Packers unintentionally reveal their 2025 NFL Draft plans after first weeks of free agency

Look at the Green Bay Packers' moves in free agency. Guard, cornerback, wide receiver. Now think about the team's needs ahead of the new league year, and you will see that there is one area that was expected to be addressed, but hasn't: The defensive line.The Packers have signed Aaron Banks, Nate Hobbs, and Mecole […]

Wendell Ferreira — NFL News Writer
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James Pearce Jr. during Tennessee Pro Day 2025, at University of Tennessee, Tuesday, March 11, 2025.
Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Look at the Green Bay Packers' moves in free agency. Guard, cornerback, wide receiver. Now think about the team's needs ahead of the new league year, and you will see that there is one area that was expected to be addressed, but hasn't: The defensive line.

The Packers have signed Aaron Banks, Nate Hobbs, and Mecole Hardman. None of these signings, especially Hardman, preclude general manager Brian Gutekunst from adding more players to their positions in the draft, but it alleviates the necessity to pick players for depth purposes—and in the case of Banks and Hobbs, to pick immediate starters.

With the defensive line, it's the perfect storm. Edge defender and defensive tackle are positions of short- and long-term need, the Packers haven't added (and lost a piece, by the way, with TJ Slaton going to the Cincinnati Bengals), and it's a place where the Packers have historically given a lot of value.

Defensive line as a single unit

Since last year, the Packers have made a concerted effort to integrate the edges and interior defensive linemen. There's only one coach (Jason Rebrovich last year, DeMarcus Covington now) taking care of the entire room. That's a consequence of the 4-3 base under Jeff Hafley, but also an attempt to rush the passer and stop the run with better connection and communication.

And at the NFL Combine, Gutekunst talked about the areas he perceived as strong in the draft, giving another indication of what's to come.

"There's been a lot of talk about the offensive and defensive lines maybe being a little bit stronger than in some years," Gutekunst highlighted. "I think it's a good draft overall, we're excited for it. We certainly think there's a bunch of opportunities to help our football team."

On Wednesday, Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart was in Green Bay for a top 30 visit. He's the 13th prospect on the consensus big board, so it's unlikely that he will be there when the Packers pick, but it's another indication of their plans.

Princely Umanmielen, who's the 53rd prospect on the consensus board and comes from Ole Miss, has met with the Packers twice, at the Senior Bowl and at the Combine.

Defensive linemen the Packers have had contact with:

EDGE

  • Shemar Stewart (Texas A&M) – Top 30
  • Elijah Alston (Miami) – Tropical Bowl
  • Chuck Smith (Villanova) – Tropical Bowl
  • Tyler Baron (Miami) – Shrine Bowl
  • Elijah Roberts (SMU) – Shrine Bowl
  • Jah Joyner (Minnesota) – Senior Bowl
  • Princely Umanmielen (Ole Miss) – Senior Bowl and Combine
  • Bradyn Swinson (LSU) – Combine
  • James Pearce (Tennessee) – Combine

DT

  • Phil Blidi (Auburn) – Tropical Bowl
  • Kenneth Grant (Michigan) – Shrine Bowl
  • Nazir Stackhouse (Georgia) – Shrine Bowl
  • Payton Page (Clemson) – Shrine Bowl
  • CJ West (Indiana) – Shrine Bowl
  • Cam Horsley (Boston College) – Shrine Bowl
  • Joseph Evans (UTSA) – Shrine Bowl
  • Jordan Phillips (Maryland) – Shrine Bowl
  • Walter Nolen (Ole Miss) – Senior Bowl
  • Aeneas Peebles (Virginia Tech) – Senior Bowl
  • Alfred Thomas (Texas) – Combine

Realistic targets at 23

James Pearce from the Vols is a player who talked to the Packers at the Combine and is the 20th prospect on the consensus board. The group of players close to where Green Bay is selecting at 23 includes defensive tackles Kenneth Grant (Michigan, talked to the Packers at the Shrine Bowl), Walter Nolen (Ole Miss, talked to the Packers at the Senior Bowl), and Derrick Harmon (Oregon, who's been mocked a ton to Green Bay). A little below is Donovan Ezeiruaku, a defensive end who played three seasons with Jeff Hafley at Boston College.

Overall approach

Last year, the Packers had a solid defense with Jeff Hafley, but the inability to create pressure without sending blitz was a costly problem.

"With pass rushers, you can never have enough," Gutekunst said after the season. "I thought there were times this year we did that, we were able to rush with four men. Every team in the league, that's how you'd prefer to do it, rush with four and affect the quarterback with four. There were periods of times where we didn't do that well enough, everybody understands that. That affects your football team."

Since Gutekunst took over as the GM in 2018, he has drafted Rashan Gary, Devonte Wyatt, and Lukas Van Ness in the first round. But the room is still a need, especially if Wyatt and Van Ness don't take the step forward Green Bay expects and needs.

If there's a need, there's value, and the class is strong, it's easy to connect the dots and see that there's a good chance of the Packers adding another first-round piece to the defensive line puzzle.

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