GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The 2025 NFL draft from Lambeau Field and the Titletown District has wrapped. The Packers kicked things off with Texas WR Matthew Golden, the No. 23 pick of Round 1.
Here is a breakdown of each Packers pick:
Analysis of every pick | Updated depth chart
Round 1, No. 23: Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
My take: It's about time the Packers ended the longest active streak in the NFL without taking a receiver in the first round -- and somewhere Aaron Rodgers is probably asking why they never did this for him. Not since Javon Walker in 2002 had Green Bay used a first-round pick on this position. Quarterback Jordan Love was 3 years old the last time the Packers drafted a first-round receiver. Better late than never, especially considering all the questions about whether the Packers had a true No. 1 receiver, even before Christian Watson tore his right ACL in the 2024 regular-season finale.
Key stat: Golden was especially effective on deep balls during his season at Texas in 2024. He had 10 catches on passes thrown 25-plus yards downfield, most in the SEC and sixth most in the FBS. That's another area where the Packers could have been in trouble without Watson, their best deep-threat receiver. Golden's nine touchdown catches in 2024 were also tied for the most in the SEC.
Will he start as a rookie? Anyone with Golden's speed has a chance to be an impact player immediately. And if his 4.29-second 40-yard dash at the combine surprised anyone, it didn't surprise Golden himself. He said he was consistently running a 4.3, even before the combine. It also helps that his coaches at Texas raved about his ability to play any of the receiver spots, outside or in the slot. The production is there, too. Even before last season at Texas, where he caught 57 passes for 987 yards and 9 touchdowns, Golden had 76 catches for 988 yards and 13 touchdowns in two seasons at Houston.
Check out some of the top highlights from NC State's Anthony Belton.
Round 2, No. 54: Anthony Belton, OT, NC State
My take: The Packers want options at tackle, and Belton gives them another one. Left tackle Rasheed Walker and right tackle Zach Tom are entering the final year of their respective contracts. Tom looks like a sure bet to re-sign, and while Walker has improved steadily each season, it might be hard for the Packers to re-sign both of their starting tackles. It's also time to find out where last year's first-round pick Jordan Morgan's future is. In limited action as a rookie, Morgan played almost exclusively at right guard. Like Morgan, Belton was a college left tackle who was viewed by some as a better interior line prospect and almost certainly will be used both inside and outside.
Key stat: 6-foot-6, 336 pounds. While that's not a traditional stat, size is what makes Belton effective both as a mauling run blocker and as an improving pass blocker. The Packers are clearly trying to get bigger up front after signing left guard Aaron Banks (6-5, 324) in free agency, then moving Elgton Jenkins (6-5, 311) from guard to center and now adding Belton.
"We want to be big across the front, we want to be physical, we want to be able to overwhelm with size and physicality," Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan said. "That's what attracted us to him. He's a good football player, and he happens to be a huge man as well."
Check out some of the top highlights from TCU's Savion Williams.
Round 3, No. 87: Savion Williams, WR, TCU
My take: General manager Brian Gutekunst has never shied away from doubling up (or even tripling up, like he did with safeties last year) at a single position in a draft, but this is the first time in team history the Packers have drafted two receivers in the first three rounds of a single draft. But Williams might be more than just a receiver. He has been compared to Cordarrelle Patterson because of his versatility. At TCU, Williams also carried the ball as a running back and returned kicks. Last season, he not only had rushing and receiving touchdowns, but Williams (who was a quarterback when he was younger) also threw a touchdown -- a 6-yarder to Jack Bech, who was picked in the second round by the Raiders.
Key stat: Williams had as many rushing touchdowns (six) as he did touchdown catches last season, making him one of only two FBS players (and the only receiver) with at least six rushing and receiving touchdowns in the 2024 college season (Texas running back Jaydon Blue was the other). He averaged 6.3 yards on 51 rushing attempts as a senior and got snaps and handoffs in the backfield as both a traditional running back and as a wildcat quarterback. While he did not fumble in 199 career touches from scrimmage, he dropped five passes last season (tied for sixth most in the Big 12). As a team, the Packers led the NFL with 25 drops last season, according to ESPN Research.
Round 4, No. 124: Barryn Sorrell, Edge, Texas
My take: Perceived by many to be their biggest need, the Packers waited until the fourth round to take a pass-rush specialist. To this point in the draft, only the Packers and Vikings had not drafted a defensive player. Sorrell improved his pressure rate every year since he became a starter in 2022, culminating with a 12.5% pressure rate last season (which was ninth in the SEC). It wouldn't be a surprise to see him play inside as well. He was one of four SEC players last season with at least 400 snaps at defensive end and 100 snaps at defensive tackle. His 28 reps in the bench press at the combine, which was tied for second among defensive ends/edge rushers, shows he has the strength to play inside as well.
Round 5, No. 159: Collin Oliver, Edge, Oklahoma State
My take: At 6-foot-2, 240 pounds, Oliver is a touch smaller than what the Packers would prefer in their new 4-3 defensive front that coordinator Jeff Hafley installed last season, but it also could allow Hafley to get creative with how he uses Oliver. There was some debate going into the draft whether Oliver would be better suited to play as an off-the-ball linebacker in part because of his 4.56 speed at the combine. His skill set could led him to excelling on special teams. He played in only two games last year at Oklahoma State before a foot injury ended his season. At this point, whatever position you want to call him, he will start out as a "situational pass rusher," according to Packers director of football operations Milt Hendrickson.
Round 6, No. 198: Warren Brinson, DT, Georgia
My take: Packers GM Brian Gutekunst clearly loves defensive players from the University of Georgia. Brinson was the fifth one drafted by Gutekunst since 2021. All but one, Eric Stokes (first round, 2021), remain with the team. Last year, he took Georgia safety Javon Bullard in the second round. Two years earlier, he used a pair of first-round picks on linebacker Quay Walker and defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt. Despite being a five-year player at Georgia, Brinson started only eight games, but the Packers needed help there after losing one of their best run-stopping interior defensive linemen this offseason, when T.J. Slaton signed with Bengals.
Round 7, No. 237 (from Pittsburgh): Micah Robinson, CB, Tulane
My take: This is the third straight year the Packers have taken a cornerback in the seventh round after Carrington Valentine in 2023 and Kalen King in 2024. Valentine played nearly 700 snaps as a rookie and another 547 last season, but King spent his rookie season on the practice squad. Robinson played one season at Tulane after spending four seasons at FCS Furman.
Round 7, No. 250: John Williams, OL, Cincinnati
My take: Williams started every game the past two seasons for the Bearcats at left tackle, however, some project him as a guard prospect in the NFL. The Packers often draft left tackles and turn them into interior linemen because in most cases, the left tackle was the best lineman on his college team. With this pick, Brian Gutekunst took players with all eight picks he started the week with, making it the first time since he took over as GM in 2018 that he did not make a single trade during the draft.