Packers LB Zaire Franklin: No. 17 Player in 2026 Has Something to Prove

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Packers On SI is counting down the Green Bay Packers’ top 25 players for the 2026 season. This series continues with our No. 17 player, linebacker Zaire Franklin.

Before he was a star, the Green Bay Packers wanted linebacker Zaire Franklin. Now that he is a star – or was a star – the Packers finally have their man.

This offseason, general manager Brian Gutekunst traded for Franklin just before the start of free agency. That was a preemptive move after the decision was made to not re-sign Quay Walker.

“It’s just a blessing,” Franklin said. “Obviously, you want to be somewhere where you’re wanted and you appreciated. I just feel like who I am and who I’ve been is just a great fit for this organization and what we trying to accomplish, so I’m just blessed to be able to be here and do my part and just try to help the team win.”

Why Zaire Franklin Is So Important

Quay Walker might not have been an elite but he was productive. Over the last four seasons, the 2022 first-round pick ranks 17th in the NFL with 469 tackles. He was a team captain last season, when he had a career-high 128 tackles.

During that same span, Franklin is No. 1 in the league with 644 tackles.

Franklin is older – he’ll turn 30 next week – but his instincts, leadership and big-play production should be assets.

Franklin was a second-team All-Pro following a blockbuster 2024 season with the Colts, the team that drafted him in the seventh round in 2018. He wasn’t nearly as impactful last season. Not that he was bad – far from it – but the Packers banking on Franklin being a difference-maker in the middle of new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s defense.

“We drafted Zaire when I was the DB coach there,” Gannon said. “So, obviously, got to know him a little bit and then [free agency] moved fast, they asked me about Zaire. Kind of like (Javon) Hargrave, team-first guy, tough as nails, very smart. Obviously, has had a very productive career. I’m excited to really have him.”

Franklin is a rags-to-riches story. He started a total of four games during his first three seasons before breaking into the lineup in 2021. He had a total of 94 tackles during his first four seasons. He’s been phenomenal the past four seasons:

2022: 167 tackles, three sacks, 12 tackles for losses, two forced fumbles, six passes defensed.

2023: 179 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three tackles for losses, two forced fumbles, six passes defensed.

2024: 173 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 11 tackles for losses, five forced fumbles, two interceptions, six passes defensed.

2025: 125 tackles, two sacks, seven tackles for losses, one forced fumble, five passes defensed.

Zaire Franklin’s Strengths and Weaknesses 

One thing that stands out about Franklin is his ability to take away the football. In his four years as a full-time starter, he is fourth in the league with 10 forced fumbles. Combining forced fumbles and interceptions, he has produced 12 takeaways. Among off-the-ball linebackers, only Fred Warner (18), Bobby Okereke (13) and Germaine Pratt (13) have more.

Walker in four seasons forced three fumbles (all as a rookie) and intercepted one pass (the 2023 opener). In his final 40 games with the Packers, he had zero turnover-producing plays.

Asked what he’ll bring to the table, he said: “I would say to the locker room, I’m really just one of the guys. I done seen a lot, I done did a lot from a late-round pick to a full-time special -teamer to one of the highest paid at my position. I understand what it means to try and have to make a team and prove yourself in OTAs, and I also understand what it means when a team is looking for you to lead and stand out in front and be an example both in the locker room and in the community.

“And then on the field, I’m just a dawg. I ain’t gonna lie to you. That’s just how I like to play. I like to make plays and take the ball away.”

The weakness in Franklin’s game might be where he stands in the race against Father Time. Playing roughly the same number of snaps as in 2024, Franklin recorded 48 fewer tackles and six fewer turnover plays. He was less productive as a blitzer in terms of pressure percentage and a slightly less efficient tackler.

He doesn’t agree that he’s a declining player but he does acknowledge he has something to prove.

“Still got a lot left in the tank,” he said. “Like last year, I mean, career lows are some guys’ career highs. So, I don’t understand what that really means but, at the same time, this is a year-by-year league, it’s a week-by-week league. I got to go out there and earn it every single year, and every single week, so I’m looking forward to going out there and earning it.”

What Happens If Zaire Franklin Gets Hurt

The Packers have two clear-cut starters with Franklin and Edgerrin Cooper and, unless there’s a trade, two obvious backups with Isaiah McDuffie and Ty’Ron Hopper.

With McDuffie rehabbing an injury and unavailable for the offseason practices, Nick Niemann – a top player on special teams – took some first-team reps when Franklin got a break during minicamp.

Why We Ranked Zaire Franklin Here 

Franklin will be an every-down player for Green Bay. After the trade, he signed a revamped two-year contract worth $18.01 million. The $9.005 million average ranks 23rd among off-the-ball linebackers. That’s considerably less than Walker’s three-year deal with the Raiders that’s worth $13.5 million per season, which ranks 10th at the position.

Franklin will be a bargain if he returns to being the playmaker he was with the Colts and excels in a role as a leader in the locker room and by wearing the green dot on the field.

“Hopefully, it’s a long and successful one here,” he said. “First and foremost, I understand where this team is and what’s expected of them, and the standard here is clear. That’s an organizational thing.

“It’s a first-class organization and I’m just blessed to be here. Anything I can do to help the team win, to help lead the guys, I’m willing to do. I came here with a Day 1 mentality. I’m trying to earn my spot every day.”

Every year, I rank every player on the Packers roster based on talent, importance, salary etc. I will again this year, too.

For now, let's cut right to the chase. Here is a quick-hitting look at the 2⃣5⃣ most important players for the 2026 season.⬇️https://t.co/ezDAkl7vmd

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) June 17, 2026

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Published 16 hours ago | Modified 1 hour agoBILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: [email protected] History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.

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