Matt Johnson
The Green Bay Packers are widely viewed as one of the best teams in the National Football League entering the summer ahead of the 2026 NFL season. While many believe this team can contend for the Lombardi Trophy, that doesn’t necessarily mean those inside the league view the Packers roster as being loaded with stars.
ESPN is releasing its annual top-10 positional list at each spot, with NFL executives, scouts and coaches polled on the best players at each position. Here’s a breakdown on how Packers’ stars fared on said lists. If a starter isn’t excluded, they didn’t make either the top 10 or the honorable mentions.
Jordan Love: Honorable Mention
Evidently, the majority of NFL personnel polled by ESPN aren’t particularly high on Packers quarterback Jordan Love. Not only did he finish outside the top-10 in voting, but he even seemed to place behind Sam Darnold and Jayden Daniels in the ‘honorable mentions’ section.
“I don’t think he gets enough credit for playing the position consistently well, and he has got the athletic traits to match it.”
Anonymous NFC scout on Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love
That’s hard to explain considering that Love ranked second in Adjusted EPA per Play (0.289) last season and posted the seventh-best Success Rate (51.4 percent). Putting him behind Caleb Williams also feels inexcusable considering how the two career resumes compare.
Josh Jacobs: Honorable Mention
Josh Jacobs ranks 11th among the highest-paid running backs in the NFL this season ($12 million AAV) and it’s safe to say many around the league believe the Packers are receiving modest value on the deal. Jacobs finished atop ESPN‘s honorable mention list, just behind Breece Hall in 10th place.
“Still a really quality back but has probably slowed down slightly. Can still hit singles and doubles but not a lot of home runs as far as explosive plays. Still really good between the tackles.”
Anonymous NFC executive on Green Bay Packers RB Josh Jacobs
Jacobs, who replaced fan-favorite Aaron Jones ahead of the 2024 NFL season, has amassed 2,258 rushing yards with 30 total touchdowns and averaged 4.2 yards per carry during his time with Green Bay. Heading into his age-28 season and facing legal issues, it wouldn’t be a surprise if this is his last season with the Packers.
Tucker Kraft: 6th
Even coming off an ACL tear suffered in Week 9 against the Carolina Panthers, top minds around the league view Tucker Kraft as one of the best NFL tight ends in 2026. ESPN‘s panel of coaches, scouts and executives voted Kraft as the sixth-best player at his position right now. We are a bit surprised, however, that Kraft was ranked below Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (fourth) given that LaPorta put up worse numbers in nine games and is also coming off a serious injury.
“His speed and [run-after-catch] ability really stand out. He was just scratching the surface before the injury. And he’s a high-level blocker.”
Anonymous NFC executive on Green Bay Packers TE Tucker Kraft
Kraft demonstrated in 2025 why he can be one of the most dangerous playmakers at his position. Across eight games, he totaled 489 receiving yards (15.3 yards per reception) with six touchdowns. Even more impressive, per PlayerProfiler.com, Kraft ranked second in yards per route run (2.56), third in first downs per route run (0.115) and he had the eighth-most yards after catch (344) among tight ends despite missing half the season. Fortunately for Green Bay, Kraft is on track to be a full-go for Week 1.
Micah Parsons: 2nd
There’s a reason the Packers, who have held the draft-and-develop philosophy for decades, gave up a pair of first-round picks to acquire Micah Parsons and then made him one of the league’s highest-paid players. Even after tearing his ACL in December, scouts and coaches voted Parsons as the second-best edge rusher in the NFL entering 2026.
“There are two guys that never really get blocked in the NFL, and it’s those two guys — Myles and Micah. You do what you can with movements and quick game, and it’s not enough.”
Anonymous NFL coordinator on Green Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons
Let’s allow the numbers to speak for themselves. In 2025, Parsons tied for the second-highest ESPN pass-rush win rate (23 percent) among edge rushers and he was double-teamed (37.8 percent of the time) far more than any of his peers. Even with so much attention being paid to him by offensive play-callers, quarterbacks and offensive linemen, Parsons still recorded 48 pressures, 27 QB hits, 12.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss in 14 games. Let’s also keep in mind that Green Bay limited his snaps early on. If he can return fully healthy, Parsons is capable of being the best defensive player in the NFL.
Xavier McKinney: TBD
We’re preserving a spot for Xavier McKinney even with ESPN’s list of the top 10 safeties not set to be released until Thursday, July 16. Why? It’s crazy to think NFL scouts, executives and coaches don’t view him as one of the best safeties in the league. McKinney might not have replicated his first-team All-Pro season from 2024 (8 interceptions and 11 pass deflections), but he still earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2025. Entering his age-28 season, we expect more INTs from McKinney this fall.
