After selecting eight players during the three days of the 2025 NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers got mostly average grades overall and ranked in the bottom third of the NFL by consensus grade of analysts.
Every year, Rene Bugner compiles draft grades from over 20 different sources to help establish a consensus grade. This year, the Packers ranked 25th in overall grade among the 32 NFL teams.
Let’s say this right off the bat (and we say this every year): Instant draft grades are mostly meaningless little things. For most, it’s basically an exercise in looking at the general consensus on a player, figuring out if the player was a reach or a steal, and then doing it several more times, all while trying to understand if the team addressed the perceived draft needs. And it’s nearly impossible to factor in how each individual player will develop amidst a million different variables. Needs are a constantly moving target. The best grades are “incomplete” grades.
True grades can’t be established until two or three years down the road. But instant draft grades are undeniably fun. They can be informative if done correctly. Evaluating the process is valuable. We don’t know what the players will become, but we can try to understand what the team was thinking during each part of the event. And if an expert really knows the players, grading value in each draft slot can be accomplished to some degree.
Overall, the Packers got one “A-” and one “D-” and a lot of “B” and “C” grades in between this year.
Here are some of the notable draft grades on the Packers from 2025:
Chad Reuter, NFL.com
From Reuter: “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 playmaker Jordan Love needs. Instead of adding a cornerback and edge rusher in Day 2, the Packers gambled on 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 Sorrell and hybrid linebacker/edge Oliver bring much-needed punch to the defensive line. 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.”
Nate Davis, USA Today
From Davis: “Nice to see them break their 23-year streak of not taking a wideout in Round 1, especially considering what Matthew Golden can bring to this offense in terms of game-changing speed and clutch plays. GM Brian Gutekunst stuck with the TLC theme for the offense, adding OT Anthony Belton in the second round and a nice toy in the third with plus-sized WR Savion Williams (6-4, 220) – the classic ‘find a way to get the ball into his hands by any means necessary’ guy.”
Rob Rang, FOX Sports
From Rang: “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 quarterback Jordan Love and 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 lineman Anthony Belton in the second, power edge Barryn Sorrell in the fourth and defensive tackle Warren Brinson in the sixth, boosting the bulk and versatility on both sides of the line of scrimmage for Green Bay.”
Danny Kelly, The Ringer
From Kelly: “I found it a bit curious that the Packers took receivers with two of their first three picks, adding more playmaking talent to an already crowded skill group. Texas receiver Matthew Golden offers excellent speed, shifty route-running skills, and a ball-winner mentality, giving Jordan Love another big-play guy—but I’m just not sure he profiles as a true no. 1, which is really what the team needed most. Meanwhile, TCU’s Savion Williams is a Cordarrelle Patterson–type pass catcher; he’s got work to do as a route runner but offers the athleticism and versatility to line up all over the formation, including the backfield. The Packers also beefed up in the trenches, adding a colossal offensive lineman in NC State’s Anthony Belton, as well as a power rusher in Texas’s Barryn Sorrell. Altogether, this is a fine haul for the Pack, but I’m not sure it’s a group that will put the team over the top.”
Luke Easterling, Athon Sports
From Easterling: “Sorry, Packers fans, but they didn’t draft a single player who was ranked higher on my board than their actual draft slot. That’s not to say they didn’t add some promising talent, though. Matthew Golden finally broke the streak of Green Bay avoiding first-round wide receivers, and his elite speed and route-running ability should bring some instant juice to the passing game. Second-round OT Anthony Belton is a powerful blocker with plenty of starting experience, but he doesn’t have the versatility the Packers typically prioritize at the position, and he carried a fourth-round grade on my board. Third-round WR Savion Williams is a fun player with some upside, but it was odd to see Green Bay double-dip at that position before attacking any of their holes on defense. The defensive trenches finally got some help on Day 3, as did the corner spot, followed by another offensive line pick. Golden will carry this class, and Belton has a high floor as a potential starter at left tackle at some point, but Williams will need to hit his lofty ceiling to make up for the fact that Green Bay pushed their defensive needs too far down the board.”
Thor Nystrom, Fantasy Life
From Nystrom: “The Packers, who played host to this year’s draft, used the occasion to let their hair down. After years of eschewing receivers in the first round in defender to infrastructure positions, the Packers took WR Matthew Golden at 1.23…Golden projects as a premium WR2 on a contender—somebody who will lick single-coverage, make plays for you at all three levels, and naturally shift between the boundary and slot as needed…Williams is the love child of Cordarrelle Patterson and Laviska Shenault. He’s an elite athlete with great burst and speed, and he runs with power. But Williams utterly lacks route-running feel and ball skills. You must manufacture his touches close to the line of scrimmage…Around those picks, Green Bay hit the offensive trenches and the defensive front-seven. That was the correct strategy, but I disagreed on the prospects that were selected. OT Anthony Belton has huge power, but he might have to kick inside due to heavy feet. I also didn’t like the value of the Day 3 picks.”
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers draft grades 2025: Brian Gutekunst gets average marks, bottom third ranking overall
After selecting eight players during the three days of the 2025 NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers got mostly average grades overall and ranked in the bottom third of the NFL by consensus grade of analysts.
Every year, Rene Bugner compiles draft grades from over 20 different sources to help establish a consensus grade. This year, the Packers ranked 25th in overall grade among the 32 NFL teams.
Let’s say this right off the bat (and we say this every year): Instant draft grades are mostly meaningless little things. For most, it’s basically an exercise in looking at the general consensus on a player, figuring out if the player was a reach or a steal, and then doing it several more times, all while trying to understand if the team addressed the perceived draft needs. And it’s nearly impossible to factor in how each individual player will develop amidst a million different variables. Needs are a constantly moving target. The best grades are “incomplete” grades.
True grades can’t be established until two or three years down the road. But instant draft grades are undeniably fun. They can be informative if done correctly. Evaluating the process is valuable. We don’t know what the players will become, but we can try to understand what the team was thinking during each part of the event. And if an expert really knows the players, grading value in each draft slot can be accomplished to some degree.
Overall, the Packers got one “A-” and one “D-” and a lot of “B” and “C” grades in between this year.
Here are some of the notable draft grades on the Packers from 2025:
Chad Reuter, NFL.com
From Reuter: “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 playmaker Jordan Love needs. Instead of adding a cornerback and edge rusher in Day 2, the Packers gambled on 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 Sorrell and hybrid linebacker/edge Oliver bring much-needed punch to the defensive line. 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.”
Nate Davis, USA Today
From Davis: “Nice to see them break their 23-year streak of not taking a wideout in Round 1, especially considering what Matthew Golden can bring to this offense in terms of game-changing speed and clutch plays. GM Brian Gutekunst stuck with the TLC theme for the offense, adding OT Anthony Belton in the second round and a nice toy in the third with plus-sized WR Savion Williams (6-4, 220) – the classic ‘find a way to get the ball into his hands by any means necessary’ guy.”
Rob Rang, FOX Sports
From Rang: “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 quarterback Jordan Love and 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 lineman Anthony Belton in the second, power edge Barryn Sorrell in the fourth and defensive tackle Warren Brinson in the sixth, boosting the bulk and versatility on both sides of the line of scrimmage for Green Bay.”
Danny Kelly, The Ringer
From Kelly: “I found it a bit curious that the Packers took receivers with two of their first three picks, adding more playmaking talent to an already crowded skill group. Texas receiver Matthew Golden offers excellent speed, shifty route-running skills, and a ball-winner mentality, giving Jordan Love another big-play guy—but I’m just not sure he profiles as a true no. 1, which is really what the team needed most. Meanwhile, TCU’s Savion Williams is a Cordarrelle Patterson–type pass catcher; he’s got work to do as a route runner but offers the athleticism and versatility to line up all over the formation, including the backfield. The Packers also beefed up in the trenches, adding a colossal offensive lineman in NC State’s Anthony Belton, as well as a power rusher in Texas’s Barryn Sorrell. Altogether, this is a fine haul for the Pack, but I’m not sure it’s a group that will put the team over the top.”
Luke Easterling, Athon Sports
From Easterling: “Sorry, Packers fans, but they didn’t draft a single player who was ranked higher on my board than their actual draft slot. That’s not to say they didn’t add some promising talent, though. Matthew Golden finally broke the streak of Green Bay avoiding first-round wide receivers, and his elite speed and route-running ability should bring some instant juice to the passing game. Second-round OT Anthony Belton is a powerful blocker with plenty of starting experience, but he doesn’t have the versatility the Packers typically prioritize at the position, and he carried a fourth-round grade on my board. Third-round WR Savion Williams is a fun player with some upside, but it was odd to see Green Bay double-dip at that position before attacking any of their holes on defense. The defensive trenches finally got some help on Day 3, as did the corner spot, followed by another offensive line pick. Golden will carry this class, and Belton has a high floor as a potential starter at left tackle at some point, but Williams will need to hit his lofty ceiling to make up for the fact that Green Bay pushed their defensive needs too far down the board.”
Thor Nystrom, Fantasy Life
From Nystrom: “The Packers, who played host to this year’s draft, used the occasion to let their hair down. After years of eschewing receivers in the first round in defender to infrastructure positions, the Packers took WR Matthew Golden at 1.23…Golden projects as a premium WR2 on a contender—somebody who will lick single-coverage, make plays for you at all three levels, and naturally shift between the boundary and slot as needed…Williams is the love child of Cordarrelle Patterson and Laviska Shenault. He’s an elite athlete with great burst and speed, and he runs with power. But Williams utterly lacks route-running feel and ball skills. You must manufacture his touches close to the line of scrimmage…Around those picks, Green Bay hit the offensive trenches and the defensive front-seven. That was the correct strategy, but I disagreed on the prospects that were selected. OT Anthony Belton has huge power, but he might have to kick inside due to heavy feet. I also didn’t like the value of the Day 3 picks.”
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers draft grades 2025: Brian Gutekunst gets average marks, bottom third ranking overall
