Every year there are players who have breakout seasons for the Green Bay Packers. Prospective breakout players are usually easy to identify. For example, running back Marshawn Lloyd and tight end Luke Musgrave are finally healthy. Defensive tackle Devante Wyatt was never the same last year after an early-season ankle injury. And finally, second-year defensive backs Evan Williams and Javon Bullard should have an opportunity to show why they were voted top defensive backs during the week of the Senior Bowl by the players.
But every year, there is at least one surprise breakout player. It’s typically someone who is buried on the depth chart, someone filling out the back end of the 53-man roster. A lot of them are Day 3 picks who only get an opportunity to play if there is an injury.
For example, cornerback Carrington Valentine was a 7th-round pick in 2023 who earned a lot of snaps as a rookie after a strong camp. Last season, former undrafted free agent edge rusher Brenton Cox was arguably their best pass rusher down the stretch. In this article, we will look at five players who have the potential to be the next surprise breakout player for the Packers in the upcoming 2025 season.
5) Collin Oliver, Edge Rusher
Collin Oliver was a surprise 5th-round pick in the 2025 Draft out of Oklahoma State. Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst typically doesn’t draft undersized pass rushers. At only 6 feet 2, 240 pounds, Oliver is likely a designated pass rusher only. Plus, Oliver hurt his foot in the Arkansas game and missed the rest of the 2024 college season. Oliver was the most important player on the Cowboys’ defense, and they collapsed without him.
Coming into the draft, Oliver had an incredible workout. His RAS (Relative Athletic Score) is 9.74, which means he is in the 97th percentile for all the edge rushers at the combine or their pro day. If that athleticism translates to the field, Oliver could become a threat on third down for defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s defense.
Oliver is currently on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform list) with a hamstring injury. That is why he is not higher on this list. Gutekunst typically does not release 5th-round picks, so he is a good bet to make the roster. However, because of the injury, Oliver is missing key training camp reps. Hopefully, he gets off the PUP soon and plays in the preseason.
4) Ty’Ron Hopper, Off Ball Linebacker
Going into the 2024 draft, Ty’Ron Hopper was expected to be a late-round selection out of Missouri. But Gutekunst was higher on Hopper than most and used a late third-round pick on him. That surprised most draft analysts mainly because of a high missed tackle percentage in college (22.7% in 2023). Plus, Edgerrin Cooper, another off-ball linebacker, was drafted a round earlier out of Texas A&M. Hopper would play mostly special teams as a rookie.
Just like Oliver, Hopper tested well before the draft. While he didn’t grade nearly as well as Oliver, his RAS still came in at a 7.42. Hopper was hurt by a poor showing in the agility drills, but performed well in the rest of them. Hopper is behind returning starters Cooper, Quay Walker, and Isaiah McDuffie. He may also be behind free agent addition Isaiah Simmons, who has impressed early in camp. But if Hopper can show the potential Gutekunst saw in him, he could be the next man up if there is an injury to one of the starters.
3) Jacob Monk, Center
Jacob Monk was another surprising selection in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Duke. Not because the Packers selected him in the 5th round. He was expected to go in the 5th to 7th round range. It was the fact that Brian Gutekunst wanted him enough to trade up to get him. Once again, Monk graded out as an elite athlete for his position, matching Oliver with a RAS of 9.74.
The reason Monk was available on Day 3 was due to his inconsistent play. Because of his athleticism, Monk moves well and can get to the second level with ease. But in college, he struggled with his hand placement and against bigger and stronger defensive tackles. So the athleticism did not match the production, which is why he wasn’t drafted higher.
Next Gen Stats gave Monk an 86 athleticism score, which was the 3rd highest among draft-eligible centers. However, they also gave Monk a 59 production score, good for 14th among centers. If the Packers’ coaching staff can turn that athleticism into production, they may have their future starter at center. That would be ideal considering current starter Elgton Jenkins has back issues, wants a new contract, and has a 24 million dollar cap hit next season. The Packers have typically used starting right guard Sean Rhyan as the backup center, but if Monk plays well this preseason, he could win the backup job.
2) Bo Melton, Cornerback???
A lot of people were shocked when wide receiver Bo Melton took cornerback reps at the Packers minicamp. It’s possible the Packers coaches wanted to experiment with a two-way player like Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter. But the Packers have a logjam at wide receiver after using their 1st and 3rd round picks to select Matthew Golden and Savion Williams. Perhaps a position switch is Melton’s best chance to make the roster.
Melton is a fan favorite in Green Bay, mainly because of how well he played down the stretch in 2023. However, he wasn’t able to carry that over to the 2024 season, which saw him only play 23.15% of the offensive snaps. After drafting Golden and Williams, Melton immediately became a long shot to make the roster despite being a terrific special teams player. The Packers clearly are higher are returning players Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, and Christian Watson when he returns from a torn ACL. Plus, they added Mecole Hardman in free agency, another receiver who plays special teams.
All of this led to a position switch for Melton. With the release of starter Jaire Alexander, a potential spot opened up for Melton to make the team as a cornerback. Melton has the prototypical size for a corner at 5 feet 11, 190 pounds, and his brother, Max Melton, is a cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals. Plus, it is expected to be one of the weaker units on the Packers roster this season. This could be a win-win for the Packers if Melton makes the roster as a corner. It would essentially allow the Packers an extra roster spot because he can fill in at wide receiver if injuries occur at the position.
- 1) Nazir Stackhouse, Defensive Tackle
Many draft analysts considered defensive tackle one of the Packers’ biggest needs going into the NFL draft. TJ Slaton signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency. He was the closest thing the Packers had to a run-stopping nose tackle. But Gutekunst waited until the 6th round to address the position, selecting Warron Brinson out of Georgia. However, Brinson is better at rushing the passer than stopping the run, leaving some fans worried the Packers did not have a true space-eater on the defensive line. Luckily for the Packers, Nazir Stackhouse, Brinson’s teammate at Georgia, agreed to sign an undrafted free agent contract with the Packers.
Stackhouse was projected to be a late-round selection in the 2025 NFL draft. In fact, the majority of draft analysts ranked Stackhouse higher than Brinson. It was a little surprising that Stackhouse was available when the draft ended. He was a terrific run defender at Georgia. The main reason I believe he wasn’t drafted is that he didn’t get much pass rush in college. The NFL has become a passing-dominant league, and teams value pass rush over run defense.
There is another reason that might explain why Stackhouse wasn’t drafted. He suffers from narcolepsy and fell asleep in meetings at Georgia. He even fell asleep on the bench in a game against Ole Miss. But the Georgia coaches spoke highly of Stackhouse’s character, work ethic, and durability during his time in college.
The good news for Stackhouse is that he has a window to make this team. Every other defensive lineman that is projected to make the 53-man roster brings more pass rush than run defense. You can argue that Stackhouse is the Packers’ best run-stopping defensive tackle on the roster despite not being drafted. Add that to the fact that he has been getting reps with the first team in practice. That is why I not only think he will make the team but could even start next to Kenny Clark against opponents who prioritize running the football.
Conclusion
If any of these players make an impact in 2025, the Packers could go from a playoff team to a contender. They already have one of the deepest rosters in the NFL. But injuries do happen, and if even one of these players makes an impact, it could be a significant benefit to this team. The Packers are sliding under the radar right now, with next to no one predicting them to make a deep playoff run. What if two or more of these players have a breakout season? It’s possible the Packers could then become the surprise team to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
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