Trey Smack: More Crosby or (Gasp) More Carlson?
It's going to be interesting to watch the Packers' preseason kicking competition.
By Kevin Gibson
There was a collective gasp across Green Bay Packers Nation when the announcement was made that Brian Gutekunst had traded two seventh-round picks to move into the late sixth to select … a kicker.
A kicker? Yes, a kicker.
But the University of Florida’s Trey Smack was widely touted as the best kicker in the 2026 draft class, with a strong leg and a record of impressive accuracy. Could the Packers have gotten him post-draft as an undrafted free agent? Hmmm. Maybe. Clearly, however, Gutey didn’t want to wait. And there have been some reports that at least three other teams were interested in drafting the kicker.
As has been widely noted since the dust has settled, it may speak more to what the GM saw left on the board than any sense of desperation to acquire a kicker, or even a really, really good kicker. What this looks like in retrospect is a pick designed to bring in top-level competition at a position that was something of an inconsistent turd during the 2025 season.
Let's face it, Green Bay’s kicking game last season was sort of like autocorrect: At times, it gets it right, and other times, you don't know what the hell just happened.
Packers fans watched as veteran Brad McManus missed two field goals and an extra point in a playoff game against the Bears in which the Packers led 21-3 heading into the third quarter – it was a game they went on to lose by four points. Essentially, special teams took the equivalent of a touchdown off the board.
With that said, who will Smack (my goodness, it’s going to be fun to hear Wayne Larivee call a game-winning field goal) be in the NFL? Just for fun, let’s take a look at the last two placekickers the Packers spent draft capital on. Let’s start with the most recent and then move back in time.
Anders Carlson (2023)
Here's your cautionary tale, lest anyone get overly excited over Smack before training camp starts.
Also a sixth-round pick (No. 207 overall) by the Packers back in 2023, Carlson came into the pro ranks out of Auburn with a solid resume. A second-team All-American and All-SEC in 2020, he is the fifth-leading scorer in Auburn history.
In Green Bay, Carlson lasted one season, putting up decent counting stats, but never really looking the part – he was 27 of 33 for a solid 81.8% percentage, but he also missed five extra points. That put him at the bottom of the league on point-afters, percentage-wise. As for field goals, he was a perfect 20-for-20 from inside 40 yards, but just 7 of 13 from farther out.
He was released the following pre-season. He went on to have stints with the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets, and is currently employed by the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions.
Mason Crosby (2007)
I needn’t say much about Mason Crosby. He’s dear to the hearts of Packers fans and the organization’s all-time leading scorer. You don’t earn a nickname like “Money Mason” by accident.
It’s hard to count in one’s mind how many dramatic game-winners Crosby has on his resume in his 16 seasons in Green Bay. Another sixth-rounder (197th overall), Crosby hit the ground running – er, kicking – as a rookie, making the game-winner in his first appearance. Overall, he was 400 of 492 on field goals and 739 of 760 on extra points. He was a Super Bowl champion and a fan favorite his entire career.
In short, he’s a true Packers legend.
So, will Smack be more Crosby or more Carlson? That clearly remains to be seen, but for his part, Crosby himself has endorsed Green Bay’s new placekicker – or he at least endorses Gutekunst’s decision to trade two sevens to go up and grab him.
"He was the No. 1-graded kicker in this draft. He's the best kicker in this draft," Crosby said on the Wisconsin Sports Radio Network. "If you don't think you're going to add value in that seventh round or in that area, why go and just get somebody that you're going to have to maybe release or figure something out with? Get a guy that can and go and compete right now and maybe bolster that position for a long time to come."
Per The Athletics’ Matt Schneidman, both Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur have indicated the job of starting kicker in Green Bay will be a true training camp competition.
In a few months, we’re going to find out if Money Mason – as well as Gutekunst – were right about Smack.
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Kevin Gibson is a professional writer and author based in Louisville, Ky. He's also a former sports writer who covered high school, college and professional sports, a Packers shareholder and a fan since 1975. Even John Hadl couldn't break him. Follow him on Twitter: @kgramone
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Comments (24)
Lphill
May 01, 2026 at 06:40 am
the question is can he adjust to the cold weather I'm sure I'm not alone wondering this.
DoubleJ
May 01, 2026 at 08:06 am
Since he has a strong leg, I think he will be fine.
jannesbjornson
May 01, 2026 at 05:08 pm
The wind is the biggest adjustment @ Lambeau.
Cheezehead72
May 01, 2026 at 06:45 am
I like this pick. I have no problem giving up two seventh rounders to get the best kicker in the draft. Even if he does not work out it was worth the gamble, oh and I do not consider it a gamble.
If he is good in training camp and preseason what do we do. I see the only option if you want to keep him is keep him on the 53 and waive McManus and then try to sign McManus to the PS if you want him. I do not see trading McManus as an option with the contract he has unless restructures his contract for the new team. The best we will get is a 7th rounder.
No matter what we can get for McManus if Smack is good go with him.
GregC
May 01, 2026 at 06:52 am
This is the first time I've heard anyone say that Anders Carlson came into the NFL with a solid resume. He was an awful college kicker, with a 71.8 field goal percentage, including 66.7% and 70.6% in his last two years. He had also suffered an ACL injury. It was a borderline bizarre draft pick that was most likely influenced by the fact that special teams coach Rich Bissacchia had coached Carlson's brother, a successful NFL kicker, in Oakland.
Trey Smack, on the other hand, actually DOES have a solid resume. If he has a good training camp, I think he will be the kicker no matter what Brandon McManus does.
The Packers seemed to do well with UDFA signings, which helps alleviate the loss of that extra 7th round pick. They very well may have signed whichever player they would have drafted with that pick anyway.
NickPerry
May 01, 2026 at 06:52 am
"There was a collective gasp across Green Bay Packers Nation when the announcement was made that Brian Gutekunst had traded two seventh-round picks to move into the late sixth to select … a kicker."
This was a draft where the 7th round picks and most of the 6th round draft picks would have been UDFA's in most drafts. If Smack ends up being the Packers kicker for the next 15 years, hits 50 plus yard FG's at a consistent level, then we got a steal.
If he ends up as Anders Carlson 2.0 who cares. The reality of it is the Packers basically gave up a few picks who probably wouldn't make the team anyways for the best kicker in the draft.
Cheezehead72
May 01, 2026 at 07:10 am
I was thinking the same thing. This is a win or oh well decision for Gute.
DoubleJ
May 01, 2026 at 08:14 am
Smack went 10 of 13 from 50+ during his time at Florida. He also never missed more than 1 kick from 50+ in a season. This pick makes a lot of sense to me. The kicking game has been roller coaster for the last several years and has cost us games. During his 12 year career McManus has averaged 115 points per year. That equates to 19TDs or about 1 extra TD/game. If he never missed he would have averaged 134 points per year or 22TDs or 1.3TDs (10pts) per game.
dobber
May 01, 2026 at 08:27 am
Bisaccia and McManus seemed to struggle to adjust to the new kickoff rules, too. Maybe this guy can start to create opportunities there.
dobber
May 01, 2026 at 08:30 am
"If he ends up as Anders Carlson 2.0 who cares."
Nobody seems to be talking about Brett Conway here, either.
I don't think they make this pick if they don't plan for him to displace McManus, so it's only really a competition if they're both bad in camp.
Bitternotsour
May 01, 2026 at 09:41 am
Nobody talking about Brett Conway because it was just shy of three decades ago. Mike Sherman was an idiot.
dobber
May 01, 2026 at 10:27 am
He was a good coach, but terrible personnel guy.
You'll notice that the last 3 times the Packers had 6 picks or less in the draft were all during his short time as GM.
LeotisHarris
May 01, 2026 at 05:28 pm
Say what you want about ol' Sugar Bear. I still miss his aw shucks air punch on the sidelines after something didn't quite go the way he'd planned.
Do you think Ahmad Carroll still has those boxing gloves?
Tundraboy
May 02, 2026 at 02:10 am
Thanks NP! For injecting some common sense into the conversation. Sounds like he could be the kicker we need sooner not later, and worth the gamble.
Vachio
May 01, 2026 at 07:26 am
The DEA reports there is about to be a major deal going down in Wisconsin. Sources say a buyer is looking to pay about 4.5 million dollars for 188 pounds of Smack.
dobber
May 01, 2026 at 07:44 am
**slow clap**
Coldworld
May 01, 2026 at 08:55 am
An interesting comparison because I doubt if any team today gives a kicker as much time to become good as Crosby was given. He was also pretty lucky that the team stuck with him through a couple of very rough patches. That’s the nature of Kicking for all but the few true greats.
Smack looks the part, but, even if he wins in camp, he will have to kick for more games in worse weather and lower temperatures than he had previously. We won’t know what he is for some time and what looks good in November can be a disaster by New Year. McManus was never a long term answer, he’s getting up there, but this could be a bumpy ride for all it is an inevitable one.
Bitternotsour
May 01, 2026 at 09:45 am
c'mon. the guy sits on the heated bench, is wearing high tech insulated clothing, and does a few rounds on the bike to stay involved. he trots out, kicks, trots back to the heated bench. It's cold for both teams. I can see wind having an effect, or slippery turf, but cold, doubtful.
Coldworld
May 01, 2026 at 10:37 am
There is little doubt conditions affect kicking. The ball surface can change as well. That’s something that has to be learned. To succeed a kicker has to be able to put action on the ball to hook and fade. That is a skill that has to be acquired (in terms of controlled application) as well.
Im not saying Smack doesn’t have that experience (though when asked about cold games he referenced one in Maryland about 8 years prior). I’m certainly not saying he can’t learn them either. In fact the only comment made about him particularly was to note his strong leg. The rest is all general comments about young kickers and how we won’t know in August or even October.
As I look at it, any rookie kicker with a good leg is a coin flip. There is no way of knowing. Smack looks like as good a bet as any, better than any other this year apparently. However, that’s not a particularly reliable indicia of success at a position where the best are more often former rejects, such as Aubrey.
I don’t hate the gamble, but the odds are it will be a bumpy year or two even if it works out (as it was with Crosby in a more tolerant age). I’d rather bet on him than Carlson. As has been pointed out, Carlson had legitimate questions coming out.
In this case, Gute openly said Cam Achord identified Smack and pushed for him. It will be a good start for Achord if he proves to be an astute judge of kickers. For what it’s worth, there are some old videos of him talking about kicking from his time with the Patriots, which is a good sign he’s focussed on that previously.
Ferrari-Driver
May 01, 2026 at 09:20 am
I'm looking forward to our football announcers saying: "SMACK DAB DOWN THE CENTER" for his 23rd field goal in a row and that seals Green Bay as the NFC North Champions and the number one seed in the NFC.
harleycops
May 01, 2026 at 09:39 am
It's too good to be true. A kicker who can actually kick FGs & XPs (college). A kicker with the name Smack! A kicked who is young and motivated and a bonafide strong leg to make 50 yd FGs at a fairly high %. A kicker who doesn't line drive his kicks (blocks) but rams it high and far through the goal posts. This will be one of the real training camp plots to watch - and I predict he will win the job and we win more games because of it! Let's do it, SMACK!
GPG
splitpea1
May 01, 2026 at 10:28 am
I liked the pick very much, and those who say we should never spend draft capital on a kicker will change their tune if Smack turns out to be a reliable kicker who can also hit those long field goals when we really need them. The only question is whether or not he can perform well in the cold and wind with a hard ball. He can also double as the backup punter. If Smack turns out to be a long-term solution, two seventh-round picks was well worth it. Just because Carlson didn't work out doesn't mean you don't try again.
I know kickers often don't get the love they deserve because they're rarely involved in the more physical aspects of the game, but it's a crucial position that wins you many games if you have the right guy.
The_Justicar
May 01, 2026 at 11:18 am
Fun fact - Smack missed one XP during his college career. And it was his very last kick with little time left in his last college game. Man, he was pissed as he was perfect for his career up to the final score of his last game with just 56 seconds left in the game.
WD
May 02, 2026 at 05:48 am
Today the game has changed to the point that your kicker has never been more important. We would have went on in the playoffs if not for our unacceptable missed extra point and medium field goals. Frankly, I had read about this kicker when he was still in college . He kicks 50+ yd field goals as if they were extra points. He is CONSISTENT!. This last pick by Gute will prove to be one of his best. This was not a good pick. It was a great pick!