The NFL draft is finally here. Soon, the days of mock drafts will be gone. We will no longer be talking about who teams could possibly draft. Instead, we will know who each team did draft and be able to look ahead to the 2025 regular season.
The primary focus for the Green Bay Packers is to help augment a strong roster that gets them out of the playoff hunt and into the status of Super Bowl contenders.
Brian Gutekunst said in his season-ending press conference that he felt it was time that his team started competing for championships.
They started this offseason by adding a player to the offensive line and their secondary, both of which should be improved from the group that finished the season in Philadelphia.
A Wild Card weekend loss to the Eagles puts the Packers picking 23rd in the first round of the draft.
They have eight picks, which include a seventh-round pick they acquired by trading Preston Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers at the trade deadline.
That also includes a compensatory pick. The NFL gave the Packers a seventh-rounder essentially for the departure of offensive tackle Yosh Nijman in free agency last year, after the additions of running back Josh Jacobs and safety Xavier McKinney were offset by the losses of guard Jon Runyan and safety Darnell Savage.
Green Bay’s original seventh-round pick might have been the best trade of the season. Gutekunst used that pick to acquire backup quarterback Malik Willis.
Willis played extended snaps in four games, including two starts. The Packers were 3-1 in those games with the one loss coming in a largely meaningless regular season finale against the Chicago Bears.
The Packers have some work to do with their roster. The NFC North has gotten better around them, and they can ill afford to rely on the incompetence of the rest of their division to get themselves into the playoffs.
They need to beat the teams in the North after going 1-5 against divisional opponents a season ago. The one, of course, was tenuous at best. A blocked field goal by Karl Brooks saved the Packers from suffering defeat at Soldier Field and taking the collar in the division.
That starts with the ever important first-round pick.
For as well as Gutekunst has done in the draft, especially in the later rounds, his early picks have left something to be desired.
Lukas Van Ness, Jordan Morgan, Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt represent the last three years of first-round choices.
Walker is the closest thing to an impact player, and that is far from a sure thing.
If you go back further, the last time Gutekunst took an impact player in the first round, it was quarterback Jordan Love.
Gutekunst needs to acquire some blue chip talent to take this Packers team to the next level.
Here are Green Bay’s choices, and what they could do.
Round 1, No. 23
This choice is arguably the most important of Gutekunst’s career to date. The Packers are a good team. They’re not a great one.
Great teams typically have their stars lead the way. They can be rookies as well.
One season ago, the Philadelphia Eagles drafted Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean with their first two picks.
Both players became key contributors to the Eagles’ Super Bowl run. Mitchell became their best cornerback. DeJean returned an interception for a touchdown in the Super Bowl and is one of the league’s best slot defenders.
The Packers’ first-round pick was Jordan Morgan. He could be a key contributor for them in 2025 if he wins the job at left tackle. Unfortunately, he’ll always be compared to DeJean, a popular pick for the Packers a season ago.
When it comes to this year’s pick, there are a few options at key positions of need.
The most likely scenario, based on the shape of this draft, is that the Packers will use their pick on a player in the front seven of their defense.
Defensive end and defensive tackle appear to be the most likely candidates here.
Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr., Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart and Georgia’s Mykel Williams have all taken predraft visits to Green Bay.
Stewart is the most athletic player in the class. Williams fits the mold of what the Packers have typically preferred in their edge players.
Pearce Jr. would be a bit of a departure from their preferences because of his size; he’s less than 250 pounds, and he’s more of a speed rusher than a power guy.
If they’re looking for a different type of rusher, Pearce is immensely talented. He could be the guy.
On the defensive line, there are two main candidates who could be available when Green Bay is on the clock: Michigan’s Kenneth Grant and Oregon’s Derek Harmon.
Harmon is more of the mold the Packers have on their defensive line. He’s an interior disrupter, who is best suited going up the field to make plays in the backfield. He has some technical issues to work through but could wind up being one of the most disruptive players in this draft class.
Grant is a bigger man, tipping the scales at more than 330 pounds, but he is a good athlete.
Grant’s potential is sky high because of his athleticism in addition to his size. He could be a ready made replacement for T.J. Slaton as he refines his craft as a pass rusher.
If they don’t look to the defensive front, it’s likely the Packers will target someone at the skill position, whether on offense or defense.
At cornerback, Jahdae Barron from Texas is a popular choice with the fanbase. It just depends if the Packers feel like he can play on the boundary. They have a plethora of slot defenders, but the team might need someone to play on the outside.
If they want a boundary corner, Michigan’s Will Johnson, Ole Miss’ Trey Amos or East Carolina’s Shavon Revel are all potential candidates in this spot.
If they were to buck a trend that has existed since 2002 and take a wide receiver, there are some players who fit the bill.
Gutekunst was the only general manager at Arizona receiver Tet McMillan’s private workout. That is likely a sign of interest in the player and not just due diligence.
Apart from him, Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka and Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins are guys the Packers could target either at 23 or if they wanted to slide back a couple of spots.
One other possibility at receiver in the middle rounds is Texas’ Isaiah Bond, a speedster who took a predraft visit with the Packers in March.
Of course, always account for variable change. If a player the Packers love that they weren’t expecting to be available, is available, the Packers will not hesitate to pick a player based solely on the position he plays.
Some examples include Texas’ offensive tackle Kelvin Banks, Ohio State’s offensive tackle Josh Simmons or Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell.
The rest of the picks are as follows:
Round 2, No. 54
Round 3, No. 87
Round 4, No. 124
Round 5, No. 159
Round 6, No. 198
Round 7, No. 237 (from Pittsburgh)
Round 7, No. 250 (compensatory)
They’ll likely look to add some depth to their offensive line at this point of the draft and find some value for their special teams.
Something else to keep in mind – the Packers have stated they want to get back in the practice of drafting a quarterback on a yearly basis. That could be something they look to target as the draft gets into its later stages.
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