Packers Unanimous Top 10 in Power Rankings After NFL Draft

GREEN BAY, Wis. – While there might be a transaction here or there, NFL roster-building season is complete. With the Green Bay Packers signing five unrestricted free agents, highlighted by guard Aaron Banks and cornerback Nate Hobbs, and drafting eight players, they hope to have added enough quality personnel to make a move in the NFC.

Did they? We’ll find out when the regular season kicks off in about four months. Or, we can treat the latest NFL power rankings as gospel.

We’ll start with the home team.

Sports Illustrated: 8th

The Packers are down one spot, though Conor Orr gave “kudos” to general manager Brian Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur for infusing the receiver corps with fresh talent.

“We have seen both Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan remake the complexion of their receiver rooms over the past two years,” Orr wrote. “Now LaFleur added Matthew Golden and Savion Williams over the course of three rounds. While I thought the team could use some defensive tackle help, maybe the plan is to simply hang 35 each week – and the Packers are good enough to pull it off.”

The Bears are the worst of the NFC North teams at No. 17, though Orr wondered if he should have put them in the top 10.

“You hate to fall in love with the team that has ‘won’ the offseason,” he said, “but Chicago isn’t just winning the offseason; the team is smashing it to pieces.”

CBS Sports: 7th

Opposite of SI, CBS’s Pete Prisco moved the Packers from No. 8 to No. 7 rather than the other way around.

“They went into the offseason with questions at corner, receiver and offensive line,” Prisco said. “They paid Aaron Banks big money to be a left guard, but was that wise? They did add Nate Hobbs to the corner group. Getting receivers Matthew Golden and Savion Williams in the draft was big.”

Chicago has the lowest rank at No. 17 but is up seven spots after a busy offseason.

Sharp Football: 8th

The Packers fell one spot in Raymond Summerlin’s rankings. Detroit is No. 5. Of the Lions, he wrote, “We know this roster is good. The question is, what does it look like under the new coaching staff?”

Bleacher Report: 8th

The Packers fell from seventh, where they finished after a one-and-done playoff.

After selecting two receivers in the first three rounds, “Jordan Love certainly isn’t hurting for young targets to throw to.” However, wrote Maurice Moton, “Golden has a lot to prove to be considered a go-to playmaker. He didn't rack up 1,000 yards in any of his three collegiate seasons and topped out at 58 catches in his lone year at Texas.”

USA Today: 8th

The Packers remain steady in Nate Davis’ rankings, though perhaps he’s read too deep into the tea leaves about the future of the team’s former All-Pro cornerback.

With the addition of “first-round WR Matthew Golden, and the apparent retention of another, Pro Bowl CB Jaire Alexander, could be signs that the ‘Go Pack Go’ you heard throughout draft weekend could continue deep into the upcoming season.”

Green Bay is just behind Detroit, which is No. 7 after losing both coordinators.

NFL.com: 9th

The Packers fell one spot in Eric Edholm’s rankings. He liked the picks of receivers Golden and Williams better than he did second-round offensive lineman Anthony Belton.

Edholm called Williams, “one of my favorite ‘toys’ in this year's class, and edge rusher Barryn Sorrell was among my favorite Day 3 selections. Now the pressure shifts back to Jordan Love and whether he can reach the mountaintop, or even get past the first few markers.”

Three NFC North teams are in the Top 10.

Fox Sports: 10th

David Helman dropped the Packers two spots after the draft. His critique of the draft might match yours.

“Matthew Golden is a fun first-round pick, but I’m not convinced the Packers improved any of their other problem spots over the weekend. The pass rush still seems like it needs some juice, and the cornerback depth chart looks perilously thin.”

All of the NFC North teams are in the top half of his rankings, with the Vikings serving as the caboose.

“I want to put the Vikings so much higher than this,” Helman said. “The roster is loaded, as we know from last year’s 14-3 record. They’re plugging a first-round pick into the offensive line. They even traded for a 4,000-yard passer in Sam Howell as insurance for J.J. McCarthy. There’s so much potential here, but I just can’t move them any higher until I’ve seen more of McCarthy.”

Added together, the Packers’ average spot in those seven media power rankings is 8.3.

Betting Odds: Top 10

The Packers have the ninth-shortest odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, though their +2100 is slightly longer than their +2000 at the end of the season.

In the NFC, the Lions (+1000), Rams (+1800) and Commanders (+1900) have better odds.

The Packers are tied for seventh with the Bengals and 49ers at DraftKings at +2000. That’s interesting because they have only the sixth-shortest odds to win the No. 1 seed, though that’s partially due to sharing a division with the Lions.

Green Bay is tied for the 10th-shortest odds at BetMGM at +2500.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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