The Green Bay Packers have seen their win total increase in the past two seasons, but in the loaded NFC North, they will need to continue to improve to stay competitive. They opened last season by winning nine of 12 games before losing three of five to close the regular season and bowing out in underwhelming fashion against the Eagles.
Jordan Love inked a four-year contract extension and is comfortably labeled as the future of the franchise. Did the Packers do enough in the 2025 NFL Draft to make them a true threat in the NFC? We take a look at their selections and evaluate the trajectory of this franchise moving forward.
Looking for all 32 teams’ draft grades? Head to our 2025 NFL Draft Grades for All 32 Teams Tracker to see how we’ve graded other drafts.
Overall Packers Draft Grade: C+
The Green Bay Packers got off to a really strong start, landing Matthew Golden at No. 23 overall. He was the top wide receiver prospect on some big boards, so getting him on the back end of Round 1 was a steal.
For a team without a legitimate WR1, Golden carries that kind of upside. Savion Williams is another dynamic weapon who can be used in a variety of ways. The WR room is getting pretty crowded, so it’ll be interesting to see how it shakes out.
The Anthony Belton selection was a bit of a head-scratcher, though. Belton is an enormous tackle with power and length. However, he doesn’t have the ideal athleticism or footwork for an NFL starter. There were other players available at positions of need who would’ve offered better value in Round 2.
On the defensive side of the ball, Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver offer some upside on the front seven. However, they had the opportunity to land players with more upside in the spot where they took Belton.
This isn’t a terrible class, but if you take Golden out of the equation, who are the difference-makers they can hang their hats on?
Grades for Every Packers Draft Pick
- Round 1, Pick 23
Matthew Golden, WR | Texas
Grade: A
The Packers came into the draft with a lot of WRs and no WR1s. Matthew Golden has a chance to change that. Golden was my highest-rated WR outside of Travis Hunter and a top-15 overall talent. The Packers score exceptional value getting him at 23rd overall, and he adds a new – and vital – dynamic to their WR room.
At around 5’11”, 195 pounds, Golden isn’t the biggest receiver, but he’s a simultaneously twitchy and smooth route runner with an energized element to his game. He can separate independently with a full route tree and amass RAC yards with his speed and elusiveness, and he’s liquid-smooth at the catch point, with rare instincts and body control for his size.
As a prospect, Golden bears some resemblance to T.Y. Hilton – a born vertical threat with additional utility as a separator and yardage creator, and his usage versatility will enable him to be implemented as a weapon on Day 1 in Matt LaFleur’s scheme.
- Round 2, Pick 54
Anthony Belton, OT | NC State
Grade: D-
The Packers haven’t shied away from chances to add to their offensive line in recent years, even when their starting lineup has been largely set. That was the case this year. With several high-quality players available at positions of greater need, they instead decided to take Anthony Belton in Round 2.
The most compelling selling point about Belton is this: He’s big, to an overwhelming extent. At 6’6”, 336 pounds, with 34” arms, he’s hard to get around and break through when he has an anchor.
However, his feet are plodding, he’s not overly flexible, he can lose balance in recovery, and he doesn’t have great athleticism or range as a puller or space blocker. This is poor value regardless of opportunity cost, and multiple high-level CBs were on the board.
- Round 3, Pick 87
Savion Williams, WR | TCU
Grade: B+
After snapping their 23-year drought without a first-round wide receiver, the Green Bay Packers took a much more familiar path in picking a Day 2 wide receiver. Of course, using that positional label might be putting Savion Williams in too narrow of a box, as the TCU player is one of the more versatile players in this draft.
Williams was a WR-RB hybrid for the Horned Frogs last year, recording 51 carries for 322 yards and 60 catches for 611 yards (scoring six touchdowns both on the ground and through the air).
His route-running needs major polish, but he’s also one of the best pure athletes in this draft, as evidenced by his 4.48 40-yard dash time and terrific agility. Even if he’s not a full-time wideout, Williams should benefit from developing under Matt LaFleur’s creative offensive mind.
- Round 4, Pick 124
Barryn Sorrell, EDGE | Texas
Grade: C+
It was inevitable that the Packers would address their EDGE rotation at some point, and Barryn Sorrell makes a lot of sense in the middle rounds. At 6’3”, 256 pounds, he fits most of Green Bay’s size parameters, yet has very efficient and compact mass, which supplements his play strength.
Sorrell has good explosion and bend for his size, and can reduce his surface area while splicing past the apex, but he also has some speed-to-power. He’s a solid rotational add right away, but there’s an argument to be made that there were more well-rounded players on the board at this pick.
- Round 5, Pick 159
Collin Oliver, LB | Oklahoma State
Grade: B - Round 6, Pick 198
Warren Brinson, DT | Georgia
Grade: C+ - Round 7, Pick 238
Micah Robinson, CB | Tulane
Grade: B - Round 7, Pick 250
John Williams, OL, Cincinnati
Grade: A