Packers traded back into sixth round to draft Gators kicker

Wes Hodkiewicz

GREEN BAYTrey Smackisn't impervious to pressure.

He feels it each time he lines up for a kick, regardless of whether it's at the University of Florida practice field or inside a raucous 100,000-seat stadium in the Southeastern Conference.

But here's the thing: Smack loves it. Every part of it.

"I like to have fun with it," Smack said. "Pressure is fun to me."

That mindset, matched with a booming right leg, was too good for the Packers to pass on during the third and final day of the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday.

General Manager Brian Gutekunst sent both of Green Bay's seventh-rounders (Nos. 236 and 255) to Seattle in exchange for the final pick of the sixth round (216) to make Smack the only kicker selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.

He's just the fourth kicker the Packers have drafted in the last 36 years, joining Mason Crosby (2007), Brett Conway (1997) and Anders Carlson (2023). It's easy to see why.

The 6-foot-1, 188-pound kicker drilled 53 of 64 field goals (82.8%) at Florida, including a school-record 10 makes from beyond 50 yards on only 13 tries (77%). Smack also was remarkably consistent, making at least 80% of his field goals during each of his three seasons as the Gators' kicker.

When adversity hit, Smack proved he could adjust. After missing three kicks in a 55-0 win over LIU in the 2025 opener, Smack recalibrated and made 17 of 18 the rest of his senior year.

It earned him an admirer in new Packers special teams coordinator Cam Achord, who spoke with Smack in early March and offered rave reviews in pre-draft conversations with Gutekunst.

"We thought he was the best kicker in this draft," Gutekunst said. "And Cam had a very strong opinion about that, as did I, and I thought it felt fortunate to be able to acquire him."

Surrounded by family, Smack was hopeful that he would get drafted Saturday but prepared for all potential outcomes. The fact Green Bay thought enough of him to trade up for his services brings Smack back to his roots in many ways.

A native of Severna Park, Md., Smack knows what it's like to kick in the snow and looks forward to getting back into a "cold-weather rhythm" with the Packers.

It doesn't hurt to have a powerful kicking leg, especially in today's NFL. He gained some internet buzz in late March for making a 65-yard field goal at his Florida pro day.

"If Coach wants to send me out there for a 63-yarder, I'm not gonna back down and be like 'No, I can't make that,'" Smack said. "We'll be realistic. There will be some days when there's a heavy wind and I'll have to say, 'Hey, I'm good from 55 here.' There's some days where I'll just be like, 'Hey, I think I'm good from 60-plus.'"

Smack knows competition awaits him in Green Bay, as the Packers are already carrying two kickers veteran incumbentBrandon McManusandLucas Havrisikon the 90-man roster.

McManus helped save the Packers' 2024 season as a midyear signing but battled a quad injury and bouts of inconsistency during his second go-around in Green Bay, culminating in three missed kicks in the Packers' NFC Wild Card loss in Chicago last January.

"The kicker spot's very important and we have a couple of guys here that we felt good about," Gutekunst said. "But we also wanted to increase that competition and make sure that we come out of this thing with a guy that can go win us games.

"Brandon's been excellent for us in his time with us, with the exception in that last game, which I think we all recognize. But I feel it's important that we address that and have a guy who can go win us games."

Smack has the traits to do it. Trained by former NFL kicker Matt Stover who also served as a mentor to Crosby Smack was a five-star rated kicker and punter by Kohl's Kicking Camp when he committed to play at Florida in 2022.

What's more, Smack was an accomplished lacrosse player at Severna High School before deciding to kick in college. Based on how Saturday unfolded, it's safe to say Smack made the right choice.

"It really does mean a lot. It's a surreal feeling," said Smack of getting drafted. "I still got the shakes a little bit. I'm like, 'Wow, is this really happening right now?' It's an amazing feeling."