3 Positions Packers Have to Target Early in the 2025 NFL Draft

If the Green Bay Packers want to make the leap from playoff team to true Super Bowl contender, they need to hit on their early picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.

That hasn’t exactly been their strong suit in recent years—at least not in terms of finding immediate impact players. The last several first-round picks under Brian Gutekunst tell the story: Jordan Morgan (2024), Lukas Van Ness (2023), Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt (2022), Eric Stokes (2021), and Jordan Love (2020).

Walker and Wyatt probably had the best rookie seasons of the group, with Stokes not far behind. But none of them—outside of Love—have grown into cornerstone players the way the Packers envisioned. Now, they’re left cleaning up those misses, which means they can’t afford to whiff again in 2025.

If Green Bay is serious about taking the next step, they have to target these three positions early in the draft.

Honorable Mention: Defensive Line

The entire defensive line was a problem in 2024.

Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark—two of the highest-paid players on the roster—underperformed relative to expectations. Their production didn’t match their contracts, and the results showed up in the Packers’ inconsistent pass rush.

Now, Green Bay needs upgrades, both on the interior and the edge.

If they decide to go this route early in the draft, they should have options. Walter Nolen (DT, Ole Miss) and Derrick Harmon (DT, Oregon) are potential first-round targets on the inside. On the edge, James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee) and Mike Green (Marshall) are two of the more intriguing pass-rushing prospects.

The Packers have spent years trying to build a dominant defensive front. If they find the right piece in the draft, this might finally be the year they put it all together.