It wasn't exactly an offseason of additions for the Green Bay Packers, but general manager Brian Gutekunst did operate to reinforce a roster that went to the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. In free agency, the team made two big moves, adding left guard Aaron Banks and cornerback Nate Hobbs, plus some minor signings.

Gutekunst also made eight draft picks, including the first wide receiver taken in the first round since 2002, and the first time the Packers picked two wide receivers in the first three rounds in franchise history.

Now that the offseason program is over and we are a little more than a month away from training camp, it's the perfect time to reevaluate the roster and see which additions can be the most individually impactful for the team's performance in 2025.

Matthew Golden

The Packers had obvious problems at wide receiver last year, with drops and mistakes putting quarterback Jordan Love in a pretty uncomfortable position. So, in addition to a long-term situation that demanded new pieces in the room, Green Bay clearly wanted a high-end piece to elevate the offense's ceiling.

"He's one of those guys," Gutekunst said right after drafting Golden. "Covering him from a man perspective is gonna be extremely tough. We get to some of those third downs when people are trying to mug us up, and you need someone to get open fast, he can do that. This goes back, and I can hear Ted (Thompson) in my head, you gotta catch it, and he had such good hands. For me, that was a big part of it too."

No addition of the Packers this offseason has that potential to make the entire unit look better than Golden. Even though he's smaller than the team tends to prefer, the team sees his versatility to play inside and outside as a bonus.

"He's kind of above the Mendoza line for that outside, but not by much," Gutekunst explained. "When you watch him, he arguably has some of the best hands in the draft. Not only coming back to it and running through it, but when he tracked it over his shoulder and stuff too. He's a strong athlete. He's versatile, he's gonna do a lot of things. But we certainly felt that he could play outside and that was important to us."

Jordan Love and head coach Matt LaFleur are cautiously excited, and rightfully so after what the rookie has shown early in the process.

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Nate Hobbs

The premise that the Packers didn't do anything to replace Jaire Alexander is misguided. They knew since the end of last season that Alexander would most likely be gone throughout the offseason, and that conclusion was a significant part of the reason why the Packers gave Nate Hobbs a four-year, $48 million deal in free agency.

This is the first time Green Bay signs a big free agent contract at cornerback since 2018, Gutekunst's first year as a GM, when the team brought Tramon Williams back on a two-year, $10 million contract.

Hobbs has played mostly in the slot, but defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley thinks he can be everywhere.

"Nate can play outside and Nate can play inside," Hafley said back in May. "We're going to have him do both. When you're getting ready for free agency and you're evaluating tape, that's one thing you love about him. He's had a lot of success inside, and I thought his tape outside was equally as good. He is competitive, he is tough, he is physical, he plays the game fast."

You can still question the Packers' approach at cornerback over the past two years, but Hobbs' impact to the success or not of the defense is undeniable.

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Barryn Sorrell

The main position where the external public expected significant investment, and the Packers actually didn't do much was edge defender. Presumably, the coaching change from Jason Rebrovich to DeMarcus Covington is the big bet. However, after three offensive selections on Days 1 and 2 in the draft, the first defensive pick was an edge. And it's a talented one in Barryn Sorrell.

He's not expected to start, especially from the get go, with Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness in the fold. But his ability to grow as a rotational pass rusher could be a massive boost to a unit that struggled to generate pressure without sending blitz a year ago.

"Big, fast, smart, tough, good people who need football. You can check all those boxes," said Packers director of football operations Milt Hendrickson. "If that guy stays healthy, he's going to play as long as he wants to."

It wasn't an offseason full of investments upfront, but Sorrell can be a big value pick for Green Bay.

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