Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst speaks to the press at the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
GREEN BAY, WI (WSAU) – The Packers will officially draft 23rd overall when the league comes to Green Bay this spring for the 2025 NFL Draft, and a few prospects are already standing out as possible targets for the Packers.
Green Bay will have several key needs to address this off-season, including adding depth to the cornerback, defensive line, center, and wide receiver positions, as players like Jaire Alexander, Josh Myers, Christian Watson, Devonte Wyatt, Kenny Clark, and Romeo Doubs have struggled with injuries and lack of performance and are pending free agents this summer.
Here are the Packers’ pre-combine top five best-fit prospects:
1. Texas Cornerback/Safety Jahdae Barron (NFL comparison: Jalen Ramsey): Barron is coming off a stellar 2024 season in which he led the Longhorns with 46 solo tackles and five interceptions, earning him this season’s Jim Thorpe Award. He was the highest-graded cornerback and the No. 12 overall defensive player in Division 1 football, according to Pro Football Focus, and would make an immediate impact for Jeff Hafley in 2025.
2. Michigan Defensive Lineman Kenneth Grant (NFL comparison: Justin Madubuike): Grant, who stands 6’3 and weighs 339 pounds and had three sacks and 18 solo tackles for the Wolverines in 2024, is expected to be selected in the late teens to early twenties in this spring’s draft. He has the potential to be a day-one starter next to Kenny Clark, who needs help getting off blocks and avoiding double teams this season after recording only one sack in 18 games played.
3. Texas Christian University Wide Receiver Savion Williams (NFL Comparison: Mike Evans/Mike Williams): The Packers do not select wide receivers in the first round, but fortunately for them, this year’s receiver class is not as highly touted as previous years, and a great prospect like Williams will likely be selected on day two. Williams, a massive target who stands 6’5 225 pounds and runs a 4.4 forty-yard dash, performed well for the Horned Frogs in 2024, catching sixty passes for 611 yards and six touchdowns, and would provide Jordan Love with a great downfield target that he desperately needs, as both Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs have struggled to become reliable playmakers, mainly due to injuries.
4. Ohio State Center Seth McLaughlin (NFL Comparison: Ted Karras): Starting center Josh Myers is an unrestricted free agent this offseason and will most likely not return to Green Bay next season after struggling throughout the 2024 season. McLaughlin started 24 games at center for the Alabama Crimson Tide over the previous three seasons before transferring to Ohio State in 2024, when he won the Rimington Trophy. McLaughlin tore his ACL during practice in November, but he is anticipated to be ready around the start of the 2025 regular season, making him a potential steal in the third or fourth round for Brian Gutenkunst.
5. Ole Miss Edge Rusher Princely Umanmielen (NFL Comparison: Montez Sweat): Umanmielen, despite being somewhat small at 6’4 255 lbs, was one of the top pass rushers in the SEC in 2024, recording 10.5 sacks and a forced fumble for the Rebels, and would fill a significant need for Jeff Hafley’s defense, as the pass rush struggled to get after the quarterback at times this season, particularly during the team’s Wild Card loss to the Eagles, when Jalen Hurts had nearly seven seconds to throw for a key touchdown in the first quarter. Former first-round picks Lukas Van Ness and Devonte Wyatt’s futures are questionable, and Umanmielen would be a good day-two pickup for Green Bay.
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