NFL Draft Grades: What’s the Packers’ GPA?

GREEN BAY, Wis. – NFL Draft grades, of course, are a silly proposition. They’re like giving an infant a new car on his first birthday just so he’s prepared for driver’s ed.

Nonetheless, we assembled 12 sets of national draft grades, did some math and computed the Green Bay Packers’ grade-point average.

Ranging from an A-minus at NFL.com to a few C-pluses, the Packers wound up with a 2.80 GPA.

NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter was the only national pundit to give the Packers any version of an A.

“Green Bay ended its 23-year streak of not drafting a receiver in Round 1 with (Matthew) Golden, whom the team surely hopes is the downfield playmaker Jordan Love needs,” Reuter wrote in his introductory paragraph. “Instead of adding a cornerback and edge rusher in Day 2, the Packers gambled on (Anthony) Belton's size to overcome his lapses against speed and took advantage of versatile offensive weapon Savion Williams still being on the board.”

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. gave the Packers a B.

“Improving quarterback Jordan Love's supporting cast was clearly a focus over the course of the draft,” he wrote as part of his extensive breakdown. “The Packers have young talent there, sure, but they've gone three straight seasons without a 1,000-yard receiver. They've had plenty of chances to draft first-round playmakers and didn't take them. The streak ended, though, with Matthew Golden. I loved this pick, and … he could quickly step into the WR1 role in Green Bay.”

Fox Sports draft expert Rob Rang also gave the Packers a B.

“The first round could not have played out much better for the hosting Green Bay Packers, who capitalized on the speediest wide receiver in the class – Matthew Golden – falling into their queso. Specifically, it provides them with the home-run hitter needed to take quarterback Jordan Love and this offense into another stratosphere.”

Bleacher Report was among those who gave the Packers a C-plus.

Golden will add “potency” to the Packers’ passing game, but second-round offensive tackle Anthony Belton was a “reach.”

The #Packers hadn't drafted a receiver in the first round since 2002. Chris Jackson was a receiver on that team. Now, he's the receivers coach at Texas, where he coached first-round pick Matthew Golden. ⬇️https://t.co/tNQK6oAl9P
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) April 28, 2025

“Belton should add competition at tackle, though, while edge-rusher Barryn Sorrell will help address the Packers' need for another situational sack specialist.

“General manager Brian Gutekunst added some much-needed defensive depth on Day 3, though it was a bit surprising that he didn't target cornerback help early in the draft. Green Bay may need to see a big jump in passing production for this draft to be considered a success.”

The Ringer’s Danny Kelly also gave the Packers a C-plus, concluding his analysis with, “This is a fine haul for the Pack, but I’m not sure it’s a group that will put the team over the top.”

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler didn’t hand out grades but he did rank Green Bay’s draft No. 20. Under Day 3 pick who could surprise, he selected Texas defensive end Barryn Sorrell.

“One of my favorite prospects in the entire draft, Sorrell is a big, strong edge presence who moves well and can discard blocks with his heavy hands. He has top-notch intangibles and will provide an impact as a rookie, both on and off the field. It was awesome seeing him celebrate with the Green Bay fans after his selection.

Of 13 sets of national draft breakdowns, the Packers were in the top 10 of two (NFL.com, sixth; USA Today, eighth), the bottom 10 of six (CBS, 23rd; Ringer, 24th; Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report, 25th; Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Network, 26th) and in the middle of five (Fox, 11th; ESPN, 13th; Yahoo, 14th; Associated Press, 16th; The Athletic, 20th).

Overall, the average rank was 18.2. (For tiebreaking purposes among teams that received the same grade, if five teams received an A, five teams received a B and the Packers were one of five teams with a C-plus, they were given credit for ranking 11th.)

Of course, this is all meaningless conjecture. The only thing that matters will be how the players produce in 2025 and beyond.

“I think we really increased the competition across the board,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “I felt really good about our football team coming into this draft. We did some things in free agency and just where our team was in general that I felt really, really good about it.

“Certainly, we increased the competition in a lot of spots. Draft never falls exactly how you think it’s going to fall. It’s always interesting, but I like that part of it. I think we were able to add, particularly these three days and even in free agency, pretty good culture fits – guys that are going to fit into our locker room and be assets to us that way.”

Grading the Green Bay Packers’ Draft