Winners And Losers From The Packers’ Memorable Draft Weekend

The Green Bay Packers threw a three-day party in the NFL’s smallest city over the weekend.

And the good times could carry over to the field in 2025.

Green Bay hosted the NFL Draft for the first time ever, and it was a smashing success.

On top of it, the Packers appeared to have a highly productive draft, with the wide receiver and offensive line groups benefitting the most.

Here are Green Bay’s winners and losers from draft weekend.

WINNER: JORDAN LOVE

Green Bay’s wideouts simply weren’t good enough in 2024.

According to Pro Football Reference, the Packers had the third-highest number of drops in football last season (33) and the second-highest drop rate (6.9%).

“To be honest with you … we had a ton of drops, and that’s an area that we have to clean up,” head coach Matt LaFleur said.

So general manager Brian Gutekunst spent a first round draft pick on wideout Matthew Golden and a third rounder of receiver Savion Williams.

Golden will almost certainly play immediately, while the Packers will carve out a role for Williams as the season unfolds.

In two short days, the talent around Love improved dramatically.

LOSER: DONTAYVION WICKS

Wicks, who’s entering his third season in 2025, was an enormous disappointment in 2024.

Wicks led the Packers in targets (76), but was just fourth in receptions (39) and fourth in receiving yards (415). His catch rate of 51.3% was the second worst in football among wideouts.

With the additions of Golden and Williams, someone in the wide receiver room is going to lose snaps. The best guess is the inconsistent Wicks could fade to black.

“It’s going to be really competitive to get on the field and get snaps and get targets and all those things,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “But that’s the way you want to want it, right?”

WINNER: LUKAS VAN NESS

Many anticipated the Packers would take a defensive end, or two, early in the draft. Instead, Green Bay didn’t address the position until Round 4.

That means Van Ness will be given every chance to prove he’s not a bust.

Van Ness, a first round draft pick in 2023, had four sacks, 10 quarterback hits and eight tackles for loss as a rookie. Many expected Van Ness to take a major jump in 2024, but he finished with three sacks, six quarterback hits and six tackles for loss.

In bypassing a defensive end the first three rounds, the Packers largely told Van Ness they believe he can still live up to his first round billing. Now, he must go prove it.

“My expectations are always going to be higher for myself than anybody else and I’ve naturally always been that way,” Van Ness said. “I’m hard on myself, but that ultimately is what pushes me and drives me to be a great player. So, my mindset isn’t going to change.

WINNERS: KEISEAN NIXON, NATE HOBBS, CARRINGTON VALENTINE

Many expected the Packers would draft a cornerback in the early rounds to upgrade a solid, but far from spectacular group. Instead, Green Bay didn’t draft a corner until it took Micah Robinson in Round 7.

So for now anyhow, the Packers are all in on the trio of Nixon, Hobbs and Valentine.

“We feel pretty good about our group right now,” Gutekunst said. “The guys that we have in that room, they’ve got some pelts on the wall, so to speak, as far as what they’ve been able to do in the National Football League.”

LOSER: RASHEED WALKER

Green Bay used its second round draft pick on offensive lineman Anthony Belton, who can play both tackle and guard. After the draft, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said they’d like to find out if Belton can play left tackle.

“With his size and length, you certainly want to see if he can do tackle, and he has all the athletic ability to do that,” Gutekunst said.

Earlier this offseason, Gutekunst said Jordan Morgan — Green Bay’s 2024 first round draft pick — would battle for the left tackle job in training camp.

So where does that leave Walker, who has been Green Bay’s left tackle the last two years?

Walker will certainly get the chance to fight for his job during training camp. But Walker becomes a free agent after this season, and the Packers’ recent moves suggest they’re unlikely to give him a second contract.

WINNER: THE NFL

The city of Green Bay shined as it hosted the NFL Draft for the first time ever. And the NFL should have been ecstatic with how things unfolded in one of football’s meccas.

Approximately 600,000 people attended the draft over the three days — and that included a rain-soaked afternoon on Friday.

The first round on Thursday drew a reported 205,000. Friday’s second day drew 175,000, and on a sun-splashed Saturday, the crowd was estimated at a three-day high of 220,000.

Fans capped off the weekend with a concert by country star Brad Paisley.

“What an atmosphere, having the draft here,” Gutekunst said. “There’s so many cool things that happened that quite frankly I didn’t expect. Yeah, I thought it might just be a nuisance but it was such a cool environment, such a cool thing.”

Detroit set the attendance record of 775,000 last year. Green Bay’s total of 600,000 fans tied Nashville, Tenn. (2019) for the second-largest total ever.

Traffic in the NFL’s smallest city wasn’t an issue. Crowds were festive — but peaceful. And the three-day party couldn’t have gone much better.

Green Bay showed it could handle an enormous like the draft, and deserves consideration to host again one day.

“I thought as far as the operation, I can’t imagine any NFL draft being better than the one we hosted here,” LaFleur said. “What a great experience. Some really cool moments.”

WINNER: CLAY MATTHEWS

Former Green Bay great Clay Matthews has a flair for the dramatic.

In Super Bowl XLV, with Green Bay’s lead against Pittsburgh slipping away, Packers’ linebackers coach Kevin Greene went to Matthews before the fourth quarter began and said: “It is time. It is time.”

On the next play, Matthews forced a fumble by Pittsburgh running back Rashard Mendenhall that Green Bay’s Desmond Bishop recovered.

As the first night of the draft began, Matthews told a story that left Packer Nation almost as fired up as that play did.

“I just got off the phone with the President, Donald Trump,” Matthews said. “He asked me to pass a message along to all 32 NFL franchises. My fellow Americans … the Bears still suck!”

The hometown crowd erupted. Matthews flexed.

It was one of the finest troll jobs in recent memory.