The Green Bay Packers have a long history of keeping undrafted free agents on their roster. As one of the prototypical draft-and-develop organizations in the NFL, they are very good at finding those under-the-radar talents and turning them into top-quality contributors. That’s why each year after the draft, I love looking over the new batch of UDFAs, because there is a good chance a few of those players will see time on the field.
Green Bay has had particular luck in finding undrafted offensive linemen. Frank Winters, Evan Dietrich-Smith, Lane Taylor, Lucas Patrick, and Yosh Nijman are just a few of the players who have gone on to become full-time starters for the team after going undrafted. Patrick and Nijman were significant contributors on teams that won Super Bowl rings.
It seems every year the Packers are stashing away a young offensive lineman for depth with the hopes they turn into more with some seasoning. Donovan Jennings is the most recent example. He signed with Green Bay out of college in 2024. He lasted the entire season on the practice squad and then, with year-to-year improvement, made the 53-man roster out of camp in 2025. The Packers carried him all season.
This year’s group of undrafted offensive linemen includes three intriguing players. History suggests that there might be a spot on the active roster for the one who impresses the most during OTAs, training camp, and the preseason. That’s even more likely given that the team drafted just one O-lineman this time around.
After the draft, Green Bay brought in University of Illinois guard Josh Gesky, Auburn guard Dillon Wade, and Iowa State’s Dylan Barrett, who also primarily played guard in college. All three arrived in Green Bay with extensive experience and were still among the Packers’ priorities as the draft concluded. Gesky, in particular, received the largest guaranteed deal, with $215,000 in his rookie contract.
Gesky visited the Packers before the draft and comes to Green Bay with the highest pedigree among the three linemen. He started 34 games for the Illini in a career that spanned five seasons, and many pundits viewed him as a draftable player. One of the most notable, Dane Brugler, ranked him 23rd among guards in this year’s class and gave him a seventh-round grade.
The three-time All-Big Ten pick started 32 games at left guard and two at right guard. Having played over 2,200 snaps in his career, he could provide valuable depth immediately at both guard spots.
In 2025, he recorded just one sack and 12 total pressures while committing only one penalty. PFF awarded him a 72.5-overall grade for the year. While it’s not exactly apples to apples, it is worth noting that Green Bay’s starters from a season ago, Anthony Belton and Aaron Banks, had PFF grades of 49.7 and 53, respectively.
Dillon Wade comes to the Packers after registering a six-year college career across two programs, his first three at Tulsa, followed by three at Auburn. In his 55 career appearances, he racked up 45 starts across three different spots along the offensive line – 16 at left guard, five at right tackle, and 24 at left tackle.
Wade’s reliability and versatility are likely what appealed most to Green Bay’s brass when they decided to sign him, because he made 34 consecutive starts across those three spots. The Packers love versatile offensive linemen. Although Green Bay announced him as a guard after signing him, you can bet they will give him a run at all spots to see which is his best fit.
Iowa State’s Dylan Barrett is the final contender and has two things going against him right away. He’s on the older side at 24 and the least experienced of the three. Barrett’s biggest advantage is his size; measuring in at 6’5”, 326 lbs., he’s the biggest of the three.
The former Wisconsin Badger appeared in 13 games there before transferring to Iowa State, where he started 16 of the 20 games he played. Barrett is also the least versatile of the three, having played the majority of his career at left guard.
Fourteen of his 16 starts at Iowa State came at left guard, and he logged more than 300 snaps at the position in both 2024 and 2025. A backup offensive lineman in Green Bay needs to be able to play more than just one spot along the line. He will likely see significant reps at both guard spots throughout camp to gauge whether he’s active-roster worthy.
Whichever way it shakes out, each of these players has a legitimate shot to make the roster. With limited interior depth along the offensive line, the team is really just returning former fifth-rounder Jacob Monk and Donovan Jennings to the competition. Add in this year’s fifth-round pick, Jager Burton, and it’s likely the team carries three of these six players on the final roster.
Given Josh Gesky’s higher guarantee, it seems most logical that he would have the inside track, but versatility usually wins out. If Wade or Barrett show they can play center or maybe even tackle, as well as contribute on special teams, the roster spot could be theirs. The Packers have a 21-year streak of an undrafted free agent making the roster. My bet is it extends to 22 years, with one of these three landing on the squad in the regular season.
