The 2025 NFL Draft is just a few weeks away. The Green Bay Packers are hosting and will rely heavily on it to catapult them to the next stage of their remarkably quick post-Rodgers rebuild. Green Bay’s smooth transition from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love silenced many doubters. After making a surprise playoff run in 2023, the Packers added talented veterans Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney and won 11 games.
Ultimately, they lacked the firepower to compete with the NFC’s elite, particularly the Philadelphia Eagles, who went on to win it all. Now, they’re gearing up for Love’s third season. After a relatively quiet free agency characterized by a weak class and a player’s market, Brian Gutekunst will have to work his magic if the Packers are to take a leap in a competitive NFC North.
Under Gutekunst’s leadership, the Packers have been predictably unpredictable in the first round. While mock drafts have sent the likes of Tee Higgins, Rashod Bateman, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba to Green Bay year after year, the front office has been consistent in their preference for raw prospects at premium defensive positions.
An intriguing pattern is the prevalence of Georgia prospects selected by Gutekunst in the first round. The Bulldogs have been known for their physicality and team defense throughout their run atop the SEC over the last few years. In 2021, it was Eric Stokes. A year later, it was Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt. Gutekunst was collecting championship Georgia defenders like infinity stones. This year, he may have the opportunity to add another.
Edge rusher is an undeniable need heading into the draft. Matt LaFleur has been open about the fact that if the Packers are to legitimately contend, the pass rush must be better. With Rashan Gary having a down year and Lukas Van Ness struggling to blossom in his second season, the very important position is not in a good place.
Enter standout Georgia edge Mykel Williams. After a three-year run that ended with him being one of the most decorated defenders in the SEC, Williams will seek to convert his exceptional length and explosiveness into production at the professional level. Given his measurables and upside, he fits the bill as a Packers prospect.
Williams has been regarded as one of the most high-profile prospects in the 2025 class, but his stock has slid in recent mock drafts after he ran a 4.76 40 at Georgia’s pro day. It’s a similar time to Nick Bosa and faster than Nick’s brother Joey. Nonetheless, it can lower his stock in the same way that impressively speedy times boost others’.
However, the 40-yard dash arguably isn’t a critical metric to judge an edge rusher. Most of their work is conducted in small spaces and determined by explosiveness. For this reason, it is hard to see the Packers batting an eye here if he slides. Given Williams’ upside, it wouldn’t be surprising if Gutekunst made a small trip up the board to electrify the home crowd.
The draft is the last major offseason event until training camp, and the Packers have a lot of key positions to address and not many ways to get that done. It’s difficult to see them putting together championship-caliber rooms at wide receiver, cornerback, and edge rusher. Conversely, Gutekunst and the front office put together some incredible draft classes, particularly further down the board in the later rounds. This time around, nailing that first pick is crucial, whether that means trading up, down, or swapping the pick entirely.
Georgia’s Mykel Williams is an opportunity to light up the Lambeau crowd with a big name while staying true to Green Bay’s draft tendencies, even down to Gutey’s side mission of rebuilding the championship UGA defense. With a few weeks left to go, there are sure to be more twists and turns in the 2025 cycle. Still, we won’t have to wait much longer to see how the front office approaches the monumental task of getting this roster ready to compete with anyone and everyone come the fall.
