Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers selected TCU WR Savion Williams with the No. 87 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Savion Williams is the perfect boom-or-bust wide receiver for teams to buy into.

Williams is an explosive height, weight, and speed prospect at the receiver position. He is an excellent athlete who made Bruce Feldman's "Freak List." He has the speed and explosiveness to be a reliable and consistent big-play generator.

Williams is a great run-after-catch threat in the open field. That great explosiveness and long speed make him a threat to take it the distance at any given moment. Williams' agility is impressive for a player of his stature—he can weave in and out of traffic for YAC. He makes defenders miss in space and deploys a quick spin move in tight quarters. TCU converted him into a "wide back" offensive weapon like San Francisco 49ers Deebo Samuel. Williams is a playmaker in space with manufactured/gadget touches.

His route running is physical, with good suddenness and snap at the top of the route. Williams uses his hands well to fight through contact from the defender. He is a menace on in-breaking routes—slants, digs, etc. Due to his strength and size, it is difficult to stop him from crossing face to win inside leverage. Williams has good foot quickness to shake and bake defenders in one-on-one coverage.

With the ball in flight, Williams attacks it at its highest point. He is a strong leaper and uses his entire frame and wingspan to win the ball at the catch point. He has good body control when elevating over defenders to battle for the football. Williams plays like a power forward on the hardwood and boxes smaller defenders out for position to the football.

The bust aspect of Williams's profile starts with drops. Talent is there, but he does not have natural hands. Even on impressive high-point passes, he double-catches the ball and prefers to trap it to his frame. Williams' gadget usage this season limited his development at wide receiver. Yes, he showcased valuable alignment versatility, but the fundamentals of playing wide receiver were not nurtured. This leads to questions regarding his actual position heading into the draft.

Overall, Savion Williams projects as WR3/4 with developmental tools and positional versatility. The combination of strength, speed, and agility with the ball in his hands can be dangerous. There's plenty of upside at the wide receiver position, but the landing spot will be paramount for him to reach his ceiling.

MEASUREMENT AND WORKOUT RESULTS

HEIGHT: 6'5

WEIGHT: 225

40-YARD DASH: 4.48

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: N/A

BROAD: N/A

POSITIVES

— Outstanding height, weight, and speed athlete at the wide receiver position.

— Explosive burst as a run-after-catch threat.

— Good play strength and physicality as a route runner.

— Developmental upside with high-end physical traits.

NEGATIVES

— Lacks natural hands, double clutches catches. Charged with eight drops in 2024.

— Gadget usage limited wide receiver development; unrefined route runner.

— Body-catcher who prefers to trap the football to his frame rather than pluck it with his hands.

NOTES

— 4-star recruit in 2020 class, per 247Sports

— 2024: Honorable-Mention All-Big 12

— 2023: Honorable-Mention All-Big 12

GRADE: 6.9 (Potential Role Player — 4th Round) 

OVERALL RANK: 125

POSITION RANK: WR15

PRO COMPARISON: Chase Claypool

Written by B/R NFL Scout Dame Parson

The Green Bay Packers selected NC State OT Anthony Belton with the No. 54 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Anthony Belton is a three-year starter at left tackle inside N.C. State's balanced, zone-based run scheme with counter mixed in. Belton has a thick, wide-bodied build with good arm length, heavy hands and solid athletic ability.

Belton wins as a run blocker using his big body, long arms and heavy hands to cover up targets on angle-drive blocks with the power to displace and create rush lanes. He dents defensive tackles on double-team feeds and has flashes of very good burst to cut off the backside and intersect targets on screens. While Belton's raw athletic ability and power are impressive, it is clouded with raw, clunky footwork and high pad level that oftentimes leave him late, leaning and overextended against slippery defenders and moves across his face.

In pass protection, Belton wins using his size, length, and knockback power to stun and engulf rushers that use power and attempt to go down the middle of him while flashing the ability to keep high-side rushers at his fingertips and widen the corner. Belton is also a force when uncovered and can cave in adjacent rushers to clear the pocket. He is inconsistent with speed moves due to shaky footwork and an overreliance on two-hand striking, which leaves him beat clean against adept counter moves.

Overall, Belton has starter-level size, natural power and enough athletic ability to warrant being drafted, but sloppy technique and shaky recovery skills make him a high-variance dart throw worth a shot for a high-end, veteran line room and coaching staff.

MEASUREMENT AND WORKOUT RESULTS

HEIGHT: 6'6"

WEIGHT: 336

HAND: 10¼"

ARM: 33⅞"

WINGSPAN: 83⅛"

40-YARD DASH: 5.26

3-CONE: 7.77

SHUTTLE: 4.69

VERTICAL: 29.5"

BROAD: 8'11"

POSITIVES

— Good arm length with a thick, wide-bodied build, heavy hands and jarring power

— Flashes of high-end burst seen on backside cut-offs, screens and climbs that allow him to close space at a very impressive level given his size

— Can bang down, feed and cave in the hip/ribs of his target on double teams

— Excels against bigger power rushers with the size, length and strength to

— Finds work when uncovered with pocket-clearing pop on contact

— Plays with a physical, aggressive mentality and the size/power to generate knockdowns

NEGATIVES

— Marginal agility and lateral quickness with an upright playing style leaves him late, leaning and overextended against moves across his face

— Clunky footwork causes his heels to click when expanding his set points against high-side rushes and crossover when redirecting inside

— High variance pass protector due to being overly reliant on the two-hand strike, leaving him with no recourse when his strike doesn't land

NOTES

— Unranked recruit from the 2019 class, per 247Sports

— Enrolled at Georgia Military Academy where he spent two seasons before transferring to N.C. State as a 3-star JUCO recruit

— 32 career starts at left tackle

— Was ejected against Clemson during the 2024 season and subsequently was taken out of the starting lineup the following week (although he did play)

GRADE: 6.5 (Potential Role Player - Round 4)

OVERALL RANK: 166

POSITION RANK: OT12

PRO COMPARISON: Germain Ifedi

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

The Green Bay Packers selected Cincinnati OT John Williams with the No. 250 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

John Williams is a two-year starting left tackle inside Cincinnati's balanced (52-48 run-pass split), zone-based run scheme. Williams has a stout, thick build with good arm length, big hands, solid play strength and athletic ability.

Williams is an effective zone run-blocker using his girth, length and quickness to get into fits on time on the front and back side of runs before latching and walling off defenders long enough to solidify rush lanes. His high-cut frame and incrementally rising pad level sap his power and control late in the rep, leaving him slipped too easily.

While Williams' quickness in the box is solid, he loses steam on the move. Combined with his upright posture, that results in a mediocre ability to track and intersect second- and third-level targets.

Williams is a solid pass protector at tackle with the range in his pass sets, length and understanding of how to play long to harden his edges, press and expand rushers past the quarterback's drop. He mixes up his hands with baits and snatches to disrupt the rusher's timing and steal leverage, but he will get caught striking down the middle with his outside hand, creating short corners. Williams is also erratic against stunts and twists due to being late with his drag hand, drifting and getting off levels with his guard, which creates leakage and penetration.

Overall, Williams has the girth, length and baseline combination of movement ability and strength to earn a role as a swing backup at tackle or guard in the NFL. He has the upside to become a spot starter if he can clean up his technique and consistency.

MEASUREMENT AND WORKOUT RESULTS

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 322

HAND: 11"

ARM: 33⅞"

WINGSPAN: 81½"

40-YARD DASH: 5.17

3-CONE: 7.93

SHUTTLE: 4.72

VERTICAL: N/A

BROAD: N/A

POSITIVES

— Stout, thick build with good arm length and big hands.

— Understands how to weaponize his length, play long and keep rushers at his fingertips with active, independent hands, snatches and bait/flash techniques.

— Efficient zone run-blocker with the girth, length and quickness to establish first meaningful contact, latch and wall off long enough to solidify rush lanes.

— Has the range to get to his spot against wide-rush alignments with the length to harden his edges, press and wash past the QB's drop.

NEGATIVES

— High-cut frame with erratic pad level results in a loss of power and control during the second and third phases of drive blocks.

— Bad habit of striking down the middle of high-side rushes force him into scramble mode and create short corners.

— Unreliable depth, spacing and timing with his drag hand against stunts/twists creates leakage and penetration.

NOTES

— 3-star recruit from the 2020 class, per 247Sports

— 27 career starts, including 24 consecutive at left tackle over his final two seasons

— Participated in the 2025 Shrine Bowl

GRADE: 6.7 (Potential Role Player — 4th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 142

POSITION RANK: OT10

PRO COMPARISON: Delmar Glaze

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

The Green Bay Packers selected Texas WR Matthew Golden with the No. 23 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Matthew Golden is an explosive and dynamic receiver with positional flexibility.

Golden makes plays from multiple wide receiver positions, X, slot, & Z. He separates from coverage well with his innate ability to decelerate and accelerate in and out of his breaks. He sells go-routes on the vertical plane well to push the cornerback upfield creating space for him to break downhill and back towards the quarterback. He modulates speeds to Golden is a crisp route runner who separators well at the top of his route. He is a quick mover with sharp plants to pivot in the right direction. Golden can suddenly change directions and lose his man coverage defender. He works the inside leverage well before cutting between the hashes into the middle of the field.

Golden's speed and acceleration will take the top off the defense; generating explosive plays through the air to back safeties off and create lighter defensive fronts against the run. He will take the primary corner and deep safety vertical; essentially freeing up underneath routes for his teammates. His acceleration is outstanding and on display after the catch. Golden can explode past defenders after catching an underneath target in space. He shifts gears quickly in space and can eat up grass for maximum YAC.

In contested catch situations, Golden displays good body control as he elevates in the air to make a play. He is competitive at the catch point and can reel in difficult grabs. Golden's ability to contort his body and maintain control to stay in bounds is impressive.

As a run blocker, Golden leaves a lot to be desired. He struggles to sustain leverage or the block. He lacks the play strength and physicality to operate as a play-side crackback blocker. He is easily shed by defenders and displaced. If aligned in the slot, effective run blocking is important to have in your wheelhouse. Golden's wingspan is functional, but NFL cornerbacks with athleticism and a good wingspan will challenge him at the LOS. His use of hands against press alignment needs work. To maximize his skill set and potential, he must develop more counters against physical corners.

In all, Matthew Golden projects as a WR 2/3 to assume the role of a movement Z receiver. With his speed and explosiveness Golden will be a nice complement to a traditional X-receiver. He will be the quick separator in the offense.

MEASUREMENT AND WORKOUT RESULTS

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 195

40-YARD DASH: 4.29

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICLE: N/A

BROAD: N/A

POSITIVES

— Great long speed and burst off the ball to create explosive plays down the field.

— Separation creator due to sharp and crisp route running ability.

— Speed modulation to keep defensive backs on their heels.

— Catch point competitiveness with good hand-eye coordination and body control.

NEGATIVES

— Consistency with use of hands in contact window to combat long-limbed physical corners.

— Has battled injuries over the past few seasons, five missed games prior to 2024.

— Cleaning up concentration drops, accounted for 13 over the least three seasons.

— Play strength concerns contribute to struggles sustaining run blocks, after initial contact.

NOTES

— Born Aug. 1, 2003

— 4-Star recruit in 2022 class, per 247Sports

— 30 collegiate starts between Houston & Texas

— 2023: All-Big 12 Football Second Team (KR/PR)

GRADE: 8.0 (Year 1 Starter — Late 1st - Early 2nd)

OVERALL RANK: 20

POSITION RANK: WR2

PRO COMPARISON: Santana Moss

Written by B/R NFL Scout Dame Parson

The Green Bay Packers reportedly aren't actively attempting to trade cornerback Jaire Alexander at the moment, but that won't stop a move in the future.

According to ESPN's Rob Demovsky, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst is not trading Alexander "yet."

Demovsky noted that it "remains to be seen" what happens if the 28-year-old isn't dealt by Green Bay and "whether that would lead to his outright release."

Alexander has two seasons remaining on a four-year, $84 million contract extension that he signed with the Packers in May 2022. He's set to carry cap hits of $25 million in 2025 and $27.4 million in 2026, via Spotrac.

If Green Bay releases him, it would gain roughly $6.8 million in 2025 cap space (h/t Demovsky). The Packers would also open up more than $17 million in cap room if they designate him as a post-June 1 cut.

Alexander has spent all seven years of his career in Green Bay, making Pro Bowl appearances in 2020 and 2022.

Injuries have slowed him down since his final Pro Bowl year, as he's appeared in just 14 combined games over the past two seasons.

In seven starts during his 2024 campaign, Alexander recorded 16 tackles and seven passes defensed to go along with two interceptions. He received an impressive 75.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus for his efforts, allowing 14 receptions in 232 coverage snaps.

Gutekunst was noncommittal surrounding Alexander's future with the team at the end of the 2024 season, bringing up his availability issues.

"When you have a player who's done what he's done for us in the past, and then not being able to get him out on the field consistently, that's tough," Gutekunst said, per Demovsky. "You know it's tough on the player, tough on the organization."

The Packers may not currently be in the process of moving Alexander, but his long-term outlook in Green Bay is still murky.

After Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs made comments suggesting his team needs a WR1 option, quarterback Jordan Love gave his thoughts on the Packers receiver room.

He admitted the Packers receiver room is young, but said they have receivers that can "grow into" the WR1 role.

Love said Thursday on ESPN's NFL Live:

Like you said, I think we have different guys that can play and do different things better than other guys and I think we have a deep receiver room. Obviously, like you mention Tucker Kraft, but I think we got a lot of guys that can grow into that role and I think we're still young, we're still building this thing and guys are still proving themselves. Josh made those comments and I'll always ride for my guys. I love the guys that we have. I always say if you add good players to an already good offense I think, you know, you can make it a better team.

Making an appearance on 97.3 The Game recently, Jacobs said Green Bay has talented young receivers, but the team needs someone already "proven" as a WR1.

"We've got a really young group of receivers," Jacobs said. "All can be really special, but I think personally we need a guy that's proven to be a No. 1 already. Somebody that we know is going to be a little bit more consistent."

Jacobs also alluded to former Packers receiver Davante Adams going back to Green Bay, saying he can sign with the Packers "if he comes at the right price."

“I think we need a guy that’s proven to be a #1 WR already.”

-Packers RB Josh Jacobs on “No BS” with @BillSchmidRadio & @ArmenSaryan pic.twitter.com/RetrfMI9IE

— 97.3 The Game (@TheGameMKE) February 5, 2025

Nobody in the Packers' wide receiver room established themself as the true No. 1 option this season, but Jayden Reed led the group with 857 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 55 receptions.

The 2024 season was Reed's second year in the league, and his third campaign could see him take the leap that Love believes he can.

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs would like to see the team make a significant addition to the passing game this offseason.

During an appearance on 97.3 The Game in Milwaukee, the three-time Pro Bowler said the Packers "need a guy that's proven to be a No. 1 already."

“I think we need a guy that’s proven to be a #1 WR already.”

-Packers RB Josh Jacobs on “No BS” with @BillSchmidRadio & @ArmenSaryan pic.twitter.com/RetrfMI9IE

— 97.3 The Game (@TheGameMKE) February 5, 2025

This has been a common refrain from Packers fans ever since the team traded Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022. He's the last Green Bay player to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in a season.

Even before the Adams trade, the front office's steadfast unwillingness to take a wideout in the first round of the NFL draft was a regular talking point, too. It hasn't happened since the Packers picked Javon Walker 20th overall in 2002.

Teams have consistently found value outside of the first round with Adams, the 53rd pick in 2014, an obvious example. Green Bay's investments in the draft haven't panned out, though. Neither Christian Watson nor Jayden Reed, second-rounders in 2022 and 2023, has made a breakthrough to this point.

You'd think having a star such as Jacobs publicly express his hope for reinforcements at receiver could motivate the front office to act. But hearing Aaron Rodgers grumble about his wideouts didn't force Brian Gutekunst to be more aggressive, so it's hard to see why now would be much different.

Granted, Gutekunst might already be planning to get quarterback Jordan Love some help after the 26-year-old took a small step backward in his second full year as a starter. His completion percentage (63.1). touchdown passes (25) and yards per game (225.9) were both down compared to 2023.

Especially when the Packers are projected to have $44.6 million to spend, before accounting for any cost-savings maneuvers, this could be an opportune time to splurge in free agency.

The Green Bay Packers have made playoff appearances in five of the past six seasons, but general manager Brian Gutekunst is ready for the team to become a true Super Bowl contender.

"You always have some disappointments in the year," Gutekunst said on Thursday, via NFL.com's Eric Edholm. "I think, for me, the thing that's been on my mind as we've concluded this season is we need to continue to ramp up our sense of urgency. These opportunities don't come (very often). The life of a player in the National Football League is not very long. We've got a bunch of good guys in that locker room, got a bunch of talented guys in that locker room, and yeah, I think it's time that we start competing for championships, right?"

In the Packers' past three postseason runs, they haven't advanced beyond the divisional round. This included a 22-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round that put an end to their 2024 campaign.

Welcome to Quinyonamo Bay

📺: #GBvsPHI on FOX
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/OE1RLV1GTw

— NFL (@NFL) January 13, 2025

Green Bay has four total Super Bowl victories, but they haven't made it to the title game since they last hoisted a Lombardi Trophy during the 2010 season.

The Packers will have just over $38 million in effective cap space to make upgrades to their roster in free agency, via Over the Cap.

Green Bay has shown a willingness to make free-agent splashes in past years, signing running back Josh Jacobs to a four-year contract in March 2024. The move paid off, as Jacobs picked up 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns on 301 carries in his first year with the team.

Josh Jacobs has SEVEN TDs in his last three games 💪#GBvsDET on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/IGcmBpphkF

— NFL (@NFL) December 6, 2024

Based on Gutekunst's latest comments, expect the Packers to continue exploring upgrades throughout the offseason as they look to establish themselves as a true Super Bowl threat.