ESPN personality Mel Kiper — once the Shedeur Sanders conversation was over — graded the overall drafts of each team at ESPN.com.
He gave the Green Bay Packers a B.
"Green Bay has been relatively quiet this offseason, other than givingbig free agent contractsto guardAaron Banksand cornerbackNate Hobbs," Kiper wrote. "General manager Brian Gutekunst targeted two clear upgrades and paid up. The Packers, who have one of the league's youngest rosters, should again be among the NFC's best."
On first-round pick Matthew Golden, Kiper said, "I loved this pick, and I made it my headliner in Thursday night'swinners file. Golden is a smooth route runner and can sneak behind the defense with his 4.29 speed. Love will look his way early and often, and he could quickly step into the WR1 role in Green Bay."
On the rest of the draft, Kiper felt the Packers were left lacking in the addition of cornerbacks, with only one (Micah Robinson at No. 237) not even on Kiper's list of 62 ranked players at the position.
"Thesituationwith cornerJaire Alexanderis still lurking, and Hobbs andKeisean Nixonare both better in the slot," he said. "All in all, the host-city Packers did pretty well. But I wonder if we will question the lack of CB picks when three really good NFC North pass games are airing it out on the Packers in December with the division on the line."
Chad Reuter of NFL.com gives the Packers a high mark
NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter rated the Packers an A-minus.
"Green Bay ended its 23-year streak of not drafting a receiver in Round 1 with Golden, whom the team surely hopes is the downfield playmakerJordan Loveneeds. Instead of adding a cornerback and edge rusher in Day 2, the Packers gambled on (Anthony) Belton's size to overcome his lapses against speed and took advantage of versatile offensive weapon Savion Williams still being on the board.
"Power rusher (Barryn) Sorrell and hybrid linebacker/edge (Collin) Oliver bring much-needed punch to the defensive line. (Warren) Brinson wasn't a big name on Georgia's defense, but the Packers still went back to that talent well because of his quickness and power off the snap. The team finally picked a corner (Robinson) and announced the tenacious John Williams as a guard, although he started in tackle in college."
Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked the Packers' class No. 20
The Athletic analyst Dane Brugler put the Packers in the lower-middle of the pack, though he did like the Golden selection.
"Golden wasn’t alive the last time the Packers drafted a wide receiver in the first round, so this pairing felt like a long shot ahead of the draft," Brugler said. "But it was refreshing to see Green Bay buck the trend and add an ascending playmaker for Jordan Love. With his synchronized route running and strong ball skills, Golden will immediately factor into the Packers’ offensive plans."
Brugler also liked Sorrell.
"One of my favorite prospects in the entire draft, Sorrell is a big, strong edge presence who moves well and can discard blocks with his heavy hands," Brugler wrote. "He has top-notch intangibles and will provide an impact as a rookie, both on and off the field. It was awesome seeing him celebrate with the Green Bay fans after his selection."
Brugler ranked the Detroit Lions one spot below the Packers and the Minnesota Vikings at the bottom of his 32-team list. He ranked the Chicago Bears seventh.
Rob Rang of Fox Sports gives Packers a B
Fox Sports' Rob Rang likes the Golden and Williams picks, among others.
"The first round could not have played out much better for the hosting Green Bay Packers, who capitalized on the speediest wide receiver in the class —Matthew Golden— falling into their queso. Specifically, it provides them with the home-run hitter needed to take quarterbackJordan Loveand this offense into another stratosphere.
"The Packers added a much bigger and even more versatile pass-catcher in Savion Williams in the third round. Speaking of size, the Packers got plenty of that in North Carolina State offensive linemanAnthony Beltonin the second, power edge Barryn Sorrell in the fourth and defensive tackleWarren Brinsonin the sixth, boosting the bulk and versatility on both sides of the line of scrimmage for Green Bay."
Packers NFL Draft 2025 picks
The Packers selected four players on offense (two wide receivers and two offensive linemen) and four on defense (two edge rushers, a defensive tackle and cornerback) for their eight draft picks.
