Where did the Green Bay Packers add free-agent talent? Where did they miss out? Where do they still need to add bodies and/or starters?
Now that nearly all of the big-name free agents have signed in this relatively weak free-agent class, we have some clarity on what the Packers’ roster will look like going into the 2025 draft. Join us as we go position-by-position, breaking down how Green Bay’s roster stands after the first wave of free agency and what the Packers might do at these positions moving forward.
Highlighted in each group will be returning members of the 53-man roster and the Packers’ 2025 free-agency signings, but we’ll talk about practice squad players who have a chance to make the upcoming 53-man roster as they come up.
Quarterbacks
Jordan Love, Malik Willis and Sean Clifford
Running Backs
Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd, Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks
We’re going to take a look at the offensive backfield together here because the takeaway is the same: The team is in a good spot at both positions.
While Sean Clifford was called up to take advantage of the emergency third quarterback rule in the postseason, Clifford spent the 2024 regular season on the Packers’ practice squad. Jordan Love is the clear starter and Malik Willis is the clear backup here.
At running back, both Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks played quality snaps for the Packers, following the loss of MarShawn Lloyd and A.J. Dillon to injury. Dillon is not expected to re-sign Green Bay, but Lloyd should be viewed as a competitor for the number two back role after a terribly unfortunate rookie year where he missed time with a hamstring injury, an ankle injury and then had an appendectomy. Josh Jacobs is the lead back in the backfield.
Verdict: Set at the position
Receivers
Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, Jayden Reed, Bo Melton and Malik Heath
I’m not going to include Christian Watson on this list right now, since he’s expected to miss the first three months of the regular season with an ACL tear. The big question is how the Packers will replace the element that Watson brings to the field, as opposing defenses won’t be threatened vertically by Romeo Doubs or Dontayvion Wicks in the same way that they were by Watson. This is life when your number one receiver, Jayden Reed, is a full-time slot player.
Melton might be the answer for some, but he’s been far from a proven deep threat going into his fourth NFL season with just 309 receiving yards to his name. At this point, the Packers will probably have to look at the draft to add speed at the position. Two names, who we’ve written scouting reports on already, that make sense are Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor and Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins.
Verdict: Add a field stretcher to the room in the draft
Tight Ends
Tucker Kraft, Luke Musgrave and Ben Sims
There aren’t many all-around tight ends in the NFL better than Tucker Kraft right now and there are even fewer number two tight ends who can threaten defenses in the passing game like Luke Musgrave, when healthy. If the position went untouched, I don’t think anyone would complain, but it’s worth noting that John FitzPatrick, who was a restricted free agent for the Packers this offseason, ended up being Green Bay’s TE3 toward the end of the year. It’s possible that Green Bay would look at re-signing the blocking-first tight end to a mostly special teams role as a league-minimum signing down the line. If not, the team could look at adding a draft pick to push Ben Sims, who has been on the active roster since Week 1 of the 2023 season.
Verdict: Could add one more depth player
Offensive Linemen
Rasheed Walker, Aaron Banks, Elgton Jenkins, Jordan Morgan, Zach Tom, Sean Rhyan, Kadeem Telfort, Travis Glover and Jacob Monk
The Packers’ starting offensive line for the 2025 season appears to be locked in. Aside from 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan and Sean Rhyan battling it out at right guard, Rasheed Walker seems locked into the left tackle role, free-agent signing Aaron Banks seems locked into the left guard spot, Elgton Jenkins will reportedly move from left guard to center this year and it appears that Zach Tom will remain at right tackle.
If Green Bay drafts an offensive lineman high in April, the plan for that player is likely to be a future starter, not an immediate starter. Both Walker and Tom are going into contract seasons, which means the Packers need to decide if they’re worth $20 million plus per year. The draft will tell us a lot about what the team thinks of its own roster.
With that being said, the depth on the team is a little shaky. Between Rhyan and Morgan, the Packers can cover all five of the offensive line positions if they only withstand one injury. If two players drop, though, that means that Kadeem Telfort and Travis Glover — who struggled against the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs — or Jacob Monk — who was inactive in the second half of his rookie season — would need to step up. It wouldn’t hurt to add just one more layer of depth to the unit before having to face that predicament.
Verdict: Could add a depth, draft a future starter
Defensive Ends
Rashan Gary, Kingsley Enagbare, Lukas Van Ness, Brenton Cox Jr and Arron Mosby
This is where, in my opinion, the Packers disappointed the most yesterday. You can’t control that players like Chase Young and Khalil Mack ended up re-signing with their original teams before they hit the market, but Green Bay needed to infuse talent at the position — especially after the Packers have talked non-stop since the season ended about how they need to create pressure with their front four.
Trey Hendrickson is still out there. I’m not sure what the Cincinnati Bengals’ asking price is, but the Packers should at least be keeping tabs on how those trade conversations are going. There are basically no meaningful pass-rushers left in free agency. Ultimately, they might have to trade up in the first round to ensure that they can land the caliber of defensive end that the team needs after Lukas Van Ness has failed to develop into a starter.
Verdict: Needs to be aggressive in trades or the draft
Defensive Tackles
Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks and Colby Wooden
I’m not surprised that the Packers didn’t re-sign T.J. Slaton, who was a quality run-stopping defensive tackle, and I’m not surprised that they didn’t throw a lot of money at the position in free agency. Why? Well, this draft class is very deep at the position and Green Bay is expected to have eight draft choices in April.
Early on in the draft, they have the chance to find a potential starter, who would either displace Devonte Wyatt in 2025 or one of Wyatt or Kenny Clark in 2026. Later on in the draft, there will still be opportunities to find a run-first replacement for Slaton. While the position doesn’t look great on paper, the depth of the draft means that the Packers still have plenty of options here. My assumption is that they’d rather address this position soon rather than later in the draft, because Clark didn’t play up to his new extension in 2024 and Wyatt is in a contract season.
Verdict: Will probably draft one in the first two rounds
Linebackers
Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper, Isaiah McDuffie and Ty’Ron Hopper
When the Packers brought back Isaiah McDuffie on a two-year, $8 million contract earlier this offseason, they named their third “starting” linebacker. Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper will likely get the most snaps among this group in nickel sets, but McDuffie will come onto the field as the extra outside linebacker in Green Bay’s 4-3 base — which they play about one-third of the time.
Ty’Ron Hopper, a 2024 third-round pick who the Packers had a second-round grade on, remains a developmental project. He shouldn’t be forced onto the field unless there’s an injury. Green Bay will need at least one more player at the position for emergency depth and special teams reasons, but it shouldn’t come at a high cost. Look at Day 3 of the draft or the late free agent market for an answer here.
Verdict: Will add one more depth player
Cornerbacks
Jaire Alexander, Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs and Carrington Valentine
This is the big one. Personally, I don’t buy that the Packers will squat on Jaire Alexander going into the 2025 regular season. I think they’ll wait until the draft to trade him, as there’s no deadline to work around in Alexander’s contract. With that being said, I don’t think Alexander will be on the team come 2025.
With Green Bay reportedly considering Nate Hobbs, their recent free-agent signing, an outside cornerback after years of playing in the slot, here’s a reality you need to prepare yourself for: Hobbs didn’t come in to be the CB1; He was brought in to be Keisean Nixon’s CB2.
Don’t shoot the messenger, but Nixon was about a league-average outside cornerback last year and is on an incredibly thrifty deal for that level of play. Hobbs scored worse than him on a per-play basis as an outside cornerback, though he was in a different circumstance in Las Vegas.
I’m not sure that Green Bay looks at cornerback as a must-address position on Day 1 or 2 of the 2025 draft, considering Hobbs’ contract. Will they need to add more warm bodies to the position? Yes. Do I think that team will go out of their way to make sure that Carrington Valentine isn’t their third outside cornerback off of the bench? No.
This is also the position where practice squad signings are most in play. Green Bay is returning Kalen King, their own 2024 seventh-round pick, and Kamal Hadden, a 2024 sixth-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs, in 2025. Maybe they’re the CB4 and CB5 next season.
Verdict: Could use depth, but it’s an overrated need
Safeties
Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, Javon Bullard, Zayne Anderson and Kitan Oladapo
With the news of Hobbs being an outside cornerback for the team, the plan on paper appears to be starting Xavier McKinney, a 2024 All-Pro, and Evan Williams at safety with Javon Bullard in the slot. All three of those players are under contract for the next three years, so don’t expect much drama here.
Zayne Anderson is coming back on an exclusive rights free agent deal. Both Anderson and Kitan Oladapo, the Packers’ third safety selection in the 2024 draft, played well in spot duty on defense and contributed on special teams.
Verdict: Set at the position
Kicker
Brandon McManus
Punter
Daniel Whelan
Long Snapper
Matt Orzech
There’s no reason to move on from kicker Brandon McManus and punter Daniel Whelan, who both performed like above-average players in 2024. McManus just signed a three-year deal with the Packers while Whelan remains a cheap exclusive rights tender player. If the team makes any shake-up here, it would be to long snapper Matt Orzech, but the best bet is that they’ll just keep the battery together in 2025.
Verdict: Will almost certainly roll with what they’ve got