The combine is over and the gloves are coming off as teams prepare for free agency and the draft. The Green Bay Packers are looking to push their roster over the top and make a run at the Super Bowl after back-to-back playoff appearances immediately following the Aaron Rodgers era.
His successor, Jordan Love, has been off to a very promising start to his career, but an injury-filled 2024 has put a damper on the trajectory he and the team were on. They managed to make the postseason in spite of that but were quick exits in the Wild Card round to the eventual champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Green Bay is still in a good position to strike into the upper tier of NFC contenders if they can make the right moves, but their limitations and advantages will be distinct among the league. Here's a primer before free agency kicks off on March 10th.
Cap Space
The Packers enter 2025 with $42 million in available space (per overthecap.com) which ranks 18th in the league. This gives them plenty of money to spend this season but it's slightly misleading as they rank 25th in both 2026 and 2027 cap space. That bloat comes from increasing cap values from Jordan Love, Rashan Gary, and Elgton Jenkins. Like most teams, the Packers can create plenty of extra room in any of these years, so while they shouldn't be expected to be aggressive in free agency, they won't be kept from making necessary moves.
The Packers do not have many players entering free agency which will help them be able to bring in external help. Of the players the teams have to make decisions on:
- RB AJ Dillion
- OL Andre Dillard
- C Josh Meyers
- DL TJ Slaton
- CB Eric Stokes
- DB Corey Ballentine
Kicker Brandon McManus may have been the highest priority free agent and he was just signed to an extension. Several of these players such as Dillon, Dillard, Slaton, and Ballentine are only depth players.
The important decisions come down to Myers and Stokes, the top two picks from the team's 2021 draft class. Neither have lived up to their draft status. Stokes played very well as a rookie but hasn't returned to that level of play through injuries and scheme changes. Myers has been quite underwhelming but has started all but one game over the past three seasons.
The team won't break the bank to bring back any of these players, but instead could look toward getting ahead of a few key extensions. There's little urgency to get these deals done before free agency but keep an eye on the following:
WR Romeo Doubs
OT Rasheed Walker
OT Zach Tom
DL Devonte Wyatt
LB Quay Walker
Draft Capital
The Packers own all of their own selections and sit at the 21st pick in the first round. They also own the Steelers' 7th round pick. That gives them three selections within the top 100 picks of the draft and places them 21st in Tankathons draft power ranking metric.
A full allotment of picks will allow the team to be aggressive if they chose to be, or move down given the opportunity. This versatility has treated them well lately and should continue to do so.
Areas of Concern
So, what positions should the Packers target with their available resources?
Best Player Available
The Packers need elite players at any position. Their well-rounded roster provides plenty of advantages but they're still lacking a couple of players who can take over a game or be relied upon in clutch situations. Because of the roster makeup, they can be aggressive at adding an elite player at any spot and they should be well supported and in a position to succeed.
There are multiple young players who can ascend into that role, but only one All-Pro honor to Xavier McKinney in 2024 shows that the team needs a couple more stars.
Pass Rush
The pass rush dried up at the end of 2024 and it really hurt the team's ability to compete in critical games. The team got small contributions from a lot of players but we haven't seen a boost from young talent to reliably attack the opposing quarterback.
Defensive Back
Assuming the team moves off of both Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes, that would leave Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine as cornerbacks on the roster that played meaningful snaps last year. Javon Bullard played the third most snaps on the team but represents an area they'd like to improve at.
At minimum the team needs another cornerback, if not two. They may allow Bullard to grow into his role but if a safety is available they may also take the upgrade.
Wide Receiver 1
The rotation of receivers available had its benefits but it came with downsides as well. None of the team's young players stepped up in a major way last year. Jayden Reed had flashes but also disappeared too often. Romeo Doubs has been reliably consistent but not as a go-to target. Dontayvion Wicks has been frustratingly unable to hold onto the ball despite his physical and athletic gifts. And most unfortunately, Christian Watson hasn't been able to develop through injuries and then suffered another major one late in the season.
Tucker Kraft has taken a promising step forward at tight end, but an outside threat will be necessary for the team to compete. At minimum, the team needs to replace the role Watson once filled, but ideally a standout player will be added.
Copyright 2025 Athlon Sports. All rights reserved.
This story was originally published March 9, 2025 at 4:52 PM.
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