Matt Johnson
The Green Bay Packers head into NFL free agency knowing they will lose Malik Willis, Rasheed Walker, Romeo Doubs and Quay Walker. For general manager Brian Gutekunst, the balancing act will come with both trying to improve the roster while ensuring that the team remains well-positioned to receive compensatory picks in the 2027 NFL Draft.
With free agency around the corner, we’re examining some potential targets Green Bay can pursue.
Josh Jobe, Cornerback
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst admitted that cornerback is an area where the team needs to improve. However, without a first-round pick, any rookie brought in will be more of a developmental piece who might not see the field a ton in 2026. Immediate help is available in NFL free agency, albeit the club has limited financial flexibility to address the position.
Before winning a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks, Josh Jobe spent two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, including a season under defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon that he mostly spent learning from the sidelines. He played 65 percent of Philadelphia’s defensive snaps in 2024, allowing a 76.6 passer rating and 7.2 yards per target in coverage, and then allowed a 77.0 passer rating and 5.7 yards per target this past season while playing 78 percent of the Seahawks’ defensive snaps. He is a bit of a gamble, since his success has come with great talent around him, but he does offer the traits Green Bay likes, and he could challenge for a starting spot next season in a reunion with Gannon.
Roy Lopez, Nose Tackle
As impactful as Micah Parsons was for the defense of Green Bay this past season, nose tackle Kenny Clark was sorely missed. The team needs to find more help on the interior, especially with Jonathan Gannon taking over as the defensive play-caller. Fortunately for Brian Gutekunst and Gannon, there are a few options at nose in NFL free agency. Within the price range of the club, Roy Lopez stands out.
He spent last season with the Detroit Lions, setting career highs in quarterback hits (five) and sacks (two) while ranking 15th among interior defensive linemen in run defense grade (68.9), according to Pro Football Focus. Prior to that, Lopez spent two seasons playing 45 percent of the defensive snaps for the defense of Gannon in Arizona. He is a solid nose at 6-foot-2 and 312 pounds, and he would help restore what Green Bay lost on the interior when Clark was traded away.
Nakobe Dean, Off-Ball Linebacker
Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported this past week that Green Bay reached out to agents who have linebacker clients about to hit the open market during the NFL Combine, gauging the market for potential additions. Nakobe Dean could be an option, especially since Jonathan Gannon was the defensive coordinator in Philadelphia when the team selected him in the 2022 NFL Draft. Dean is undersized at 5-foot-11, but he is widely regarded as one of the best blitzing linebackers in the NFL. If Green Bay wants to find different ways to generate pressure in the first year back for Micah Parsons from an ACL tear—especially if Rashan Gary is released—Dean could be a target at off-ball linebacker.
Calais Campbell, Defensive Lineman
One theme with our list of potential Packers free agent targets is a connection between said player and defensive play-caller Jonathan Gannon. That also applies to Calais Campbell, who recorded 33 pressures, 16 quarterback hits, and 6.5 sacks last season in Arizona. Standing at 6-foot-8 and 315 pounds, Campbell is often used in a rotational role—he logged 524 snaps last season—as he now enters his age-40 season. With that said, he could be a very good situational pass rusher, and he is still making an impact on special teams.
Asante Samuel Jr, Cornerback
Before he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers late in the 2025 season, Asante Samuel Jr. had a visit with the Packers. He did not sign with the team, going on to play six games (three starts) with Pittsburgh. The medical risks are still there, but Green Bay’s height-weight-speed thresholds at cornerback already limit their options. If Gutekunst does not want to spend much at the position, perhaps a one-year deal with Samuel could be a nice risk-reward move for both parties.
