Paul Bretl | 4/23/2025
GREEN BAY, Wis. — From a roster-building and construction standpoint, this year’s NFL draft looks a bit different for the Packers than it did in 2023 and 2024. So will that alter how GM Brian Gutekunst navigates the next three days?
“No, I don’t think so,” said Gutekunst on Monday when asked if having fewer draft picks will change anything. “I think there’s probably a little strategy difference. You know, as far as you’re going through things, because you just have more ammunition at the top, which is, probably makes things a little bit more flexible. But no, I don’t think there’s anything that changes, you know, how we go about it, building the board, or anything like that.
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Two years ago, as the Packers transitioned to Jordan Love being the starting quarterback, that wasn’t the only shift that took place on the roster. Gutekunst also made a concerted effort to get younger and lean into creating as much competition as he could at every position on the roster.
At the center of that roster shift was the NFL draft, with the Packers holding a hefty 24 selections over those two years. For two seasons now, the Packers have had the youngest roster in the NFL, but still managed to make the playoffs each year as well.
Compared to the rest of the NFL, the Packers have had very little roster turnover this offseason. According to Over the Cap, only 7.7% of the Packers’ total snaps from the 2024 season won’t be returning in 2025. This is the seventh-lowest mark in football. In addition to that, with 72 players currently under contract prior to the draft, only 12 teams have more.
So, given the team’s recent regular season success and the number of key contributors returning, it’s easy to see why Gutekunst is confident in where his roster currently stands.
“I feel really good about our roster right now,” Gutekunst said. “I think that’s one of–that doesn’t happen every year. Every year’s a little bit different, but if we had to go play next week I feel really good about our roster. I feel like we could win and go compete. Really across the board.”
Even at the positions that are deemed as pressing needs for this Packers team to address, it’s not as if they are void of talent there either. Along the defensive front, while an improved pass rush is needed, the Packers still have Rashan Gary, Kenny Clark, Lukas Van Ness, Devonte Wyatt, and others.
It’s a similar story at wide receiver. Without question, more consistency is required, but there is a solid foundation here as well with Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and Christian Watson returning at some point as well.
So for those reasons, this year’s draft for the Packers is different than it was in years past. Of course, there are still needs to be tackled, but the reshaping process that Gutekunst went through in 2023 and 2024 is largely complete. Now it’s about fine-tuning.
In theory, having fewer draft picks and having an overall well-constructed roster could impact how the Packers go about this year’s draft.
In one respect, with relatively few roster spots to fill, perhaps the Packers would be more willing to hone in on one of those aforementioned positions of need, but that logic also defies how Green Bay goes about the draft process.
“Hopefully as this draft unfolds we’re able to just sit back and select the best player that falls to us,” said Gutekunst. “I think that’s something we prepare ourselves to be in. No, I don’t think we look at it really any differently than other years. Certainly if there’s an opportunity to take a player at that position and it makes sense we will do it, but I don’t think we feel like we need to do anything.”
Or maybe the current state of the roster–given the quantity and quality of players–could allow them to be more aggressive and more willing to part with draft capital to trade up to go and get a player that could provide a big boost at a certain position. Although, in doing so, because a second premium pick is being traded away to make that jump up the draft board, you better be right about the kind of instant impact that player can have.
“It’s a two for one,” Gutekunst said about trading up in the first round, “and when you’re talking about premium picks, first, second, third, maybe even fourth round type picks, you’re expecting those guys to be good players. So if you’re going to do it, it’s got to be a player worth that.
“He’s got to be pretty good player, and I think he’s certainly got to fit a vision that we have for him, that could come in right away and be productive. But at the same time, those players do become available, and it’s not like we wouldn’t do it.”
Gutekunst is right; if the Packers had to suit up this Sunday and play a game, they would probably go out and win most of the time. He’s built a roster with a high floor and one where rookie contributions aren’t a must. That’s a good spot to be in.
While not flashy, the Packers’ disciplined approach to the offseason and the processes that they have established to evaluate players and construct the roster are part of what has made them a franchise that is a perennial playoff contender. And despite the uncertainty that loomed two years ago, Gutekunst has positioned Green Bay to continue being a part of those postseason conversations.
However, while the Packers can win the majority of their games, can they win the ones against the NFC’s best? Last season, they were unable to do that, and as we look ahead to 2025, we know this team is good, but the big question is, how good are they? Is this a competing-for-championships type of team?
That question won’t be answered until actual football begins, but the catalyst behind that outcome will be internal growth from those already on the roster. Of course, the Packers hope that early draft picks can come in, contribute, and help elevate the team, but that isn’t necessarily viewed as a must either.
So, to circle back to our initial question, is the recipe there for the Packers to operate differently in this year’s NFL draft? I believe so. But will that be what happens? I don’t think so. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong or that the Packers can’t get over the playoff hump, but it’s up to Gutekunst to be proven that this is the right approach.
“No, I think you’d love to,” said Gutekunst when asked if first-round picks need to contribute right away. “It’s great when they do, but that’s not always the case. And this is, the transition to the National Football League is tough. It’s not always easy. A lot of times it’s really determined by opportunity. If you take a guy in a particular area that he’s just going to have a lot more opportunity than somebody else, and we try to stay away from that, that drafting for need, and we try to just take the best player available, if that’s possible. But most of the time, a guy’s impact in his rookie year comes down to the opportunities that he had, more than anything.”