A lot of people have been clamoring for a new punt returner for the Green Bay Packers, so I decided to take a look at the upcoming draft class to see what’s available. It became clear to me early on that the best candidate for the job was Baylor’s Josh Cameron, a 6-foot-1, 223-pound receiver (proven at the Senior Bowl). First, though, I want to show off my work.
With rare exceptions, at the NFL level, punt returners come as running backs, receivers, or defensive backs. According to the consensus draft board, there are 103 draftable players (top 256) at these positions in the next class. Of those 103 players, only 27 have ever returned a kick at the college level, according to College Football Reference.
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Of those 27 players, eight are unlikely to be the Packers’ No. 1 pick in the 2026 class because they are top-40 prospects in that class.
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#6 S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
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#9 WR Jordin Tyson, Arizona State
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#11 CB Mansour Deline, LSU
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#15 CB Jermaine McCoy, Tennessee
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#25 WR Denzel Boston, Washington
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#26 WR Kevin Concepcion, Texas A&M
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#39 WR Zacharias Branch, Georgia
Based on draft stock alone, these players are irrelevant to the Packers (at least at this point). As we’ve written before, it’s unlikely that projected top-40 picks will still be available when the 52nd overall pick arrives (which will be Green Bay’s first selection in the draft) unless they have character or injury red flags. The Packers don’t dip into these areas very often either (the most recent red flag I can recall is Devonte Wyatt in 2022, and the most recent known injury red flag is Vince Biegel in 2017). Overall, Green Bay is conservative in both areas.
From here, let’s make some cuts to the dimensions.
The running back is easy to talk about. Green Bay likes their linebackers in the 220-pound range (see: Josh Jacobs, Emmanuel Wilson, Chris Brooks, AJ Dillon) as they are aggressively trying to build their team around being able to run the ball inside. I don’t think this will change in 2026. The only draftable running back to catch a punt at the college level is Pittsburgh’s Desmond Reid, who is 5-foot-6 and 162 pounds. Definitely not a Packers type player.
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At receiver, the LaFleur-era Packers are looking to get over 200 pounds (actually more in the 210 range) at the receiver position, even in the slot. Green Bay looks to win blocks on the outside and use receivers as insert players when needed, almost like a tight end.
From this perspective, the following receivers with punt return experience would not be a good fit:
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Antonio Williams, Clemson (5-foot-11, 190 pounds, estimated by NFL Draft scouts)
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Brennan Thompson, Mississippi State (5’9”, 170 lbs.)
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Eric Rivers, Georgia Tech (5-foot-9, 185, verified)
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Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri (5’11”, 174, verified)
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Aaron Anderson, LSU (5-foot-8, 177, verified)
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Barion Brown, LSU (5’11, 176, verified)
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Vinny Anthony II, Wisconsin (6’0”, 185, verified)
For the Packers, these will be slot-only players, and much like the way LaFleur used the receiver position, they aren’t even top picks. With Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden already filling “small receiver” roles in the offense, Green Bay is unlikely to give up another 53-man roster spot (as well as a 48-man game-day spot) to back up a backup receiver. (I’m giving some grace to passing receiver sizes, which we’ll discuss.)
At cornerback, the Packers also have very specific needs at the position. If you haven’t figured it out yet, Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst learned from Ted Thompson, Ted Thompson learned from Ron Wolfe, and Ron Wolfe learned from the ultimate height-weight-speed evaluator, Al Davis. Overall, the team wants to go bigger.
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Not since Thompson have the Packers drafted a cornerback shorter than Indiana’s DeAngelo Pounds (estimated at 5-foot-9, 173 pounds) or USC’s DJ Harvey (estimated at 5-foot-10, 188 pounds). They also likely won’t be in the slot this year, with Javon Bullard, Nate Hobbs, Kitan Oladapo and Keisean Nixon under contract through 2026. Miami corner Keionte Scott (5’11, 195) is already a full-time slot player at the college level, so that’s another name on our list.
The last one I want to eliminate is Oregon State safety Dillon Thieneman, who is projected to be the 44th overall pick in this class. I can’t imagine Green Bay handing over their second-round pick to a safety when Xavier McKinney, Bullard, Evan Williams and Oladapo are all under contract. If this happens, riots may occur.
So, who are we left with? These seven players were not on our original list of 103 running backs, receivers and defensive backs:
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Consensus Committee Ranking No. 41: Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
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#55: Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama
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#97: Jalon Kilgore, S, South Carolina
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#104: CJ Daniels, WR, Miami
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#170: Josh Cameron, WR, Baylor
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#246: Skylar Thomas, S, Oregon State
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#247: Lewis Bond, WR, Boston College
Johnson (6-foot-0, 190 pounds, verified), Bernard (6-foot-0, estimated 204 pounds) and Bond (5-foot-11, 197 pounds, verified) are all on the borderline for what Green Bay is looking for from a height or weight standpoint, but if we were just going to make a watch list, I’d make the connection with the runner.
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Here are the career statistics for these players as punt returners:
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Johnson: 2 punt returns, 0 yards
For perspective, the single-season punt return leader at the collegiate level in 2025 is Toledo’s Bryson Hammer (Fire Alert) with 30. The only veteran punt returner who fits the Packers’ offensive or defensive specs (and roster situation) is Cameron.
I’ve been talking for years about the impact that wanting big receivers has on the punt return game. In August, I wrote “Why the Packers are having a hard time getting better at punt returns,” and the main point was that the average receiver in LaFleur’s era was about 6-foot-0 and 208 pounds, while the league average punt returner was 5-foot-9 and 183 pounds. That’s why it was easy to spot Savion Williams as a Packers-type receiver months before the draft.
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To save you heartbreak, if you want to take advantage of the prospect of a rookie punt returner arriving and saving the world, take Cameron. There are a few other punt returners in this class, such as Iowa’s Kaden Wetjen (who measured just under 5-foot-9, 195 pounds at the Shrine Bowl and has shorter hands and wingspan). From an offensive standpoint, though, this team would actually like Cameron. He’s the only one in this class where the team’s approach to drafting and development, what they want to do on offense/defense, and the need for a punt returner can overlap.