As OTA’s get under way and we get closer and closer to training camp, we’ll spend plenty of time talking about which players might make the biggest difference in the 2025 Packers season. A lot of the time it will be about the names you’ve heard plenty about – Alexander, Jenkins, Love, Golden, etc. I wanted to take a few minutes however and talk about the guys that aren’t getting that shine. New draft picks, free agents, or veterans that the team will need to contribute to make a Super Bowl run.
The Draft Picks
Barryn Sorrell: A lot of attention was give to Sorrell due to the uniqueness of his draft day experience.
Worth the wait
@Packers fourth-round pick Barryn Sorrell gets his moment on the Draft stage in Green Bay
: #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/DgCjrKVb1P
— NFL (@NFL) April 26, 2025
Make no mistake, it was a great story. But it may have overshadowed what could be a big part of the Packers success this year. The Packers pass rush fell off in a big way last year in the most crucial moments. It may not be a fair expectation of a 4th round rookie, but he was also the only meaningful investment the team made on the defensive line this offseason.
The Packers clearly expect the coaching change they made to get the most out of the existing talent, but Sorrell may be called on sooner than expected to provide some much needed juice to the front seven.
Savion Williams: I’ll be the first to admit that I was not a fan of this pick. It felt like a bit of a luxury and a bit of a reach. I’m still not a huge fan yet, but I can see the thought process:
My biggest concern is that the Packers are making the mistake a lot of teams have in the last few years, and are trying to chase the next Deebo Samuel, while not realizing how unique of a player he was in the prime of his career. On the flip side, the team clearly lost some faith in the pass catchers on the roster, and its never a bad idea to give yourself multiple bites at the apple.
The Late Picks and UFDAs.
Kalen King: *Required If Jaire Stays This Changes Mention* King has had a rough past couple of years. A late 7th round pick in 2024, at one point King has been generating first round pick buzz. King was buried on the depth chart last year, but could find himself playing meaningful snaps depending on how the CB room shakes out. Even if Alexander stays, both him and new acquisition Nate Hobbs have injury history that could require a player like King to step up.
Nazir Stackhouse: The road to making this roster as an UDFA is not an easy one. While the Packers may not have the top end talent that some other contenders do, they have a roster stacked with solid players. That being said, the team clearly believes they have something with Stackhouse. They gave him more money than any other UDFA they brought in, and they have a need at his position. With TJ Slaton gone in free agency, the team could use a run stuffing DT to plug in on early downs. If Stackhouse can be that body in the middle, that could free up players like Kenny Clark to get after the QB more often.
The Kickers
The Packers have seemingly found some stability at both kicking positions after years of turmoil. Special teams were far from special last season, or the season before that, or the season before that…
Regardless, they’ve got the kickers figured out. If that stays the same this year, then maybe the highest paid special teams coach in the league can devote more of his time to making sure the rest of the special teams unit can be something amazing, or incredible, or honestly just average. I would settle for average. Please can we just have average special teams.
The post Under the Radar Packers That Could Swing The Season first appeared on PackersTalk.com Blog Posts and Podcasts.