The Green Bay Packers have a variety of roster needs that they need to address in the upcoming NFL Draft. Of course, it is not Green Bay’s philosophy to necessarily draft based on current need, but on future ones. One only needs to look at how little recent first round picks have played as rookies for the Packers to see how this has been the case.
Rashan Gary, for example, played just 24% of defensive plays in 2019 when he was the Packers’ first pick. Jordan Love, of course, was not even on the active roster in 2020 and did not become the starting quarterback until 2023.
Devonte Wyatt, who was one of Green Bay’s first round picks in 2022, played just 23% of defensive snaps as a rookie. Lukas Van Ness played just 33% in 2023. Jordan Morgan, last year’s first round pick, appeared in just six games due to injury, but even when healthy only played 46% of the offense’s snaps.
The only first round picks under Brian Gutekunst that have played the majority of snaps on their side of the field as rookies are Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, and Quay Walker.
The Green Bay Packers Are Rumored to Be Targeting an Offensive Tackle in the First Round of the 2025 NFL Draft
The idea behind drafting projects in the first round is that Green Bay can develop high ceiling players while also finding instant contributors in later rounds. That being said, Morgan very well could have earned more playing time last season had he not been hurt. It will be interesting to see how much he plays in 2025 after Sean Rhyan had a solid season at right guard.
But in 2023, for example, Van Ness played sparingly on defense. Meanwhile, players selected later in the draft like Luke Musgrave, Jayden Reed, Tucker Craft, and Anders Carlson played often. Even seventh round pick Carrington Valentine saw himself playing 63% of defensive snaps that year.
With this in mind, it appears that some people around the NFL have an inkling that Green Bay is going to address another future need, offensive tackle, in the first round of this year’s draft. Per the latest mock draft by Matt Miller of ESPN, “The Packers are entering the last year of Rasheed Walker’s contract, and rumors around the league have Green Bay drafting a tackle early.”
Miller predicts, then, that Green Bay will select Kelvin Banks Jr., an offensive tackle out of Texas:
“Banks was a three-year starter for the Longhorns at left tackle and allowed only one sack per season. He checks the size boxes (6-foot-5, 315 pounds, 33½-inch arms) and started 42 games in college.
“That profile suggests he should be off the board by now, but concerns about his play power have teams saying Banks could slide. He’s a poised pass protector and has held up against top-level college competition, but he might be better as a run blocker because of his hands and athletic movement. I’m higher on Banks than the league — he’s in my overall top 10 — and this would be a steal for the Packers at this spot.”
Selecting an offensive lineman, who likely will not start, for the second year in a row would almost certainly enrage Packers fans, especially if there is a coveted wide receiver, defensive back, or pass rusher still on the board. Many still have not forgiven Gutekunst for taking Morgan over now Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean.
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