicker With a Strong Leg and a Big Opportunity
The Packers' decision to trade up for a kicker in the sixth round signals something important: the team is not satisfied with its current situation at the position. For years, Green Bay has cycled through kickers with mixed results, and the front office clearly wanted to use draft capital -- modest as it was -- to secure a player they believe can be the long-term answer.
Trey Smack was one of the most consistent kickers in the SEC over the past two seasons at Florida. He connected on 18 of 21 field goal attempts in 2025, including 3 of 4 from 50 yards and beyond. For his career with the Gators, he made 87.5 percent of his field goals, a number that would immediately be an upgrade over the Packers' recent kicking performances.
Smack's leg strength is a major selling point. He routinely hit kickoffs through the end zone, and his range on field goals appears to extend beyond 55 yards in the right conditions. That kind of weapon is increasingly valuable in the modern NFL, where teams are more willing to attempt long kicks and field position battles often hinge on a kicker's ability to dictate returns.
There are areas where Smack will need to prove himself at the professional level. He struggled slightly with pressure kicks in college -- his two misses in 2025 came in the fourth quarter of one-score games -- and he'll face a heightened mental challenge in Lambeau Field's notoriously tricky conditions. Wind and cold can amplify the difficulty of kicking in Green Bay, and the Packers' special teams unit will be tasked with helping Smack adjust to both the speed of the game and the elements.
But the Packers identified a need and acted decisively, trading up to ensure they got their guy. That move alone suggests the coaching staff and front office have confidence in Smack's ability to come in and compete for the starting job immediately. He will likely battle with the incumbent kicker in training camp, and the early edge might go to the rookie given the draft capital invested.
What These Picks Mean for the Packers' Roster
Taken together, the selections of Jackson and Smack illustrate the Packers' approach on Day 3: target premium positions and specialists, and don't be afraid to trade up if the value aligns.
Jackson adds depth behind Alexander and the team's other young corners. The Packers have been deliberate about stockpiling defensive backs with size and speed, and Jackson fits that mold. If he develops, he could become a key piece of the secondary rotation. If he doesn't, the team hasn't sacrificed much.
Smack, meanwhile, represents a bet that consistent kicking is worth spending a pick on. The league has seen the value of reliable specialists skyrocket in recent years, and the Packers are no exception. By trading up to secure Smack, the front office is signaling that they intend to fix a problem that has plagued the team for too long.
Gutekunst has made a habit of finding contributors in the sixth round. Whether Jackson and Smack join that list remains to be seen, but the intent is clear: build depth, address needs, and never stop competing.
The Packers still have one more pick remaining in the 2026 draft, and they'll look to add another player before the weekend concludes. But for now, the attention turns to development. Jackson will report to rookie minicamp eager to prove his college tape doesn't define his ceiling. Smack will arrive with a leg that can change the Packers' kicking fortunes overnight.
It's Day 3 -- the round where stars are rarely born, but contributors are always found. Green Bay just added two more lottery tickets. Now it's time to see if they pay off.