We're officially 28 days from the start of the 2026 NFL season for the Green Bay Packers. Whether you're ready or not, football season is here.
The Packers kick off their 2026 season against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Sept. 13, from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Talk about pressure. The Vikings are certainly in a transitional place as a franchise, but getting going against an NFC North foe ratchets up the intensity of this season from the get-go.
It's a big season for the Packers. There's a belief that they're in a Super Bowl window right now, which means every single game is important. That means the intensity will be there in Week 2 at MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets and it will certainly be there in Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons, when the Packers will play at Lambeau Field for the first time in 2026.
There's going to be a lot of proverbial ink spilled on this 2026 season and we here at PackersRoundtable hope that you spend as much time as possible with us talking about the ins and outs and ups and downs of the Packers.
As we prepare for the 2026 season, though, we're going to kick things off with a rankings series looking at the Top 50 Packers heading into the 2025 season.
At No. 28, we have offensive lineman Darian Kinnard
Ranking the Top 50 Packers Heading Into 2026: No. 28, Darian Kinnard
In an ideal world, Darian Kinnard is never heard from in 2026. That's the life of a swing tackle in the NFL. You're only wanted when you're needed, and if you're needed, that usually means something bad happened to a starter.
With that said, Kinnard is a very important player for the Packers this season. The 6-foot-5, 322-pound tackle was acquired via a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles right before the start of last season, and he's the most experienced depth player on the offensive line.
He started two games at right tackle and can also be used as a sixth offensive lineman who reports eligible. In fact, he caught a pass last season in the playoffs.
Kinnard can also play guard, so he's extremely valuable on the offensive line depth chart. There's a reason the Packers re-signed him this offseason to a one-year, $2.75 million contract rather than let him walk as a restricted free agent.
2025 Synopsis:
Kinnard played 285 snaps in 2025. He allowed 11 total pressures in pass protection, including one sack and two hits. He was penalized twice, and PFF gave him pass-blocking and run-blocking grades of 58.6 and 73.6, respectively.
Notable Quotables:
"So it's a blessing. He told me I was traded, and at that point I was like, 'All right, now we've just got to take it a day at a time.'" - Darian Kinnard
Projected Role in 2026:
Kinnard will be the first guy off the bench in injury situations or if the Packers decide they need to rotate players in and out, which they sometimes do. He'll also be used in the "reported eligible" role as an extra lineman.
Previous Rankings:
Previous Rankings: