Significance of official 30 visits to Packers in pre-draft process

Paul Bretl | 3/27/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — It’s that time of the year in the pre-draft process where reports of official 30 visits with NFL teams will be taking place. So what is a 30-visit, and what is the significance of them to the Green Bay Packers?

During each draft cycle, each team is permitted to have 30 draft prospects at the team facility for an official visit. While we often hear these meetings called “top 30 visits,” it does not mean that all of these players are at the top of the Packers’ draft board.

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Instead, these visits are often reserved for prospects who the team still has questions about, and these meetings provide an additional opportunity to get to know the prospect, go over film, and do medical checks if needed.

“It’s really just about answering a question maybe that we don’t have an answer to,” said GM Brian Gutekunst prior to the 2024 NFL draft. “Sometimes that’s a non-combine guy that we need to get medical information on. Sometimes that’s a Combine guy we have, whether it’s a football question, an off-the-field situation or maybe it’s just getting to know him better.”

Perhaps also a part of the equation when determining who to bring in, at least for those potentially picking near the top of the draft, there is some gamesmanship, or “subterfuge,” as Gutekunst put it, involved as well.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to pick a little later in the first round in most of the drafts I’ve been a part of here,” Gutekunst said last offseason. “I don’t know how much of that comes into play. I think certainly if you’re maybe picking higher in the top-10 and things like that, maybe that has more to do. It may have more value. Who knows?”

With some teams, there is actually very little connection between 30 visits and who they end up drafting. With the Packers, however, particularly in recent seasons, there has been a noteworthy connection between who they have in for visits and who they eventually end up selecting in the draft.

Over the last three pre-draft cycles from 2022 through 2024, the Packers have had 90 players in for 30 visits–like every other team has. Of those 90 visits, 21 have ended up on the Packers roster in some capacity–or nearly 25% of visits–whether that be as a draft pick or signing as an undrafted rookie.

“You only have 30 and that’s not very many and they’re very valuable to us, so it’s usually just trying to answer something that you don’t feel you have answered most of the time,” Gutekunst said last offseason. “There’s a lot of guys, you go through the process and you just don’t feel you have a lot to learn from. So those guys are less likely to be on our 30 visit than some, so.”

At this point, in the early stages of the 30-visit cycle, it’s been reported that the Packers will be hosting Washington State OL Esa Pole, Tennessee DE James Pearce Jr., Texas A&M DE Shemar Stewart, and Texas WR Isaiah Bond.

So as we all try to decipher which prospects may be high up on the Packers’ draft board, while the 30 visits aren’t the be-all-end-all by any means, they are noteworthy, given Green Bay’s track record in recent years with either signing or selecting those prospects.

How the Packers’ 2026 free agent class and salary cap situation may have impacted their approach in 2025

Paul Bretl | 3/25/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The outside world is, of course, fixated on what’s happening right now with the Packers and how good they hope this team can be in 2025. However, for GM Brian Gutekunst, when it comes to the salary cap and construction of the roster, he’s always looking two or three years down the road and how the decisions today will impact the Packers in future years.

“We have a process that we go through and we’ll see what’s available,” said Gutekunst about free agency after the season. “If it’s right for us, then we’re going to attack it. If they’re not there, it’s not there.”

To what degree, I don’t know, but the Packers’ salary cap outlook for the 2026 season, coupled with there being a number of their own players up for new deals–and some big ones at that–I would guess played some sort of factor in how the team approached free agency this offseason.

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Now, with that said, it’s not as if the Packers didn’t do any spending this offseason. Nate Hobbs signed a four-year, $48 million deal, and Aaron Banks signed a four-year deal worth $77 million. But structure-wise, while the hope is that things don’t play out this way, the Packers do have outs as early as 2026 in both deals if that’s what’s needed.

While these are big deals, the Packers maintained some flexibility long-term–or at least as much as you can given the size of the contracts.

So for a team where the theme of the offseason is urgency, which Gutekunst brought up at his season-ending press conference, and with big needs at wide receiver and along the defensive front, why didn’t we see the Packers taking more swings when, as Gutekunst put it, it’s time to start competing for championships?

Looking ahead to 2026 may provide us with some of that insight. As of now, the Packers have $25.61 million in available cap space, according to Over the Cap. Compared to the rest of the NFL, this only ranks 25th. The Packers are currently scheduled to have six players with cap hits of at least $24 million, including two players with cap hits north of $31 million. This season, for some context, the Packers have just three players with a cap hit of at least $24 million and none over the $30 million mark.

So the natural cap hit increases baked into these contracts that are already on the books are going to add some limitations to what the Packers can do cap-wise next offseason, which can then impact the deals that are added to the books during the current offseason.

But in addition to that, one of the trickle-down effects that can come with making a big addition now with heavy guarantees, is that it not only decreases future cap space, but it can impact who is signed down the road, including a team’s own free agents, which the Packers have some key ones next offseason.

This list of 2026 free agents includes Zach Tom, Rasheed Walker, Sean Rhyan, Romeo Doubs, JJ Enagbare, and Christian Watson, along with Devonte Wyatt and Quay Walker if their fifth-year options aren’t picked up.

Obviously, not all of those players will be brought back, but Tom and Walker, in particular, are on track to land some big second contracts, and the free agent decisions made today can impact what moves are made–or not made–in the future by the Packers.

“We’ve got to keep making good decisions, and it’s never a one-year thing,” said Gutekunst after the season. “You’re looking at two, three years down the road as far as how these things impact things. We have a lot of good players that are under rookie contracts right now, and we’ve got to make sure we’re able to extend those guys when that time comes, but I feel really good our ability to go do what we need to do to field a championship-level team.”

As always, there are ways to create more cap space, whether it be through veteran cuts or contract restructures. The contract restructures, which in short, pushes cap charges from the current year to future contract years, was a tool that we saw Gutekunst use often during the 2021 and 2022 offseasons in an effort to keep those veteran-heavy Packers’ teams together.

For the right player or in the right situation, Gutekunst will go down that contract restructure path again, but now free of many of those past cap saving maneuvers, he would prefer to operate in the salary cap world that the Packers are currently living in, which is one with flexibility and one where they aren’t reliant on kicking the salary cap can down the road.

“Certainly we’d love to be in that situation every year where you have a lot of flexibility to do what you need to do,” Gutekunst said. “I think depending on the opportunities that are out there and your football team or where you’re at can dictate some of that. Again, I think whenever there are players like X or Josh that are out there, which isn’t very often, I think even if you don’t have great flexibility, you have to really consider adding those kind of players because there’s just not that many of ’em.

“So again, I feel really good where we’re at right now, would love to stay in that kind of flexibility year to year. We’ll certainly try to do that, but at the same time if we kinda have to do some different things because we have an opportunity to acquire a player that can impact our team like these two guys did, we’ll do it.”

None of these offseason moves from the GM’s perspective are made within a vacuum. It’s never as simple as how much cap space is available and what’s the cap hit for a player this season? There is a ripple effect that comes after any big decision is made that impacts future years’ cap space and who can be signed or re-signed at that time, and all of that is taken into consideration.

All of this only adds to the importance of a team hitting on their draft picks. Getting high-impact play from players on rookie deals is incredibly valuable in today’s NFL, which the Packers will continue to lean heavily on when it comes to their roster-building approach.

Now, is this foolproof when it comes to getting the Packers to being a championship level team? Absolutely not. Nothing is guaranteed. But when wondering why the Packers didn’t make a splash at receiver or along the defensive line in free agency, there’s a lot that goes into that decision beyond there simply being a need–the cap situation and roster outlook in future years can carry plenty of weight.

In midst of CB unknowns, versatility remains cornerstone for Packers’ secondary and an advantage

Paul Bretl | 3/24/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers still have their share of unknowns at the cornerback position heading into April’s draft. However, what’s becoming more clear, particularly after the signing of Nate Hobbs, is the importance of versatility in Jeff Hafley’s defense and just how much of it Green Bay now has in the secondary, which can play to their advantage.

“You got to be versatile playing in this defense,” said Keisean Nixon late last season. “You can’t just learn one spot you gotta be able to learn multiple positions,”

Hobbs joins the Packers having spent the bulk of his career, especially over the last two seasons, playing in the nickel. But he does have boundary experience at both the NFL and college levels, and given where the need lies for the Packers at cornerback, that is where he could spend most of his playing time in Green Bay.

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However, when pontificating and having this conversation, it would be naive of us to think that he’s going to play one spot or the other. My early guess is that it’s both and when and where will be dependent upon the opponent and the situation at hand within the game.

“Obviously, there’s no secret, I’m a versatile player,” Hobbs said. “I play inside, outside. I’ve played inside and outside in the past, but it’s March. We’ll get to that. I’m willing to do whatever the team needs me to do. I’m a dog, so I’m gonna step wherever I step. If I step at nickel, if I step at corner. If they need me to play safety, god damnit, I’ll play safety.”

As we saw last season, Nixon brings a similar level of versatility to the Packers’ secondary, able to play inside and out and do so at a moment’s notice–a skill and ability that isn’t common at the NFL level, as defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley pointed out last season.

Throughout the season, Hafley would often rave about the versatility that Javon Bullard adds to the defense. As a rookie, Bullard wore a number of hats, whether it was playing from the slot, filling in as the deep safety, blitzing, or helping out in the run game. Green Bay also believes Evan Williams can take on a variety of responsibilities as well, which of course was a factor in their decision to draft him last April.

“We got some of these young guys who give us the versatility to move people around and get creative,” Hafley said last season prior to the Houston game in Week 7. “As you start to see each week, if you turn us on and really watch us, there’s something a little bit new every single week and it’s kind of talked about. We gotta build and build and build and find what we’re good at, who’s good at what and really start to roll.”

Then, of course, there is Xavier McKinney–the ultimate chess piece on the back end of any defense–who gives Hafley seemingly unlimited flexibility when it comes to what he asks him to do.

Versatility is obviously a crucial element for a few reasons. One of which is injuries happen. However, when that occurs, the ability to move your starters around to fill different roles hopefully minimizes the absence of the player who is sidelined.

But in addition to that important aspect, a versatile defense can put a lot on the plate for an opposing offense. From a preparation standpoint, there’s a lot to watch and be ready for throughout the week when the defense is putting a variety of looks on tape. Then pre-snap, quarterbacks won’t as easily get a beat on what’s coming based solely on where defenders are lined up because it’s either a different look or where players are aligned could change once the ball is snapped.

“You start having these different packages of people so you can get guys in different roles so you can create some mismatches,” Hafley said last season. “So you take advantage of situations. So you put yourself in better position to have success. I just think the more we go, the easier it’s gonna be. It takes detailing out by the coaches and the players and we kind of roll with it in the game. But the more competition there is, the more versatility there is, I think we’ll be better and better as we go.”

Hafley obviously has his playbook and defensive philosophies that he believes in and wants to generally stick to. But what we saw in 2024 and will continue to see is an ever-evolving defensive unit that will continue to adjust and adapt on the fly based on who the opponent is and what the players in the Packers’ secondary do well, so they can be put into positions to be successful.

In order to accomplish this, versatility is an important factor, and in the process, it makes life more challenging for offenses as well–and, of course, that’s always a good thing.

“This league’s about matchups and I think if you have guys that can play certain positions that gives you an advantage, then I think it’s our job to coach it and get it done,” Hafley said last season. “I think it’s about adapting. I’ve said this since I got here, it’s not like, ‘Hey, here’s the playbook. This is in. Go run the defense.’ It’s each week, what did we look like? What do we look like when they watch us on tape? What can we do a little bit different to counter that? What do we do really well?

“Let’s do more of it, make it look different. And then as we start to see certain players do certain things, how can we best use them to improve? We have to keep getting better. That’s the whole key to this whole entire thing as we go. Any way that we can adapt and get better, both coaching, playing, scheme, personnel, it’s not just like plug and play. Let’s evolve. I think that’s very important.”

While cornerback still remains a need that the Packers have to address in the draft, and there are areas within that position group that can improve this season, such as making more plays on the ball and limiting the number of receptions, the defensive scheme can continue to help with some of that heavy lifting by putting the players in positions to have the upper hand, and the versatility component that these defenders bring to the table is an important part of making that happen.

So when it comes to the draft and who might be on the Packers’ radar, keep versatility front of mind. Does the prospect have experience playing inside and out? Have they proven to be capable defenders in both man and zone coverages? In addition to that, we know how important size and length are at cornerback for GM Brian Gutekunst, along with the Packers prioritizing awareness and vision, two staples of playing cornerback in Hafley’s defense.

“You know me. I’d love all those guys to be 6-3 1/2 and 220. I’d love that,” Brian Gutekunst said at the NFL combine. “I do think with what Jeff’s trying to do, there’s a lot more vision and awareness and instincts out there than maybe we’ve played with in the past.

“So, again, it’s still very important to me that we’re big out there and have some length. But I will say both those guys played very, very well for us. I’m excited about what they’re going to do continuing in this scheme.”

Cornerback is a need, but how big of a need do the Packers view it heading into NFL draft?

Paul Bretl | 3/21/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — On the outside, there continue to be questions about the state of the Packers’ cornerback position, even with the addition of free agent Nate Hobbs.

Where will Hobbs play–the slot or the boundary? If he moves to the boundary, how smooth will that transition be after being a nickel defender for the last two seasons? What about Jaire Alexander? Who will be the other starting boundary cornerback if Alexander doesn’t return? What about the inexperienced depth on the roster currently?

All valid questions. However, internally, the Packers don’t seem to have those same unknowns. Instead, the Packers appear to be quite bullish on Keisean Nixon and his ability to continue starting on the boundary.

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“I think he played really, really well,” GM Brian Gutekunst said at the NFL combine. “I think he really fit what Jeff (Hafley) was trying to do. First of all, he’s an outstanding competitor. I didn’t blink when we asked him to do that, but I just think his athleticism and his ability … with his eyes and his ability to tackle served us well out there. For me, he may not have the length that some of those guys on the outside have, but his awareness and ball skills make up for that.”

While we always have to be mindful of GM-speak, there is a noticeable difference at the NFL combine in how Gutekunst spoke about Nixon and the cornerback position as a whole versus the pass rush, which was evident by his words, has to improve.

After beginning the 2024 season as the Packers’ nickel cornerback, Nixon transitioned early on to the boundary, which helped fill a need there and also allowed Green Bay to get rookie safeties Javon Bullard and Evan Williams on the field together. Although this move from inside to out can be overlooked, it’s a difficult one to make.

“I had a couple guys in college that have been a nickel or a safety, or a dime and a safety,” said defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley late last season. “Never a guy that really went from cornerback inside to nickel. It’s a testament to Keisean’s ability to compete, because nickel is totally drastic, different from corner.”

On the year, Nixon allowed a completion rate of 66% on 86 targets and held opponents to just 9.3 yards per catch with six pass breakups and an interception. Among cornerbacks who played at least 375 coverage snaps, only seven had a lower yards per catch allowed than Nixon. He also ranked 32nd out of 127 eligible cornerbacks in snaps per reception when in man coverage, according to PFF.

The “awareness” and “ball skills” that Gutekunst mentioned when describing Nixon are important elements when it comes to playing cornerback in Jeff Hafley’s defensive scheme and are two elements that, from the sounds of it, the Packers will further prioritize in their evaluation process with draft prospects.

Along with the all-important coverage abilities, Nixon also proved to be a sound tackler and a capable run defender, which didn’t go unnoticed by the Packers’ coaches.

“I think what he’s done is, I think he’s taken his game up another level in terms of every year, he’s a guy that’s shown the ability and has gotten better and more consistent in his football in terms of him going out there and performing,” said Matt LaFleur late last season. “So Kei is a guy that we’ve got a lot of confidence in, and he’s shown the versatility to play not on the inside, but to go out on the outside. And not everybody can do that.”

In addition to Nixon’s play, the Packers were also encouraged later in the season by the growth of Carrington Valentine. Admittedly, quarterbacks were efficient against Valentine but didn’t produce much against him. Over the final three games, Valentine allowed just 9.0 yards per catch on 11 receptions. He also had a late-season stretch of coming away with two interceptions in three games.

“I think CV is a young player, and the more he plays, it seems like the better he’s getting,” LaFleur said late in the season. “And I think he’s addressed some of the things that we wanted him to work on throughout, not only last year, but into this year, and he’s done a nice job, and certainly he’s made some plays for us … I expect him to get better.”

Now, all of this isn’t to say that the Packers are content and won’t add to this room. Taking that approach last offseason, where the only somewhat significant addition came in the seventh round of the draft, and the depth of this unit then being tested during the year should be a learning opportunity.

Collectively, last season, the Packers’ cornerbacks did well at eliminating explosive pass plays. However, there wasn’t much ball production from that group, with Green Bay ranking 31st in pass deflections. In addition to that, while Nixon and Valentine both limited yards, they gave up a high percentage of completions, with Nixon at 66% and Valentine at 82%.

Adding competition at cornerback, for both playing time and when it comes to the depth of this group and competing for roster spots, should certainly be on the draft to-do list. However, just because it’s something that has to be done, doesn’t mean there is concern internally about having to do it. Think of your own to-do lists–not everything is a level 10 urgency, even though it might command your attention. Perhaps the Packers view the cornerback position that way.

One under-the-radar need for Packers heading into NFL draft that can open up passing game

Paul Bretl | 3/20/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — We know what the big positions of need are for the Packers as we leave free agency behind and turn our focus to the NFL draft, but could adding to the tight end position be one of those under-the-radar needs that we see GM Brian Gutekunst tackle in April?

On the surface, this probably doesn’t come across as a pressing need. Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave each still have two years left on their rookie deals, while Ben Sims is under contract for the 2025 season as well. The team did non-tender restricted free agent John FitzPatrick–who still could be re-signed as a now unrestricted free agent–and that creates a need for depth, but there is a strong foundation at this position already in place.

So where does the need here lie beyond just bringing in a training camp body for the long summer days?

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After we saw the Packers shift to a more run-centric offense with Josh Jacobs in the backfield in 2024, which included more runs from shotgun and more of the gap-blocking scheme instead of outside zone, another potential shift coming in 2025 could include Kraft being featured more heavily in the passing game to provide more stability, and some added big play potential through the air with his yards after the catch (YAC) ability.

As we know, the Packers’ passing game sputtered down the stretch last season. This included dropped passes, wrong routes being ran, and a struggle to generate explosive plays. Banking on the current group of receivers taking that needed step forward comes with risks, given how last season played out. That, of course, is the hope, but it’s an unknown right now as well.

However, the more certain bet at this time is that Kraft continues to ascend. So the Packers should lean into that, especially with Matt LaFleur believing that he has the ability to impact the Green Bay offense at a high level.

“100%,” said LaFleur after the season when asked if Kraft can have a George Kittle or Travis Kelce-like impact in the Packers’ offense, “and I think that’s on us to make sure we find him and feature him because he is, I mean, when he gets the ball in his hands, you feel him. So, if there’s an area that we gotta do a better job on, I would say featuring the tight end.”

Kraft had 70 targets and 55 receptions this season, so it’s not as if he was forgotten about in the passing game. He also led this Packers team in touchdowns this season. With that said, there were also nine games where he had three or fewer targets, and that’s a small role for such an impactful presence.

Despite ranking 17th among all tight ends in targets, Kraft was sixth in receiving yards this season with 733, in large part due to his ability to pick up YAC and generate chunk plays. Kraft’s 13.3 yards per catch was the third-highest mark among tight ends, and he led the position group in average YAC per reception.

“I’m just gonna come back and bring it again in 2025,” Kraft said at his locker after the season. “You guys are gonna see the same thing, same goals I want to set out. I want to be the best blocking tight end in the NFL while also being that guy. I want to be the guy in Year 3. I have goals and aspirations.”

Getting Kraft more involved doesn’t only include more targets. It also includes moving him around the formation, having him attack different levels of the field more often, and having him be a first or second read for Jordan Love more frequently.

But in order to accomplish all of this, there needs to be a more reliable blocking presence at the tight end position behind Kraft on the depth chart. Staying into chip or being a sixth offensive lineman, at times, obviously limits what the tight end can do from a route-running standpoint.

“For a lot of reasons,” said LaFleur when asked why Kraft wasn’t featured more in 2024. “It just depends, going back to who you’re playing. A lot of times, especially in known passing situations, we were trying to help certain spots, and typically, I would say it’s usually the tight ends and the backs who get a bunch of that responsibility. That’s part of the reason.”

The Packers have spoken highly about Musgrave’s ability to help out as a blocker. But where he’s at his best is in the passing game, specifically adding a field-stretching presence at the tight end position. Musgrave also has to show that he can stay healthy.

Sims, meanwhile, has often been tasked with filling that blocking-specific role, however, it’s not as if his spot on the roster isn’t upgradeable either. Although PFF’s grading system is far from the be-all-end-all in terms of evaluation, for what it’s worth, Sims ranked 59th out of 84 tight ends in run-blocking grade.

So this is where the opportunity potentially is for Gutekunst to add to the tight end position. Given the nature of LaFleur’s offense, the Packers are always going to value tight ends with a well-rounded skill set who can impact the game in a variety of ways, but the more traditional in-line blocking tight end is the specific role that Green Bay could look to fill.

This isn’t a need or a role that necessarily has to be addressed with an early-round selection by any means, but a mid to late-round pick on a Y-tight end could bolster competition for Sims and in finding an impact player to fill that blocking role, it can in turn, free up Kraft to do more in the passing game.

Packers give WR depth and return game a boost, signing Mecole Hardman

Paul Bretl | 3/18/2025

GREEN BAY — The Packers made the move that everyone has been waiting for–GM Brian Gutekunst has signed a free-agent wide receiver, although I’m going to guess the addition is coming later than most would have liked.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Packers are signing receiver Mecole Hardman to a one-year deal. At this time, contract details have not been reported.

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Hardman is a former second-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2019 NFL draft out of Georgia. Hardman has spent the majority of his career in Kansas City, outside of the first half of the 2023 season, when he was with the New York Jets, before being traded back to the Chiefs that same year.

Over the past two seasons, Hardman has played a smaller role in the Chiefs’ offense, totaling 32 receptions on 43 targets at 8.4 yards per catch. He did miss some time this past season due to injury.

His best season came in 2021 when Hardman caught 67 passes for 814 yards with three scores. During his time with the Chiefs, Hardman has plenty of big-game experience, and includes catching the game-winning touchdown in the 2023 Super Bowl.

“I’ve played with Mecole for a long time. He’s always ready for the moment, and he’s someone that continues to practice hard and get better,” said Patrick Mahomes of Hardman. “And obviously, that receiver rotation, we were bouncing around a lot of guys all year long, and those guys just continue to work. Just like the last Super Bowl, you never know who it’s gonna be, but it’s about everybody being ready for the moment and he was he was ready for that moment in a couple big plays.”

Hardman, who can play both from the slot and the boundary, possessed 4.33 speed coming out of Georgia–an element this Packers’ offense needs with Christian Watson sidelined. However, even during his productive 2021 season, only 13 of Hardman’s targets came 20 yards downfield.

Instead, he got the ball frequently within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage or behind it on designed touches where his speed and YAC ability could take over, which includes 39 career carries. So, this addition may not solve the Packers’ need for a vertical presence in the offense.

This addition to the receiver room provides added depth and boosts the competition for snaps within it. However, this signing isn’t the cure-all when it comes to finding more consistency and explosive plays in the passing game. As I described recently, this is one of those additions that increases the competition, and the hope is that, in turn, it increases the urgency at the position and elevates the play of that unit.

Internal development at wide receiver is still going to have to be the catalyst when it comes to getting more steady play from this unit.

“You’d like to have somebody move into that space,” Gutekunst said of having a No. 1 receiver, “but, at the same time, I’d like multiple guys to be able to move into that space. What I’m looking for is guys that, when they’re called upon, can perform at a high level. I think we have a lot of guys that have done that.”

While Hardman had a relatively small role on offense for the Chiefs recently, his greatest impact came has a return man, where he was a second-team All-Pro in 2019.

More recently, during the 2024 season, Hardman had five kick return attempts and averaged 26.4 yards per return. He also had 20 punt return attempts, averaging 10.2 yards per return. For some context, Hardman ranked 37th in yards per kick return league-wide and 17th in yards per punt attempt out of 45 eligible return men.

“He’s a dynamic player,” Chiefs’ special teams coordinator Dave Toub said of Hardman in 2023. “He’s the fastest player. He’ll be the fastest player on our team now, as soon as he got here. So it’s that breakaway speed ability.”

At the NFL combine, Gutekunst said that he wanted multiple options at kick returner, which Hardman now provides. We don’t know what the future holds at the return position for Keisean Nixon, who after the season, said he wanted to focus solely on playing cornerback or even Jayden Reed, who had his ups and downs on punt duties.

Not surprisingly, given how the Packers operate and how Gutekunst goes about constructing the roster, this is a signing that gives them options. Hardman creates added competition at receiver and depth at the position while also providing the Packers with another option on the kick and punt return units.

This is also a signing that in no way should impact how the Packers go about addressing the receiver position in the NFL draft.

Is another shift coming to Packers’ offense that searches for a consistent passing game?

Paul Bretl | 3/18/2025

GREEN BAY — Is there another shift coming to the Green Bay Packers’ offense this season? Given how free agency has played out, that could be telling us that’s the case.

We already saw a shift take place last season with the Packers’ greater reliance on the running game with Josh Jacobs in the backfield. And not only did we see the run game frequently be the catalyst for success on offense, but how the Packers ran the ball changed as well. Rather than being a heavy outside zone running team, which has been a staple of the offense under Matt LaFleur, we instead saw more shotgun runs and a gap scheme blocking because it fit Jacobs’ skill set well.

“I think coaching is, yeah, you have a philosophy of what you want to do and a foundation of what you want to do, but you’d better not be so stubborn that you just – this is what we’re going to do – if your pieces don’t necessarily match. I think that’s good coaching – putting your players in the best position possible,” LaFleur said after the season.

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The addition of Aaron Banks and the big money spent along the offensive line tells us that the Packers are going to continue leaning into the run game and on Jacobs. This, in turn, can help open up opportunities through the passing game by staying ahead of the sticks and in manageable down-and-distances, where the entire playbook is open to LaFleur, along with setting up play-action as well.

Banks has been at his best during his career as a run-blocker, and as steady as the Packers’ run game was last season with Jacobs, if there is an area of opportunity for that unit, it’s in generating more explosive running plays.

As the Packers search for more consistency in the passing game, the run game can continue to play a key role in fostering that needed element. However, there’s only so much a strong run game can provide and, ultimately, the pass-catchers are the ones who have to elevate the passing game.

As I detailed recently, addressing the receiver position via free agency or trade was never going to be a likely path for the Packers from a roster-building standpoint. Adding competition through the draft, which hopefully raises the level of urgency among the receiver room, and therefore the level of play, is how this unit is going to have to improve.

Now, of course, that is certainly not a foolproof plan when it comes to getting more consistent play in the passing game. Banking on internal development is what the Packers planned on taking place last season, but instead, we saw regression at the receiver position.

So this leads me back to where we started and what this year’s offensive shift could be for the Packers, which is seeing a lot more of Tucker Kraft in the passing game. Getting Kraft involved more is something that LaFleur already acknowledged needs to happen in 2025.

“100%,” said LaFleur on Tuesday when asked if Kraft can have a George Kittle or Travis Kelce-like impact in the Packers’ offense, “and I think that’s on us to make sure we find him and feature him because he is, I mean, when he gets the ball in his hands, you feel him. So, if there’s an area that we gotta do a better job on, I would say featuring the tight end.”

Kraft had 70 targets and 55 receptions this past season, so it’s not as if he was forgotten about in the passing game. He also led this Packers team in touchdowns as well. With that said, there were also nine games where he had three or fewer targets, and that’s a small role for such an impactful presence, especially one who LaFleur believes can have a Kittle or Kelce-like impact on this Packers team. Among all tight ends in 2024, Kraft ranked 17th in targets.

Featuring Kraft more within the offense isn’t only about giving him more targets, but that also includes moving him around the formation more to give the defense different looks and to help create mismatches pre-snap. It also means having him attack different levels of the field, rather than mostly being targeted around the line of scrimmage, along with being the first or second read for Jordan Love more often.

Two areas where the passing game has to improve this upcoming season are in generating more explosive plays and finding more consistency, which not only means fewer dropped passes but more refined route running and attention to detail. Both of which–big plays and consistency–are two elements Kraft has provided this offense.

“I talked about playing with violence and finishing and just being an (expletive)-hole out there,” said Kraft after the season. “I think you turn the film on, you’re gonna see ‘85’ all over the field, just doing that. I’m just gonna come back and bring it again in 2025. You guys are gonna see the same thing, same goals I want to set out. I want to be the best blocking tight end in the NFL while also being that guy. I want to be the guy in Year 3. I have goals and aspirations.”

Of note when it comes to getting Kraft more involved in the passing game, part of that equation is the Packers needing to have a reliable blocking presence at the tight end behind him on the depth chart to handle those responsibilities.

Naturally, this offseason, the focus has been on the receiver position and how the Packers get more out of that unit in 2025 after the passing game sputtered down the stretch last season. And without a doubt, improved play has to happen here. Unfortunately, that’s not a given either, particularly when relying on a so-so draft class at the receiver position to provide that competition and spark to help elevate the play of this group.

So when it comes to getting more out of the passing game this season, I don’t know that Plan A is the receivers taking a big step forward. Obviously, that’s the hope–but hope isn’t a plan either. I think, potentially, Plan A is a heavy dose of Jacobs and Kraft with the offense built around those two, and if the receivers make those needed strides, we will see this unit morph as the season progresses.

After first wave of NFL free agency, what’s next for Packers’ WR and DL positions?

Paul Bretl | 3/17/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The first wave of NFL free agency has passed, with the free agent market mostly picked apart at this point. The Packers would sign cornerback Nate Hobbs and guard Aaron Banks, but what about the wide receiver and defensive line positions?

Along with cornerback, from the outside perspective anyway, wide receiver and the defensive line were the two other biggest perceived needs that the Packers had. Although, by GM Brian Gutekunst’s actions, internally, the offensive line was on that list as well.

But here we sit, one week after the NFL’s legal tampering period opened and with many of the top available players now signed, the receiver and defensive line positions are still unaddressed for the Packers. So what’s next at those position groups?

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Right, wrong, or indifferent, the wide receiver market never truly shaped up as one that was conducive for Gutekunst to make a splash, given his roster-building philosophy.

As Gutekunst described after the season, when it comes to making a big trade, it’s not only draft capital that is being sent away, but the team is also losing out on young, ascending players who come with relatively inexpensive rookie deals. In return, the team is getting an established presence, but with that comes a hefty contract that now must fit into the long-term salary cap plans, which could require some maneuvering and potentially impact roster building down the road.

“You’d better be right,” said Gutekunst when asked about trading a high draft pick for a player. “When you trade a high pick for a veteran player, you’re trading a young, really good contract for a player who’s proven but is probably expensive.

“So you’re giving up a pick and salary-cap space. So I think you’ve got to weigh that. And if it’s the right player, if you feel like he can be a dynamic player who can change your football team, I think you’ve got to consider that, because there’s not many of those guys out there. But I think you have to also understand what you’re giving up.”

When it comes to the free agent market, while there is a lot of production out there at the receiver position, it’s also a lot of players who are nearing or beyond 30 years old. Which, again, right, wrong, or indifferent, doesn’t appear to be a path that Gutekunst wants to explore, particularly when it comes to handing out a decent-sized deal in order to land that player.

Realistically, no true WR1 was going to swoop in and lift the Packers’ wide receiver room for the reasons mentioned. Instead, it was always going to have to be competition that was the catalyst for improved play and fostered the urgency Gutekunst hoped to see, which in theory, could then elevate the play of that entire room.

Going down this path certainly doesn’t guarantee success, but it appears to be the best option that the Packers have at this time, given how Gutekunst wants to build out the roster, and so the draft was always the most likely avenue when it came to adding to the receiver position.

“You’d like to have somebody move into that space,” Gutekunst said of having a No. 1 receiver, “but, at the same time, I’d like multiple guys to be able to move into that space. What I’m looking for is guys that, when they’re called upon, can perform at a high level. I think we have a lot of guys that have done that.”

The same could be said for the defensive line unit. This is a position that the Packers have already invested fairly heavily into from a salary cap perspective. Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark are both top-four on the team in salary cap hits this season, not to mention a decision about Devonte Wyatt’s future has to be made soon as well.

That important factor, to some degree, probably had some impact on Gutekunst’s willingness to spend on the defensive line in free agency. This is also an incredibly deep defensive line draft class. So when it comes to adding to the roster at this position, if the choice is between a veteran with a hefty cap hit or a high-upside draft pick on a rookie deal, we all know what Gutekunst would prefer.

“I think you’re always looking with pass rushers, you can never have enough,” Gutekunst said after the season. “And I thought there were times this year we did that we were able to rush with four. I think every team in the league, that’s how you’d prefer to do it. Drill rush with four and affect the quarterback. There was periods of time where we didn’t do that well enough. I think everybody understands that that affects your football team.”

An added wrinkle to this decision-making process when it comes to how to go about adding to this unit is that I don’t think adding a middle-tier veteran would accomplish what the Packers need, which is a significantly improved pass rush.

Green Bay already has a strong foundation along the defensive front, but what they need is more high-impact play–not depth. So, adding another rotational defender to the mix may not accomplish that ultimate goal. Improve play from those on the roster and/or a top-tier pass rusher added to this team, which perhaps the draft can offer, is going to be the ultimate remedy.

As Gutekunst said at the NFL Combine, if the Packers are going to accomplish their goals this season, then the pass rush has to be more consistent, and finding that elusive element–consistency–was mostly likely to always come via the draft and internally through improved play.

“I think the biggest thing and we talked a little about it earlier is just the fact we need to affect the quarterback with four,” Gutekunst said. “How we do that kind of remains to be seen. We had good moments last year, but it just needs to be more consistent. It needs to be able to control the game when we need to control the game and finish games off.”

Whatever Packers need, on or off the field, CB Nate Hobbs is ready to deliver

Paul Bretl | 3/14/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — As new Green Bay Packers’ cornerback Nate Hobbs said on Friday when speaking with reporters, it’s only mid-March, there is plenty of time to figure out where he’s going to be lining up and what his role in Jeff Hafley’s defense will be.

But with that said, whatever the Packers need from Hobbs, he’s ready to step on the field and handle those responsibilities.

“Obviously, there’s no secret, I’m a versatile player,” Hobbs said on Friday at Lambeau Field. “I play inside, outside. I’ve played inside and outside in the past, but it’s March — I don’t know, what is it, March 14th, 13th? We’ll get to that. I’m willing to do whatever the team needs me to do. I’m a dog, so I’m gonna step wherever I step. If I step at nickel, if I step at corner. If they need me to play safety, god damnit, I’ll play safety.”

Over the last two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, Hobbs has been the team’s primary nickel cornerback. However, he has experience on the boundary as well, playing over 700 career NFL snaps lined up outside, 500 of which came during the 2022 season. Going back to his days at Illinois, Hobbs spent most of his college career on the boundary, playing over 2,100 snaps there over four seasons.

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Although the Raiders tasked Hobbs with playing the nickel, he has the measurables that we often see GM Brian Gutekunst covet at the boundary cornerback position. Hobbs has size and length, listed at 6-1 – 195 pounds and is a good athlete, posting a Relative Athletic Score of 9.61 coming out of Illinois.

“Like I said, March 13th, 14th, whatever it is,” said Hobbs, “we’ll get to that. I’ll do whatever my team needs me to do. If I gotta play corner the whole year, that’s what I do. I’m a corner. If I gotta go inside, that’s what I’m gonna do, but I’m looking forward to whatever I gotta do.”

Hobbs is coming off of his best statistical season in the NFL in 2024. He would rank 10th out of 42 eligible slot cornerbacks in yards per snap allowed. He was also 16th in snaps per reception allowed, and Hobbs had the 11th best coverage EPA (expected points added) among all defensive backs who saw 40 or more targets.

Along with size and length at the cornerback position, Gutekunst would also mention at the NFL combine the importance of vision and awareness when playing cornerback in Jeff Hafley’s system. Those are two elements Hobbs displayed last season, as evidenced by the numbers above and the lack of production from opposing offenses.

However, if you ask Hobbs, while he’s continued to progress throughout his NFL career, there is still a lot more that is out there for him.

“I know by nature, I’m a very competitive person,” Hobbs said. “When I get out there, I’m a super competitor. I think kinda to make it to this level and to be an impact player, you have to be a super competitor, but when you are a super competitor and you’ve been bestowed with opportunity like this that I’ve had, that comes with responsibility.

“I think this is an opportunity for me to grow as a man, a leader, a player, father, a friend, just the man period. So I think I gotta take that next step into my manlihood and it’s being a true leader.”

That competitive nature that Hobbs possesses is something he vows to always hold on to and is rooted in the underdog mentality that he has. Hobbs had a late start to his football career, not playing until his junior year of high school. He was then underrecruited before landing at Illinois, and wasn’t even sure if he was going to get drafted when that time came.

Even with the success Hobbs had on the field last year and the new four-year, $48 million deal he’s signed with the Packers, he’s still an underdog in his mind, because there is still a lot more that’s out there for him to accomplish.

“I’m gonna be an underdog if I was getting paid $100 million because I don’t see any articles or anything out of me being the top corner,” Hobbs said. “In my heart of hearts, I’m an underdog, and I’m never going to forget that. And I could be the top corner, whatever the case is.

“Still an underdog, because I had to scratch and claw and fight to get here, and nothing was given to me, everything was tooken. I say, there’s two ways to get respect. You either earn it or you take it. I like taking it. I’m going to be an underdog till I die. That’s just me.”

In his short time in Green Bay, Hobbs has already met with coach Matt LaFleur and defensive coordinator Jeff Hafely. Hobbs’ conversation with Hafely, in particular, ended up going into great depth as the two spoke for three hours, with the two connecting and finding that they had a fair amount in common.

“Coach Matt, he’s amazing,” said Hobbs. “I can already tell he’s an amazing man and a motivated and a relentless coach. Players coach. I think both of those guys are players coaches. I think for you to go, in today’s league, for you to go far, I think you have to be a players coach, and that’s what they are.”

For now, during this quiet time during the NFL offseason, Hobbs is going to continue training and connecting with his new position coaches and teammates, along with continuing to build his relationship with LaFleur and Hafley.

One thing that Hobbs’ new teammates will come to learn about him is that both on and off the field, he cares deeply. Hobbs recalled a game last season against the Kansas City Chiefs, where he exited the game with a hand injury and was given the choice to either sit out the remainder of the game or get a cast on. At that exact moment, he heard the Chiefs’ crowd erupt in a roar, and at that point for Hobbs there wasn’t any decision to be made–he was going back out there because his teammates needed him.

“They going to learn once we get acquainted, and I know you and I care about you, I’m willing to do anything for you,” Hobbs said. “I’m willing to take the shirt off my back for you. I’m willing to pick you up when you down. I’m willing to–just outside of the field be a real friend. Be a real brother. I think that’s the most important thing outside of football. But on the football field they going to learn I’m bringing it everyday. I’m bringing it all out there. They not going to have to worry about me doing my job and I’m going to bring people with me.”

Josh Myers to Jets on prove-it deal, Packers spend big to upgrade OL

Paul Bretl | 3/13/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Now former Packers’ center Josh Myers is signing with the New York Jets on a one-year prove-it deal. Green Bay, meanwhile, signed guard Aaron Banks to a four-year contract worth $77 million. The question at hand right now is not only whether the Packers’ offensive line improved with these moves, but did it improve by roughly $74 million?

Myers is signing a one-year, $3.5 million contract to join the Jets. While using the total contract values between Myers and Banks isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison because Banks may not get all that money, for some added context, Banks is getting a $27 million signing bonus. He also has the opportunity to earn $9.5 million during each of the 2026 and 2027 seasons just as roster bonuses as well.

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Internally, the Packers have spoken incredibly highly of Myers and what he brought to this team. Matt LaFleur last season would say that Myers was the one “driving the ship up front” and called him a “heart and soul” type of player on the team. GM Brian Gutekunst also called Myers’ 2024 season the best of his career.

“I can’t say enough good things about Josh Myers, not only as a player but as a leader,” said Gutekunst after the season. “He really does embody kind of a Green Bay Packer and what we’re looking for and how they’re wired. Again, I thought he had a really good year, fought through some things. . . “I look back at that one, and I’m really glad we’ve had him for the last four years.”

However, the NFL market felt differently. A one-year, $3.5 million deal is one, as described above, where the player has to prove himself and showcase why he deserves a more lucrative and longer-term deal.

While Myers brings a lot of the intangible qualities to the table that teams desire, from leadership to rapport with Jordan Love to pre-snap communication, the results once the ball was snapped weren’t there consistently enough, and his recent contract reflects that.

This past season, one that Gutekunst thought was Myers’ best, out of 41 eligible centers, he ranked 36th in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric. He also surrendered the third-most pressures. In run-blocking grade, Myers ranked 38th. Those metrics are just one evaluation tool and aren’t the be-all-end-all, but they do provide some context around Myers’ play compared to his counterparts.

Obviously, the Packers believe that by signing Banks to be the team’s left guard and presumably moving Elgton Jenkins to center, that the offensive line play is going to improve over if they had kept the status quo. But again, will it improve as significantly as the contract discrepancy between Myers and Banks illustrates it should?

Although Myers had his ups and downs, it’s not like the Packers’ offensive line play was bad last year. During the regular season, no quarterback was blitzed more often than Love, according to PFF’s metrics. However, in terms of how often he was pressured, Love ranked 23rd in that category. Overall, the Packers’ offensive line finished seventh in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric.

Then, in the run game, Josh Jacobs was one of the most productive backs in football, and the Packers’ offense leaned heavily on that element to lead them to victory in a number of games.

“I thought our offensive line, particularly in pass pro, played really, really well all year for the most part, with the exception of a couple games,” Gutekunst said. “But I think all those guys had really solid years and improved.”

However, having said that, there is very much room for growth. Banks has been at his best in the run game during his career, and while, as just mentioned, the Green Bay run game was productive last year, where they can improve is in generating explosive, chunk runs on the ground.

According to PFF’s metrics, Jacobs ranked 32nd in breakaway rate last season, which measures how often a player produces a run of 15-plus yards, and roughly 75% of his total rushing yards came after contact. For some context, Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley were in the 50-55% range.

The addition of Banks also bolsters the Packers’ depth and flexibility. Now, Jordan Morgan can continue to compete at right guard with Sean Rhyan or he could potentially see snaps at left tackle to push Rasheed Walker. Either way, one of Morgan, Ryhan, or Walker will be coming off the bench next season.

“Versatility is everything, right,” said Gutekunst. “And we really do have a versatile group. So we’re going to try to get the best five out there. We didn’t see him (Morgan) as much at tackle, which is obviously what he played in college, and what we vote he was drafted as, just because at the time, going into the season, and the opportunities were going to we’re going to lie inside.

“So I think this offseason, just depending on kind of how everything you know takes place, through free agency, the draft and those things will kind of probably go into it the exact same way. Wherever we think he’s going to best fit is where he’s going to see his snaps.”

Only time will ultimately answer the question posed at the start of this article. But these two moves signify that improvement along the offensive line was a must in Gutekunst’s eyes. More explosive runs are needed, and the depth of this group was exposed in the playoffs, but will the juice be worth the squeeze? Paying big at one position means going light elsewhere.

“Those big guys are hard to find, so that’s never something we’re not going to address,” said Gutekunst after the season. “Like we’ve been pretty consistent in our time here. We very much believe that, with the exception of quarterback, winning in the trenches is how we need to get it done.”

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