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Green Bay Packers 2025 NFL Season Preview and Picks: Should We Trust This Team to Reclaim the Tough NFC North?

Photo of Scott Kacsmar Scott Kacsmar04/08/2025 - 10:49 am
Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers
(Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

The Green Bay Packers have been a consistent winner under coach Matt LaFleur, but they haven’t won the NFC North since 2021. They’ve finished third in two of the last three seasons as well, so this has been the worst 3-year run for Green Bay in the division since the NFL underwent realignment in 2002.

Speaking of 2002, that was also the last time the Packers used a first-round pick on a wide receiver (Javon Walker), but that wild streak is finally over after 2025 with the team selecting speedy Texas wideout Matthew Golden. We’ll break that one down in detail below.

The Packers are tied for the seventh-highest odds to win Super Bowl LX (+1900 at FanDuel). They’re coming off an 11-6 season that was disappointing in some ways in how the Packers were swept by the Eagles, Lions, Vikings, and they were a blocked field goal away from getting swept by the lowly Bears too.

Otherwise, they beat everyone else they played. Just not the Super Bowl champs, or the two teams that finished ahead of them in the division. But is Green Bay’s stability a reason to like them to take back the NFC North in 2025? The Lions have to replace both coordinators, the Vikings are working in an inexperienced quarterback (J.J. McCarthy), and the Bears have a lot of work to do in rookie coach Ben Johnson’s offense.

After three NFC North teams loaded up on 11-plus wins and they all lost their first playoff game anyway, this division feels ripe for some big movement in the standings this year. Let’s look at the Packers’ problems last year, the reason they waited so long to draft a wide receiver high, and the best Packers bets for 2025.

Previously on PACKERS: Can’t Win the Big Ones

Quarterback Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers
(Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)

Lest we remind you, I picked the 2024 Packers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl and face the Chiefs with a three-peat on the line. While they won an extra two games over 2023 in the regular season, they lost their first playoff game this time, fittingly to the Eagles in Philadelphia in a 22-10 game.

The Packers started and ended their 2024 season with losses to the Eagles. We didn’t know on opening night in Brazil that the Eagles would be this dominant on defense, and frankly, they didn’t show it that well in that game that had a lot of points and big plays on a shoddy field.

Unfortunately, that field caught up with quarterback Jordan Love in the closing seconds of the 34-29 loss. He sprained his MCL, which caused him to miss the next two games. Fortunately, the Packers were able to beat the Colts and Titans without Love as coach LaFleur did a great job of getting backup Malik Willis prepared to play with a more run-heavier approach that featured Josh Jacobs.

But Willis, who struggled to throw for 100 yards when he was with the Titans, was promising in his starts, and that speaks well for LaFleur’s coaching adaptiveness. But when Love returned to face a thriving Minnesota defense, he fell behind 28-0 before finishing the 31-29 loss with an uneven game (389 yards, 4 touchdowns, 3 interceptions).

It just seemed like that kind of year for Love and the Packers. They did well against most teams, but whether it was injuries or the elite opponents, they just couldn’t win any of those games in 2024. After Love injured his groin in Jacksonville in Week 8, he had to face the Lions a week later on a rainy, cool day when he wasn’t at 100%. He had a bad pick-six right before halftime that helped Detroit to a 24-14 win.

When Love was healthier for the Detroit rematch, against a defense that kept losing players, he fared much better. A throw like this under pressure in the fourth quarter is why you want to trust him to do great things for this team.

But the Packers also lost that game, 34-31, after the defense couldn’t get Detroit off the field on a game-winning drive. The new defense was also picked apart by Sam Darnold in the late-season rematch in Minnesota. Down 27-10 in the fourth quarter, the Packers actually made it 27-25 late but couldn’t get the ball back one last time for the offense. In fact, the Packers were swept by a combined 4 points against Minnesota but never actually had the ball while tied or down one possession in the second half of either game.

In Week 18 against Chicago, Love injured his elbow and only played 23 snaps before the Packers basically threw in the towel with most starters. The Bears won on a last-second field goal, something they almost did to the Packers earlier in the season before Green Bay blocked the kick. But even the usual Chicago sweep for Green Bay wasn’t in the cards in 2024.

A No. 7 seed for the second year in a row, the Packers were nowhere close to repeating last year’s success when they became the first No .7 seed to win a playoff game, winning in Dallas in big fashion. But in Philadelphia, the Packers were swarmed on offense with Love throwing three interceptions, and Saquon Barkley rushed for 119 yards, pulling up on a late run that could have netted him another 59 yards if he wanted it. But the game was out of reach for Green Bay at 22-10.

Despite the injuries, Love finished 2024 with slightly better numbers in a variety of metrics (QBR, passer rating, ANY/A, passing success rate, passing TD%, sack rate, etc.). But it never felt like he was having that kind of impact because his 2023 success was so concentrated in the second half of the season and into the playoffs while he kept running into roadblocks every few weeks in 2024 with either injury or losing to an elite team.

That’s why 2025 will hopefully be the most complete Love season yet from Week 1 through the playoffs as we haven’t seen him put it all together like that in 2023-24.

Why Did the Packers Wait 23 Years to Draft Another First-Round Wide Receiver?

Kiss it goodbye because with the way teams are spending resources on wide receivers and tight ends, Green Bay’s 23-year gap between using a first-round pick on a pass catcher won’t be repeated again in our lifetime. It was always one of the wildest streaks as they were a full decade behind the rest of the pack in the last time they made such a pick.

It became such a running joke with Green Bay at draft time each year that you just never expected them to go for a wide receiver early. Some praise Aaron Rodgers for this for having the 4-time MVP career he had in Green Bay without a first-round talent at wideout. But the real credit should go to the front office for consistently finding some very talented players in the second and third rounds, including Greg Jennings, Jame Jones, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, and Jayden Reed.

You don’t necessarily need a first-round wideout when you hit on players that frequently. The Steelers are about the only organization with a better track record this century than Green Bay at finding wideouts after Day 1.

So, why did the team reverse course and take Matthew Golden this year? For one, it’s not like they suddenly had a higher pick to use on a top prospect. Golden was drafted with Green Bay’s original No. 23 pick.

If you go back to every draft since the Packers last used a first-round pick on a wide receiver or tight end (Javon Walker in 2002), you’ll see they didn’t really miss out on that many great opportunities, short of making an aggressive trade-up:

  • 2003: Used No. 29 on linebacker Nick Barnett; the next great wideout was taken No. 59 by Arizona (Anquan Boldin).
  • 2004: Used No. 25 on corner Ahmad Carroll; passing on Michael Jenkins (No. 29 Falcons) and Rashaun Woods (No. 31 49ers) was no loss.
  • 2005: Used No. 24 to get Aaron Rodgers, which was far more important than snagging Roddy White (No. 27 Falcons).
  • 2006: Used No. 5 on linebacker A.J. Hawk in a draft where Santonio Holmes (No. 25 Steelers) was the only first-round wideout and the Packers got Greg Jennings at No. 52.
  • 2007: Used No. 16 on defensive tackle Justin Harrell as Calvin Johnson (No. 2 Lions) was long gone and it’s not like they needed Dwayne Bowe (Chiefs), Robert Meachem (Saints), Craig Davis (Chargers), or Anthony Gonzalez (Colts) in a bust-heavy class.
  • 2008: Packers traded No. 30 pick to Jets (took tight end Dustin Keller) to later take wide receiver Jordy Nelson at No. 36, so that was a brilliant move.
  • 2009: Used No. 9 on defensive tackle B.J. Raji; With Donald Driver and so many talented young receivers in Green Bay, they really didn’t need Michael Crabtree (No. 10 49ers), Jeremy Maclin (No. 19 Eagles), Percy Harvin (No. 22 Vikings), Hakeem Nicks (No. 29 Giants), or Kenny Britt (No. 30 Titans).
  • 2010: Used No. 23 on offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga one pick before Dallas drafted Dez Bryant, but given the Super Bowl outcome that year (and “Dez Caught It” in 2014), this one is fine too.
  • 2011: With the No. 32 pick to end the first round, the Packers drafted offensive tackle Derek Sherrod while another wideout didn’t go until Titus Young at No. 44 (Lions). The Packers also snagged Randall Cobb at No. 64, so all good here.
  • 2012: Used No. 28 on linebacker Nick Perry instead of first-round bust A.J. Jenkins (No. 30 49ers) or the next tight end off the board in Coby Fleener (No. 34 Colts).

Keep in mind the 2012 Packers had a 25-year-old Jermichael Finely coming off a career year at tight end, so going for Fleener wasn’t really in play either. But a decade into this, the Packers didn’t nail every first-round pick by any means, but their choices to pass on pass catchers were all 100% defensible, especially taking Rodgers over Roddy White in 2005 and Bulaga over Dez Bryant in 2010 when they were already building the best wide receiver corps in the NFL that resulted in a Super Bowl and 15-1 season in 2010-11.

But we are getting into the next phase when that crew aged out or sought money elsewhere and the Packers no longer had the deepest wide receiver group.

  • 2013: The first real blunder as DeAndre Hopkins (No. 27 Texans) would have been a great pick for the future after the Packers used the No. 26 pick on defensive end Datone Jones, a first-round bust with 10.0 career sacks. With Jennings already gone and Nelson (28) and Jones (29) getting closer to 30, Hopkins would have been a great selection.
  • 2014: Used No. 21 on Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, but it’s not like Rodgers would have enjoyed getting Kevlin Benjamin (No. 28 Panthers) instead of his BFF, Davante Adams, at No. 53.
  • 2015: Used No. 30 on safety Damarious Randall in a draft where the only wideouts drafted in the top 40 picks were Devin Smith (No. 37 Jets) and Dorial Green-Beckham (No. 40 Titans).
  • 2016: Used No. 27 on defensive tackle Kenny Clark, a good pick when the next pass catchers drafted were TE Hunter Henry (No. 35 Chargers) and WR Sterling Shepard (No. 40 Giants).
  • 2017: Packers traded out of No. 29 pick, which Cleveland used on tight end David Njoku; Packers used No. 33 on corner Kevin King, passing on Zay Jones (No. 37 Bills) and Curtis Samuel (No. 40 Panthers).
  • 2018: Packers traded their pick to end up with corner Jaire Alexander at No. 18, which was still better than landing with WR D.J. Moore (No. 24 Panthers), TE Hayden Hurst (No. 25 Ravens), or Calvin Ridley (No. 26 Falcons).

That concludes the era where Mike McCarthy was the head coach, and the Packers only regrettably missed out on DeAndre Hopkins in 2013. But if they drafted Hopkins, maybe they never draft Adams a year later in 2014, so it’s hard to say that was bad. Missing out on a late developer like David Njoku is also no big deal for Rodgers, who prefers throwing to wide receivers anyway.

  • 2019: Used No. 12 on linebacker Rashan Gary, a better player than first-round wideouts like Marquise Brown (No. 25 Ravens) or N’Keal Harry (No. 32 Patriots).
  • 2020: Traded up from No. 30 to No. 26 to take quarterback Jordan Love, which is obviously more important for long-term success than staying put to take WR Tee Higgins (No. 33 Bengals).
  • 2021: Used No. 29 on corner Eric Stokes instead of taking WR Elijah Moore (No. 34 Jets), which wouldn’t move the needle either way.
  • 2022: In getting the No. 22 pick from Vegas for the Davante Adams trade, the Packers drafted linebacker Quay Walker before using No. 28 on DT Devonte Wyatt. But they still snagged the draft’s next wideout anyway at Christian Watson with the 34th pick.
  • 2023: It would have been pure comedy if the Packers used the No. 13 pick they got from the Jets for the Aaron Rodgers trade on a pass catcher, but they took edge rusher Lukas Van Ness, passing on every first-round tight end (Dalton Kincaid) and wideout (Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Quentin Johnston, Zay Flowers, Jordan Addison). They still got their tight end (Luke Musgrave) and wideout (Jayden Reed) in the second round.
  • 2024: Used No. 25 on offensive tackle Jordan Morgan, passing on a slew of wideouts, including Xavier Worthy (No. 28 Chiefs), Ricky Pearsall (No. 31 49ers), Xavier Legette (No. 32 Panthers), Keon Coleman (No. 33 Bills), and Ladd McConkey (No. 34 Chargers).

Only the biggest Rodgers fans will argue the Packers screwed up when they took Love in 2020 instead of giving Rodgers a strong WR2 opposite of Adams in Tee Higgins. But do you want to be left in quarterback purgatory like the teams Rodgers has gone to since he left Green Bay in the Jets and Steelers? I don’t think so.

But these last few years are the most interesting in this whole history outside of 2013 with Hopkins. The Packers could have gone with any wideout in 2023, but they said no to them all. Smart move on Quentin Johnston, and maybe Addison isn’t a WR1 type. But would Flowers and JSN do well in Green Bay’s offense? Probably. Better than Jayden Reed? Perhaps. Similar things could be said in 2024 with Worthy, Pearsall, and McConkey.

But this finally gets us to 2025 where I think the Packers said enough is enough.

We like Christian Watson, but we’re tired of his annual injuries. They see the price tag for extending young wideouts, and they know neither Jayden Reed nor Romeo Doubs have been consistent enough to warrant a contract that pays $25 million per season or higher. One or both are unlikely to stay in Green Bay when their rookie deal is over.

So, the Packers went into this draft and took the fastest kid on the board who had 987 yards and 9 touchdowns last year at Texas. Maybe he can help solve this struggle by quickly turning into Green Bay’s WR1.

But as two dozen years of draft history shows us, a first-round pick doesn’t guarantee success. The Packers would gladly have another second-round pick if they play like Nelson or Adams did. But Golden should be fun to watch this year, and we don’t have to talk about the first-round streak anymore.

Green Bay Packers Offseason Review

The Packers bring back the main coordinators for coach LaFleur. They broke their wide receiver streak in the draft, but they still maintained a pretty low profile during free agency as they love being a homegrown-talent team. Let’s look at the new additions for the offense and defense this year.

Packers: Beefing Up the Offensive Line

Guard is one position the Packers made sure to spend on in March’s free-agency period. They let Jon Runyan Jr. go to the Giants in 2024, but this year, the Packers are returning 80% of their offensive line from a year ago that did a solid job in protecting Young and paving the way for Josh Jacobs to rush for 1,329 yards.

The Packers signed left guard Aaron Banks from the 49ers to a 4-year deal worth $77 million. I think it’s an overpay for a 5-year vet who is already going to be 28 in Week 1 and was a 3-year starter with no accolades (Pro Bowl or All-Pro seasons). But at the same time, the Packers had the money to spend, and Banks at least comes from a successful offensive system in San Francisco that could be familiar to him in Green Bay with what LaFleur wants to achieve in a balanced offense.

But there will be pressure on Banks to live up to the contract and Golden to live up to his draft status as the major newcomers on this offense. Otherwise, it’s a familiar cast with a familiar sight with Christian Watson starting the season injured after he tore his ACL at the end of the season.

But that’s another reason why you draft Golden. The Packers also drafted Anthony Belton (NC State) in the second round, so there’s a future project for left tackle.

Defense: System Over Talent?

The Packers were hoping for big things defensively last year after replacing longtime embattled coordinator Joe Barry with college coach Jeff Hafley. By a lot of metrics, the Packers were very good last year, ranking in the top nine in a lot of areas, including points, yards, and takeaways. The situational play could have been better as they were 12th on third down and 20th in the red zone at allowing touchdowns.

But it’s largely a matter of stepping up in the big games against the better opponents and closing games. Even in wins over the Jaguars and Texans, Green Bay’s defense surrendered late tying or go-ahead drives and the offense had to save the day. We know the defense also struggled to get off the field in those losses to the good teams.

The Packers went offense with their top three draft picks, not using one on defense until the fourth round when they took defensive end Barryn Sorrell (Texas) with the 124th pick. So, it’s largely on the returning veterans in Year 2 of Hafley’s system to get better. They already have five first-round picks in that front seven, and Edgerrin Cooper was a second-round pick last year, so there’s talent there.

The secondary is still a concern for championship purposes. Safety Xavier McKinney couldn’t have been better in his team debut in coming over from the Giants. He had 8 interceptions and was first-team All-Pro. But the Packers are without Jaire Alexander, who went to the Ravens. They’ve gotten used to playing without him as he’s played in 34 games and has missed 34 games since the 2021 regular season. He’s missed 10 games in each of the last two seasons.

Losing Alexander isn’t so much a big deal if you have the pieces to replace him, but that’s a little debatable as the Packers are leaning on a lot of young players in the secondary, including 2024 draft picks Javon Bullard, Evan Williams, and Kalen King. They signed veteran Nate Hobbs, hoping to turn him around from the Raiders the way they have with corner Keisean Nixon, who stepped up last year in allowing just 5.3 yards per target in coverage.

It’s not a defense you’d want to trust on paper to get to a Super Bowl, but there have been worse examples in history of defenses that went far. Probably will end up talking about the Packers needing to go corner in the first round next April.

Best Bets for the 2025 Packers

There’s not much history of a rookie wide receiver putting a team over the top for a Super Bowl, so you should probably temper expectations for Golden this year. But he’s an intriguing pick, and the Packers were probably right not to make huge changes for 2025 as consistency could actually be their key in winning back the NFC North.

How do you beat those teams like the Vikings, Lions, and Eagles, three of your biggest roadblocks to the Super Bowl, when you were 0-6 against them last year? I mean, I don’t think you have to reinvent the wheel much to do it. Love has to stay healthy, obviously. The offense does need to play better earlier in games more often, and maybe Golden can help with that as well as the potential that we haven’t seen the best versions of Jayden Reed and tight end Tucker Kraft yet.

The Minnesota issue could take care of itself if J.J. McCarthy ends up being a big step backwards from Darnold. The Packers won’t play Minnesota until Week 12, so McCarthy has a lot of time to get ready for those games, but that could be one way the Packers turn those games around.

As for Detroit, maybe losing the coordinators makes them a little shakier on both sides of the ball, and 15-win teams usually regress by 4-to-6 wins the next year anyway. The Lions are still very formidable on offense and are getting Aidan Hutchinson back, but the Packers have played them well in their building the last few years. Have to get at least a split there and it starts on opening day in Green Bay, a good chance to take an early lead in the NFC North.

The Packers host the Eagles on a Monday night in Week 10, so that’s preferable to going to Brazil or Philly. Mainly, the Packers need to make sure they avoid an 0-2 start with the Lions and Commanders (Thursday night at home) up first. Get at least a split there, then they could start racking up wins. They could have a nice game at home against the Bengals in Week 6 out of the bye week.

Don’t get lost in the emotion of facing Aaron Rodgers on the road in Pittsburgh in Week 8 in prime time, but playing the AFC North will be tough (Cleveland aside). Still, the Packers usually beat Chicago, and they still get teams like the Giants and Panthers on the schedule. They get to host Baltimore in Week 17, another playoff litmus test.

I’m not going to pick the Packers to make the Super Bowl like I did last year, because I don’t think they made enough significant changes for that, and I still trust this division to be tough even if the top teams have worse records in 2025.

However, I really like over 9.5 wins, I like the potential to leapfrog Minnesota and possibly win the NFC North, and I’m absolutely penciling the Packers in for the playoffs again.

  • NFL Pick: Green Bay Packers over 9.5 wins (-110) at FanDuel
  • NFL Pick: Green Bay Packers to make playoffs (-128) at FanDuel

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Photo of Scott Kacsmar Scott Kacsmar04/08/2025 - 10:49 am