In the 13th of a 32-part series, we are featuring all National Football League teams with a prediction of where each team will finish within their division, key off-season acquisitions and their top fantasy stars. Here are the Green Bay Packers.
Key Off Season Acquisitions
The Packers had two significant acquisitions on defense in the offseason. They signed defensive tackle Javon Hargrave of Salisbury, North Carolina to a two-year contract worth $23 million and acquired linebacker Zaire Franklin of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts for defensive lineman Colby Wooden on March 11.
Hargrave is joining his fifth NFL franchise after four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2016 to 2019), three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles (2020 to 2022), two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers (2023 and 2024), and one season with the Minnesota Vikings (2025). This past season with the Vikings, Hargrave had 52 combined tackles (18 solo tackles and 34 assisted tackles), four tackles for a loss, six quarterback hits, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. The forced fumble and fumble recovery came in a 31-0 Vikings shutout win over the Washington Commanders on December 7.
Franklin spent the last eight seasons with the Colts. In 2024, he was selected to the Pro Bowl and led the NFL with 173 combined tackles. In 2025, Franklin had 125 combined tackles (62 solo tackles and 63 assisted tackles), seven tackles for a loss, six quarterback hits, five pass deflections, two sacks and one forced fumble. The first sack came in a 40-6 Colts win over the Las Vegas Raiders on October 5, and the second sack came in a 31-25 Colts overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons on November 9.
Fantasy Star
Tucker Kraft of Timber Lake, South Dakota is the fifth ranked tight end in fantasy football. Last year he had 30 catches for 469 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Kraft missed half the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered against the Carolina Panthers.
Projected Finish
The Packers had high hopes heading into the 2025 NFL season after acquiring defensive end Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys. That excitement came crashing down when he tore his ACL against the Denver Broncos. Now, Parsons could miss the first half of the 2026 NFL season. As a result, expect the Packers to finish in second place in the NFC North behind the Detroit Lions.
