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The Green Bay Packers are the hosting team for the 2025 NFL Draft. Green Bay dominated the coverage of the first round of the draft. The Packers had the best moment of the night, sending out Mark Murphy to finally draft a first-round wide receiver for the first time since 2002.
Fittingly, the Packers added Matthew Golden to play for the green and gold. The selection was almost universally praised. We even named Golden the No. 1 biggest steal of the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Unfortunately, one of the definitions of “NFL” is “not for long.” Things can change very quickly in this league, including how teams are perceived after their biggest wins and losses.
The Packers stumbled on Day 2 and made some questionable decisions. It does not erase what they accomplished on Thursday, but it does put the pressure on to have a strong performance during Day 3 of the draft.
So what exactly went wrong in Green Bay on Friday night? Below we will explore why the Green Bay Packers were the biggest losers on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Packers reach on a tackle in Anthony Belton
The Packers used a second-round pick on NC State tackle Anthony Belton. This was a surprising pick for a few reasons.
First, the Packers drafted Belton higher than he is perceived by many in the NFL media. For example, Belton was ranked as the 92nd overall player on ESPN's big board but was selected at 54th overall. Similarly, NFL.com's Lance Zierlein graded Belton as a third-round pick, but he ended up going in the second round.
It is completely normal for teams to reach on players in the NFL Draft. But it is another thing to reach on a player who creates questions about what is going on with your offensive line.
For example, the Packers used their first-round pick in 2024 on tackle Jordan Morgan out of Arizona.
Morgan did not play much in 2024, but when he did, it was exclusively right guard. Part of that was because of necessity — the Packers needed Morgan to split time with Sean Rhyan. They were also set at tackle with both Zach Tom and Rasheed Walker. Tom, Walker, and Morgan are all still on the roster, which does not leave much room at the tackle position for Belton.
This raises some interesting questions about who will play where in 2025. Belton was announced as a tackle and projects as a right tackle in the NFL, so will he back up Zach Tom?
Morgan played snaps at guard in 2024, but the Packers brought in Aaron Banks from the 49ers in free agency. Will he compete with Rhyan again at right guard?
Walker and Tom are expected to keep their starting jobs at tackle, which makes the Belton pick even more confusing. Ultimately, it seems like Belton may be a succession plan for Tom. If that is the case, his best chance to play will be in 2026.
I think this pick is defendable, but using a second-round pick on a player who likely won't start in 2025 is not ideal, especially when reaching on that player.
Why did Green Bay double up on receivers with Savion Williams?
The Packers also doubled up on receivers, selecting Savion Williams in the third round. Green Bay now has an absolutely crowded wide receiver room. In addition to Matthew Golden and Savion Williams. the Packers also have every receiver from the 2024 roster.
Golden and Williams now will enter a training-camp battle with Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, and others. Williams has the upside of becoming a consistent contributor who could ‘do it all' for the Packers. He has experience as a kick returner and can also be used on jet sweeps. But this is a projection.
Williams has been on inconsistent producer as a traditional wide receiver, but he excels in gadget roles. As a result, Lance Zierlein could not help but compare him to Cordarrelle Patterson.
My issue with this pick is Williams' expected role on the team compared to the pick used to select him. Both Reed and Wicks are capable of doing many of the same things that Williams excels at. They may not do them quite at the same level, but they create similar production.
Considering how crowded the wide receiver room already is, does it make sense to add a gadget player into the mix with a Day 2 pick?
I believe the Packers would have been much better off using the pick on a player like Jalen Royal or Elic Ayomanor. Both of these receivers have a better shot of succeeding as a pure wide receiver.
Better yet, Green Bay could have used this pick on a different position of need like a cornerback or edge rusher.
