It's officially NFL mock draft season if you're a fan of the Green Bay Packers. Their heart wrenching loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card this past weekend marked the end of the 2024-25 campaign and the official start of their offseason.
It's not like this was a huge surprise. Homers are always going to expect a win, but anyone with a realistic view of this Packers team toward the end of the season knew the vibes weren't good. They limped into the NFC playoffs coming off two-straight losses to NFC North opponents — which included a demoralizing and unnecessary loss to the Chicago Bears that broke a 11-game winning streak the Packers had over their division rival.
Speaking of the NFC North, the Packers went 1-5 against the division and they were a Karl Brooks fingertip away from going 0-6. Yes, the North is stacked with the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings seeming like legitimate Super Bowl contenders and the Bears have a young and exciting rookie quarterback in Caleb Williams, but that 1-5 record should be unacceptable from the Green Bay brass.
The Packers had long held control of the NFC North because they had a standard of consistent, winning football — especially at the quarterback position.
That standard was broken in 2024 and it led to the early exit in the Wild Card.
That's not to say the Packers don't have plenty they can build off of. They were an 11-win team, after all, and they're largely thought of as one of the best-run teams in the NFL. Yes, Jordan Love regressed in 2024 as did head coach Matt LaFleur's offense, but Josh Jacobs was one of the best running backs in the league behind Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley. Defensively, the Packers also uncovered a potential superstar linebacker in rookie Edgerrin Cooper and free agent signing safety Xavier McKinney notched eight picks and 11 passes defended.
The Packers have pieces and if 2024 was just a case of a “sophomore slump” for Love, they should be able to bounce back quickly in 2025.
Still, General Manager Brian Gutekusnt needs to add a ton more talent to this roster. Some of that can come through NFL Free Agency, where the Packers have a ton of money to spend. The rest has to come through the 2025 NFL Draft, though.
That's been a bit hit-or-miss for Gutekunst, but that's the nature of drafting. You can draft a bust just as easily as drafting your team's next superstar, but that's the way things work in the NFL. Either way, the Packers can absolutely find a talent that can help the team in 2025 at the tail end of the first round.
Here are some of the top targets for Green Bay.
James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee, would help the Packers pass rush
At 6-foot-5, 243 pounds, James Pearce Jr. out of Tennessee profiles as a high-upside athletic marvel who could translate immediately into an NFL pass-rushing role. He's a bit small at that weight for being a defensive end, but he'd be excellent as an outside linebacker in Jeff Hafley's scheme.
Think about a player with Quay Walker's athleticism and Cooper's instinct and that's what the Packers could potentially get in Pearce as an outside linebacker/EDGE rusher.
He started eight of 12 games for Tennessee this past season and led the team with 52 total pressures to go along with 7.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
Jahdae Barron could be a Week 1 starter for the Packers at cornerback

The Packers desperately need help at quarterback. Jaire Alexander has become as injury prone as they come and there's a decent chance he's not with the team next season. He's under contract, but the Packers will owe him quite a bit of money and they may no longer feel he's worth it if he can't consistently stay on the field. There's an out in his contract that could be beneficial to Green Bay, so that's something to keep an eye on.
Meanwhile, Keisean Nixon thinks he can be the Packers' CB1, but that's just bluster and far from the truth, and Carrington Valentine is a good but not great second or third corner.
Enter Jahdae Barron, who would instantly become a starter for the Packers in the secondary. He's got plenty of big game experience coming from Texas and he packs a ton of playmaking into his 5-foot-11, 210-pound frame.
He notched five interceptions and 11 passes defended this past season for Texas and he has eight total interception from his five year college career — all with the Longhorns.
Notre Dame's Benjamin Morrison could be worth the risk
The Packers could get lucky and have Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison fall to them. If he hadn't injured his hip and had to undergo surgery for it earlier in this 2024 season for Notre Dame, there's a chance he would have been a top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
A junior, he notched 20 tackles with four pass breakups for the Fighting Irish before his injury. Morrison snagged five interceptions as a true freshman for Notre Dame and another three in his sophomore season.
If the Packers feel he can move pass the hip injury and continue that type of production at the NFL level, he'd be an incredible pick for them.