The Green Bay Packers sunk a considerable amount of resources into improving their offense over the past several months to take their shot at a title in 2025.
The Packers signed Aaron Banks, one of the top available veteran guards, to a four-year, $77 million contract in the first wave of NFL free agency. They also invested all three of their first draft picks into offensive players, adding two wide receivers and a left tackle.
The end result is a stronger supporting cast for Jordan Love as he heads into his third full season as Green Bay’s starting quarterback. The Packers must still figure out their depth chart through positional battles at training camp in the coming months, but they are competitions at positions of strength, ideally helping iron sharpen iron for them.
Before camp begins in July, here’s a look at the top three breakout candidates for the Packers on offense who could rise to greatness during the 2025 season:
Matthew Golden, WR
The Packers might have a logjam at wide receiver ahead of training camp, but there is little question that Golden — the No. 23 overall pick — will have a meaningful role in the rotation after the team broke its 23-year drought of not selecting a first-round receiver. The 5-foot-11, 191-pound rookie has speed, agility, ball-tracking skills and body control, making him a formidable receiver who excels at all levels of the field. He is also coming off a career-best season at Texas with 58 catches for 987 yards and nine touchdowns.
The real question is whether the Packers are willing to feature Golden like a No. 1 wide receiver in Matt LaFleur’s offense. The Packers have attempted to use their multitude of passing targets to their advantage in recent seasons to keep defenses guessing, pivoting from one to another from week to week, but they have lacked a receiver who can take over games and deliver consistently in high-pressure situations. If Golden shows he can be that game-changer for them, he may slip into the rookie of the year conversation.
Marshawn Lloyd, RB
Lloyd might feel like an odd selection with Josh Jacobs returning to lead the backfield after rushing for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first season with the Packers in 2024. But after injuries limited him to just six carries as a rookie, the 2024 third-round pick has a clean bill of health and an opportunity to give Green Bay a more potent one-two punch in the run game in 2025 as a complementary option with big-play potential.
In his final season at USC in 2023, Lloyd averaged 7.1 yards per carry and ran for nine touchdowns while adding 13 receptions for 232 yards, flexing his dual-purpose ability. While he will need to win the No. 2 role away from Emanuel Wilson — who rushed 103 times for 502 yards and four touchdowns last season — during camp, Lloyd could take off for the Packers if he seizes it and manages to keep his injury troubles behind him.
Jordan Morgan, OL
Morgan, a 2024 first-round pick, did not have the impact that the team hoped he would as a rookie. After the Packers spent time cross-training him at tackle and guard in the offseason, he suffered a shoulder injury in camp that hampered his ability to compete for the starting right guard job. His shoulder remained a problem throughout his rookie season, limiting him to just six games and eventually ending his season in November.
Healthy again in 2025, though, Morgan has a chance to deliver on his strong collegiate resume and compete for starting spots at multiple positions with the Packers ahead of the 2025 season. He is expected to push Sean Rhyan for the right guard job in camp, but LaFleur has indicated that he will also compete with Rasheed Walker at left tackle. If Morgan wins one of those jobs, he could find himself on the fast track to a breakout — especially after he allowed just three sacks and 30 pressures in two seasons at Arizona.
