The Lexington Times

Free, AI-powered local news for Lexington, Kentucky

Live LexBot — Lexington's 24/7 AI news livestream

Packers draft UK center Jager Burton in fifth round

· Source: LEX 18 News

The Green Bay Packers selected Kentucky center Jager Burton with the 153rd overall pick in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, bringing a local talent from Lexington to professional football, according to LEX 18 News.

Burton, a 6-foot-4, 312-pound interior lineman and Lexington native who graduated from Frederick Douglass High School, brings extensive experience to Green Bay after starting 47 career games for the Wildcats. The offensive lineman impressed scouts at the NFL Combine, running a 4.94-second 40-yard dash with a 1.76-second 10-yard split and 4.52-second shuttle time.

Burton entered Kentucky as a four-star recruit in 2021 and quickly established himself as one of the state's top prospects. As a high school senior at Frederick Douglass, he was named Kentucky Gatorade Football Player of the Year and won the Paul Hornung Award, given annually to the state's top player.

The selection marks a significant milestone for the Lexington product, who developed into one of the University of Kentucky's most reliable offensive linemen during his time with the program. Burton's versatility and positional flexibility on the interior line made him an attractive prospect for Green Bay, which has invested heavily in strengthening its offensive line in recent draft classes.

The Packers' selection of Burton continues the franchise's focus on building depth and competition along the offensive front. His combination of size, athleticism and experience starting at the collegiate level positioned him as a mid-round prospect heading into the 2026 draft.

This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from LEX 18 News. The original source is available at https://www.lex18.com/sports/bbn-tonight/packers-select-kentucky-center-jager-burton-in-fifth-round-of-2026-nfl-draft.