Green Bay’s highly-anticipated weekend is here; what does Pack do?
When this issue of the paper hits the newsstands Thursday afternoon, it will be the day Green Bay, Wisconsin has been planning nearly two years for. It’s day one of the 2025 NFL Draft, which is being staged just outside Lambeau Field through Saturday.
Being the smallest home city in North America’s four major professional sports, it certainly is the biggest NFL event Green Bay and the Packers will likely ever host. It will be interesting to hear stories from friends and acquaintances who spend time there and how the national reviews will be with the city of 105,000 bringing in upwards of 200,000 outsiders during the weekend.
Admittedly, the thought of being one of those visitors and being part of a potentially once-in-a-lifetime thing was tempting at first. But eventually, being in that kind of crowd and spending a good chunk of change to eat and sleep just to hear the names of young men I don’t know because I don’t follow college football nearly as enthusiastically as I once did didn’t feel as appealing.
The rainy forecast for tonight’s firstround main event isn’t enticing either. I mean I took on enough water at Lambeau Field last November during the Detroit game to last me about three years. So yah, I’m going to follow along from my phone or living room as usual.
And wouldn’t it just be Packer-like to trade out of the first round Thursday after all the build-up.
While the hoopla, the festivities and the economic impact will be incredible, for Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst and his staff, this weekend is all about finding the right young talent that will improve the on-field product. As always, there is great anticipation among the fans to see how the Packers attempt to do that this weekend.
Green Bay finished the regular season 11-6 and got to the playoffs for a second straight season despite its vast amount of youth, but a dud of a finish, with losses to Minnesota and Chicago and then a wildcard loss at eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia, kinda took the air out of the balloon. It never felt like the Packers would sniff victory in Philly, unlike the 2023 divisional playoff loss at San Francisco that they should have won.
The off-season started with a bang with the free-agent additions of guard Aaron Banks, formerly of San Francisco, cornerback Nate Hobbs, formerly of Las Vegas, and, in a lower-level signing, the addition of speedy former Kansas City receiver Mecole Hardman. All three pickups came in what felt like positions of need going into the off-season. In theory, that could narrow the focus in the early rounds of the draft, knowing the offensive line, defensive backfield and wide receiver positions have been fortified.
So what does Gutey do this weekend, especially tonight in round one?
As I write this on Tuesday morning, about 60 hours before the Packers make the 23rd pick (barring a trade), one could argue the free-agent pickups clear the way to get the top edge pass rusher left on the board. Pass rush definitely is an area that needs help. Texas A& M’s Shemar Stewart, Marshall’s Mike Green and Mykel Williams of Green Bay’s favorite school of late, Georgia, are names you see thrown around in that range. Stewart and Williams seem like typical Packer edge picks of the last 30 years. Great physical traits yet not necessarily eye-popping production. But we think we can coach them up to be great.
As all Cheeseheads know, Gutekunst rarely drafts in the first round based entirely on need. He trusts the board he and his staff create pre-draft. Constantly picking in the mid to high 20s doesn’t make it easy to find a sure-fire starter.
One of those sure-fire starters is Gutekunst’s first-ever pick as Packers’ GM, cornerback Jaire Alexander. By all appearances Alexander’s run in Green Bay is over –– not because he can’t play. I’d argue his seven games last year showed he was on top of his game when healthy. But that’s the rub, he’s rarely healthy anymore and you can’t justify his $24.6 million salary cap number this year if that’s all he can play.
Green Bay snagging a cornerback at pick 23 seems logical. Michigan’s Will Johnson is intriguing because of his size at 6-2. He may not be available at 23. Another one to keep your eye on is Jahdae Barron of Texas, the Jim Thorpe Award Winner as the nation’s top cornerback last year. He’s not as big at 5-11 and is a touch faster than Johnson. Some mock drafts have him in the top 12-14. Some have him falling to Green Bay.
Packer fans are all too familiar with the fact their team has not drafted a wide receiver in the first round since Javon Walker in 2002. A lot of that is because the team has constantly been drafting defensive guys to make up for mistakes drafting defensive guys in years prior. Hardman’s signing may help but it’s hardly a panacea for the position, where the Packers have talent but, as last year ended, it became obvious that there is a need for a go-to number-one. And, not having the injured Christian Watson for much of this year takes away a home-run threat.
Some draftniks think this is the year they get a guy who’s a potential WR1 in the first round. I wouldn’t count on it, but I also wouldn’t doubt guys like Matthew Golden of Texas, Tetairoa McMillan of Arizona and Emeka Egbuka of Ohio State are on Gutekunst’s radar at 23. At 6-4 with a 4.4 40 time and 40-inch vertical lead, McMillan seems to have the most boom potential of the three. He might not last past Dallas’ pick at 12. Egbuka feels like a typical Packer pick, but is he much different from what they already have?
The Banks signing, I think, reduces the chances Green Bay drafts an offensive lineman early. The depth there to start the year is good. And you know the Packers will draft later-round linemen and they almost always do well with that. Plus, we never really got to see last year’s numberone pick Jordan Morgan due to injury.
An interior defensive lineman in round one or two wouldn’t totally surprise me. Kenny Clark is getting long in the tooth. Devonte Wyatt has turned himself into a solid NFL player and Karl Brooks isn’t bad, but the free agent loss of TJ Slaton hurt in my eyes. I thought he was a solid contributor. A linebacker in the first two to four rounds wouldn’t surprise me. Reviews continue to be mixed on 2022 first-round pick Quay Walker inside. Another forceful, angry player to team with budding star Edgerrin Cooper would be cool. Safety and tight end seem to be well-stocked positions at this point.
With eight picks, you’d expect Green Bay to try to trade down to acquire one or two more at some point. Then again, the things you read suggest a lot of teams may be doing that. Minnesota for sure is one with just four picks as things stand two days before the draft.
Every draft is big. Life in the NFC North won’t get any easier in 2025. The Packers’ woeful 1-5 record in the division that was a fingertip away from being 0-6 can’t be repeated. Chicago is clearly getting better. Minnesota and Detroit lived charmed regular seasons last year that could be tough to duplicate, but those teams, without a doubt, have talent to contend. Have fun and enjoy your three days in the national spotlight Green Bay. But the fans also ask you to do your job and improve this roster.
Matt Frey is the Sports Editor at The Star News.
