Offseason additions give Packers options at returner, including Keisean Nixon

Paul Bretl | 5/13/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Following the Packers’ playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, two-time All-Pro return man Keisean Nixon said during locker cleanout that he was “over it” when it came to being a returner. Instead, he wanted to focus solely on being the defense’s top cornerback.

Understandably so, with that conversation taking place less than 24 hours after a season-ending loss, one in which Nixon fumbled the opening kickoff return, the frustration of that performance was still very much lingering.

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However, in the months since, time has helped heal, and from the sounds of it, Nixon is going to be a part of the Packers’ return man equation.

“I think we’re, you know, I think him and I both, as well as other players, were not in very good mood after that particular game (Philadelphia), and going into that press conference, we’ve had conversations,” said special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia on Monday. “So in my mind, he’s always going to be in the mix, and we’ll see how it works out.”

Under the NFL’s new kickoff rules last season, Nixon didn’t see as many quality opportunities to return the ball as he had hoped. After totaling 35 return attempts in 2022 and 32 in 2023, he had just 22 this season. Overall, he was still effective, averaging 28.3 yards per attempt, although he was missing that big-play jolt.

To further incentivise kick returns, the NFL is again tweaking the rule with touchbacks this season being moved from the 30-yard line, as was the case last year, to the 35-yard line this year.

“The thing I think that’s good for us is we’ve had a year to go through it,” said Bisaccia. “We’ve seen some of the things that we did really well on both ends, the kickoff and the return part, and some things that we did extremely poorly on the kickoff return part. I think we, as coaches, have learned a lot of how we can give our guys in the return game some more tools to probably get themselves in a little bit better position.”

Along with Nixon returning kicks, presumably Jayden Reed will have the opportunity to continue returning punts this season as well. On 16 punt returns last season, which ranked 27th, Reed averaged a modest 8.6 yards per return with two muffed attempts, according to PFF.

But beyond Nixon and Reed retaining the same roles in 2025, when it comes to return man duties, the Packers have several other options on the roster as well. As Bisaccia mentioned on Monday, both rookie receivers, Matthew Golden and Savion Williams, have return experience from their time in college.

Golden had 29 kick return attempts during his time at Houston and Texas, averaging 25.8 yards per return, and recorded two touchdowns with his 4.29-second speed. Williams, meanwhile, has 15 career kick return attempts, all of which came in 2020, but his impressive YAC ability with the ball in his hands could make him someone that the Packers want to put on the return units.

Also in the mix now is Mecole Hardman, whom the team signed as a free agent this offseason. Hardman was a second-team All-Pro return man in 2019 and brings more speed to this Packers’ team. During the most recent 2024 season, Hardman had five kick return attempts and averaged 26.4 yards per return. He also had 20 punt return attempts, averaging 10.2 yards per return, which ranked 17th across the NFL.

“Certainly, he’s got great experience in the league,” Bisaccia said of Hardman. “He’s been really productive in both at punt and kick returns. So we’re looking forward to him competing with some of our other guys. But it’s good to have a veteran presence back there that’s made big plays before.”

As training camp and the preseason unfold, the Packers will, of course, be looking for that dynamic playmaking ability, along with reliability at both return man positions. Perhaps also a part of that decision-making process could be the potential workload that a player already has on their plate on either the offensive or defensive sides of the ball.

The success of the return units certainly doesn’t fall only on the shoulders of the returner. The other 10 players have to be positioned well to create running lanes for the return man. Green Bay’s return units certainly weren’t bad in 2024, but there is more opportunity out there as well for those units in 2025.

“I had tremendous conversations with Coach LaFleur and the direction we’re going,” Bisaccia said about the special teams unit, “and felt like I’ve failed him at times and some of the things and the ways in which we’ve played.

“So I have a certain standard and expectation of how we’re supposed to play in the kicking game, and I’m really excited about being here and being here and being back with him and having the opportunity to win a championship. It’s the only reason, really, we get up and go to work anymore in the NFL. There’s really one game you want to go and win that one game.”

Continuity in Year 2 under Jeff Hafley gives Packers’ defense a huge head start compared to 2024

Paul Bretl | 5/12/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — We often hear about Year 2 leaps for NFL players in their sophomore seasons. Well, the same can be true to an extent for entire units that are entering their second seasons within a specific scheme.

As we look at this Packers defense and wonder or evaluate how this unit continues to build upon what they established in 2024, the usual mixture of improved consistency, internal growth from those already on the roster, and perhaps some outside additions are always going to be important elements.

However, in 2025, now also a big part of that equation for Green Bay will be the continuity of being in Jeff Hafley’s defensive scheme for a full offseason.

“My relationship with the players in Year 2, I feel like there’s kind of a trust built so the relationship I think can get even better,” said Jeff Hafley on Monday when meeting with reporters. “But to me, it’s how fast can we get to where we finished the season and then build from there and evolve and be more consistent?”

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As Hafley described when meeting with reporters on Monday, this offseason, compared to last, when he was just arriving in Green Bay, is “way different.” A year ago, Hafley and his position coaches were establishing what they wanted to do schematically. They and the team were going through installs for the very first time, and when going through film to show the players examples of how Hafley wanted things done, he had to show clips from previous stops he had been at.

But now, that is far from the case. This offseason, while Hafley self-scouts regularly in-season, the offseason provides a much greater opportunity to make a much deeper dive. The teaching points that the coaching staff and players are able to have are hyper-detailed, with Hafley and Co. able to pull up film from the last year of the players operating within this specific scheme.

“It’s a lot easier to do when you have all this time and you can really pick it apart and you can really talk about it and you can really group it all together and see what worked and what didn’t and who did what well, so that part has been really, really nice,” Hafley said.

“And what’s really nice now is when we’re with the players, we’re watching our tape. We have all this time to sit there and watch what we did and show ’em what we did well and show ’em how we need to get better in certain areas. It’s like you and I sitting down and here was your 1-on-1 tape with your position coach. Coach, what do I need to improve? Well, I don’t have to tell you. I can show you now. Like that’s a huge difference.”

Across the board in Hafley’s first season as defensive coordinator, the Packers saw improved results. This unit finished the 2024 season ranked sixth in points per game, 12th in passing yards per game, and they were top-10 in takeaways. Green Bay’s biggest improvement, however, may have come against the run, with the Packers ranking seventh in rush yards per game, which included allowing fewer than 100 rushing yards per game for the first time in a season since 2009.

As the season went on, the Packers’ defense continued to improve. That plus the effort that he saw his defense playing with on a regular basis is what has Hafley the most proud of Green Bay’s performance on that side of the ball in Year 1.

“First I would say, I’m proud of the way the guys played in year 1,” Hafley said. “The thing that I’m most proud of, I do believe we got better, and I think we played our best football late in the season, and that was the most important thing to me. Year 1, you’re figuring out the system, you’re figuring out the players and can we get better each week?

“But probably the biggest thing is, I thought we were playing really hard at the end of the year. Like we were really physically, we were really running to the ball, guys were playing confident, guys were communicating and I just felt like we came alive and that’s probably the thing – throw out the numbers, the statistics and where we were – I think we played harder than our opponents at the end of the year and we were more physical.”

What’s next for Hafley and this Packers defense will be building upon that performance and not plateauing, or worse, going backwards. Everything already mentioned will be key components when it comes to taking another step or two forward in 2025, but also a critical factor will be Hafley’s ability to continually adapt and evolve the playbook–a quality he possesses and showcased throughout his first season.

“In a perfect world you want to get back to where you left off as fast as possible and build from there,” said Hafley, “so how fast can we do that? We have guys who have played in the system, we have some new pieces we need to add, we need to evolve, we can’t just do the same thing and say here’s the playbook and this is what we’re running. No. We’re a different team. It’s a different year. Offenses are going to evolved, we have to evolved.

“I would say I would like us to be more consistent, OK. There’s a lot of things we did do well, but I think the consistency needs to improve. Certainly, I need to improve. Looking at myself personally, how I called games, what I called when I called it, how I got to certain things, can I get there faster.”

Like any unit, the Packers have their areas where they have to improve, along with some question marks on the roster. As has been talked about all offseason, Green Bay needs more from its pass rush in 2025. And with Jaire Alexander’s future up in the air, there is uncertainty at the cornerback position.

Ultimatley, we likely won’t know how much or if the pass rush improved or what the state of the Packers’ cornerback position will be until the players take the field and games are played. But with that said, for a group that statistically was one of the better defenses in the NFL and playing its best ball late in the year, that continuity component that this Packers’ defense has in 2025 gives them a big leg up on where they were this time a year ago.

Now it’s about making sure everyone maximizes that element this offseason and into the new year.

“I think the whole key, though, is you gotta get the guys in Year 2 to go in with the same beginning mindset that even though I might’ve heard this all year, I’m gonna listen like I never heard it before and maybe pick up on some things that I didn’t really know or understand,” Hafley added. “That’s the key right now. We gotta push the guys to have that mindset like, pretend you’re hearing this for the first time again and continue to hit the little details.”

Tryout and Canadian QB Taylor Elgersma impresses, earns roster spot with Packers

Paul Bretl | 5/6/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Following rookie minicamp, the Packers announced that they released wide receiver Tulu Griffin, which opened up a roster spot that was presumably going to be filled by one of the tryout candidates from this past weekend.

That ended up being the case, and not surprisingly, it was Canadian quarterback Taylor Elgersma who was signed to the 90-man roster, according to Bill Huber.

“He’s got a very live arm. We could see that on tape,” said Matt LaFleur during rookie minicamp this past weekend.

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The reason that I say this doesn’t come as a surprise is because at a rookie camp practice that consisted of stretching and mostly half-speed individual positional drills, all eyes were locked on Elgersma.

Elgersma was the lone quarterback at Packers’ rookie minicamp. During warmups as he threw to members of the coaching staff, you could see the “live arm” that Elgersma possessed and LaFleur described a day earlier, particularly when he zipped one over the outstretched hands of one of his pass-catching targets.

As Elgersma went through footwork and movement drills, quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion, pass game specialists Connor Lewis, and senior offensive assistant Luke Getsy were all watching closely. And so was head coach Matt LaFleur.

Rather than overseeing the entire practice, LaFleur spent time watching Elgersma and chimed in with a coaching pointer and even demonstrated how he wanted to see the quarterback go through the drill.

“You’re just looking for traits at that point,” said LaFleur when asked what he’s looking for from a quarterback during a tryout. “Certainly I think just coming from where he’s coming from to this level, I think there’s going to be a big learning curve. But if there’s anybody that will attack it head on, Taylor will. And you that was so evident when he was here on the 30 visit just, and I know he’s been working really hard at it.”

Standing in the Don Hutson Center on Saturday morning, it would have been a pure guess at that time to say that Elgersma was going to be signed following his tryout, but the signs were there.

In addition to this modified practice, the Packers also held a workout solely for the tryout participants to get a better look at them. This extended weekend in Green Bay, however, was far from the first time that the Packers had seen Elgersma up close.

During the pre-draft process, the Packers had him in for an official 30 visit where they could meet one-on-one with him to go over film. In addition to that, Vrable was one of the coaches at the Senior Bowl, an All-Star event Elgersma participated in, and he also took part in the College Gridiron Showcase as well as the Tropical Bowl, where Packers’ scouts got more looks at him.

“Another guy that loves football, and then just watching him throw,” added LaFleur, “he’s got a live arm. So there’s a lot to like about him.”

In Elgersma’s most recent season playing for Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Elgersma completed 74% of his throws for 4,011 yards with 34 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 229 more yards and six additional scores.

Elgersma would go on to win the Hec Crighton Award, which is the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy at the NCAA’s FBS level. This production, however, would come while playing under Canadian football rules with a bigger field and 12 players on each side of the ball. The Senior Bowl’s Jim Nagy would equate the level of competition to Division III football in the states.

But at 6-5, 227 pounds, and with a big arm, Elgersma possesses several traits that the Packers want to take a swing at developing and further unlocking.

Elgersma will now be the fourth quarterback on the Packers’ roster. In past seasons, LaFleur has mentioned that with four quarterbacks on the roster during training camp, it can be difficult to get everyone reps because there are only so many throws to go around. However, with Elgersma’s upside, that’s something the team is obviously willing to work around, and to a degree, is some added insight into what the team thinks of the young quarterback.

Continuously developing the quarterback position is something that GM Brian Gutekunst wants to prioritize, even if there is an established starter already on the roster. It’s just too important and valuable a position to become complacent with.

As we look ahead to the 2026 offseason, Malik Willis will be a free agent and there are a lot of unknowns around Sean Clifford, who struggled throughout last year’s training camp, sparking the trade for Willis in the first place. We don’t know what the Packers’ backup quarterback situation will look like a year from now, but any time there are uncertainties, giving yourself options is a good thing, and Elgersma provides that.

He will now spend training camp and the preseason developing his game, and also competing with Clifford for that third quarterback role on this Packers team.

Before signing with the Packers, Elgersma was headed to Buffalo for their rookie minicamp this past weekend, but Gutekunst wasn’t going to let him get that far. Had Elgersma entered the Bills’ facility, there was no guarantee he would have left as a free agent.

OL John Williams uniquely positioned to get off to a fast start in Packers’ offense

Paul Bretl | 5/12/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — With the 250th pick in this year’s NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers selected offensive lineman John Williams out of Cincinnati–a pick that GM Brian Gutekunst was surprised that the team had the opportunity to make.

“We were down there in the seventh round,” Gutekunst said after Day 3 of the draft, “it’s unusual for a guy who can tackle and guard, play four spots for you, to be down there at that spot.”

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Williams started at left tackle for Cincinnati during his final two college seasons. Between Year 1 as a starter and Year 2 in 2024, he saw significant strides made, particularly in pass protection. He went from allowing 14 pressures and two sacks in 2023 to just eight pressures and one sack in 2024. In fact, among all FBS tackles, Williams finished last season ranked fifth in pass-blocking efficiency.

When speaking with reporters after being selected by Green Bay, Williams mentioned that this growth from 2023 to 2024 was “immeasurable,” and he felt like a “completely different player.”

An important part of that development that Williams experienced was thanks to his offensive line coach Nic Cardwell, who implemented NFL-style systems for all of Cincinnati’s pass protections.

“It kind of gave me the confidence to play and be who I could be,” Williams said during rookie minicamp.

The Packers view Williams as someone who can play both tackle and both guard positions. At 6-4 and weighing 322 pounds, he has the size and physicality to work inside, while with nearly 34″ arms and a strong athletic profile, he has the ability to operate in space as well.

“He’s got great length, exceptionally bright,” said Gutekunst of Williams. “Really, really, really smart. He’s got the versatility to play left tackle and guard. He probably could play center because he’s smart enough to, he’s one of the few guys who can really play with full extension with his hands, and is moving his feet at the same time.”

Of Williams’ 1,831 career snaps in college, 1,756 of them came at left tackle. So, whether he sees snaps at guard or right tackle, there is likely to be some level of a learning curve for him.

However, playing those positions won’t be foreign either. Before Williams was a starter at Cincinnati, he would fill in along the offensive line during practices wherever was needed. So there were times in practice when he played guard and even some center.

“A big point for me was just my flexibility,” Williams said of his pre-draft visit to Green Bay. “They want you to play multiple positions, which I think is probably why they picked me, just the ability to hopefully help out wherever I’m needed. I think that’s the biggest upside for me.”

Perhaps what can differentiate Williams from other late-round selections to help him hit the ground running more quickly is that he comes from a college offense that has overlap and, to a degree, functions in a similar capacity to Matt LaFleur’s.

Williams comes to the NFL already somewhat familiar with what the Packers do schematically because his Cincinnati offense watched quite a bit of what Green Bay does.

“A lot,” said Williams when asked how much attention he paid to the Packers in college. “We watched a lot of film at Cincinnati on the Packers just because we kind of have a similar offensive scheme, so we’ve definitely seen a lot of their stuff and was loving it.”

Along with having some familiarity with the offense, as Gutekunst mentioned, Williams is really, really smart. Had football not worked out for him, the aerospace engineer said that he would want to work in the research division of somewhere like Lockheed Martin or SpaceX.

But on the football field, his level of intelligence can help in picking up the playbook more quickly as well as pattern recognition.

“It helps a lot,” Williams said of learning the playbook. “I would say a big part of just intelligence is pattern recognition, which helps a lot in football. Seeing fronts and schemes and understanding what needs to happen. It helps a lot.”

Williams joins a crowded offensive line room for the Packers that includes Rasheed Walker and Jordan Morgan competing for the starting left tackle snaps, second-round pick Anthony Belton, and 2024 sixth-round pick Travis Glover. Like any seventh-round pick, development time is needed, and in the short term, Williams’ presence can provide the Packers’ depth up front with a needed boost, something that was required after how last season ended.

However, for the reasons mentioned, Williams is also uniquely positioned to be in a situation where, a very late Day 3 pick, he can get off to a fast start.

Second-round pick Anthony Belton adding versatility, size, physicality to Packers OL

Paul Bretl | 5/9/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Second-round pick Anthony Belton played 2,251 career college snaps, according to PFF, and none of them came at guard. The Packers, however, believe that Belton can make the move inside if that’s what is needed, and Belton believes so as well.

“I feel like I’m pretty versatile when it comes to that aspect, being able to play tackle but also leaning back on my physicality to be able to play guard,” Belton said during rookie minicamp.

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As Packers’ VP of Player Personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan described on Day 2 of the NFL draft, what gives the Packers the confidence that Belton could play inside is the “size, the girth, and ability to move people” that he possesses.

During the pre-draft process, Belton measured in at 6-6 and weighed 336 pounds. His strength and conditioning coach gave him the nickname ‘Escalade’ because of his size and how smoothly he moved.

“Over time, I grew bigger but I just learned how to play with it,” Belton said. “I knew I was a big guy and I knew I could rely on my physicality in a lot of aspects, especially run game. So, when it came to me being bigger, I feel like I was able to take that to an advantage when it came to run game.”

The Packers have often prioritized size along the offensive line under GM Brian Gutekunst, but Belton’s people-moving play style also matches the shift that we saw take place within the Green Bay offense last season.

With Josh Jacobs at running back, rather than being an outside zone-heavy offense that we saw in previous years under Matt LaFleur, the Packers were more of a gap, power running team, with Jacobs frequently getting north and south to run between the tackles. It was clear during free agency with the addition of Aaron Banks that the Packers were going to continue to lean into this running style this season, and Belton further fits that mold.

“Especially just being here just today, especially just seeing how the offense is, offensive line, they want to attack,” said Belton. “They’re going to be physical, so they want to kind of be dominant up front.”

This past season at NC State, Belton took a big step forward. According to PFF’s metrics, he went from allowing 22 pressures in 2023 to just 12 this past season over 438 pass-blocking reps. Out of 131 eligible tackles, Belton ranked tied for 32nd in pass-blocking efficiency. His play in the run game very much improved as well.

In part, Belton attributes this growth to his approach to the game mentally, which includes how he studies film to better anticipate what was coming pre-snap, along with cleaning up some technical aspects of his game, like hand placement and pad level.

“So I had a bad habit of kind of collecting instead of striking,” Belton said. “So, a lot of times guys kind of collect it and that’s kind of giving up your chest, so that invites bull rushes. So, now you’re in the quarterback’s lap and especially at this level, you can’t do that against guys like Chase Young, J.J. Watt.

“When it comes to that aspect, I need to do a better job of just using my inside hands and also using my length, keeping that separation so I can’t let guys get in my body.”

While Belton has the size and physicality to operate inside, he also has the footwork and length to play out on the edge. Where Belton is going to end up is far from decided, but in the short term, his ability to play four of the five positions up front gives the Packers’ offensive line depth a major boost, which was a big need coming into the offseason. In the long run, with several current starters set to hit free agency in 2026, Belton can be a starting-caliber player.

“Just my mindset every day,” Belton said, “I just want to be a sponge, continue to learn, but also be the best version of myself when it comes, if it’s on the field, off the field, making sure I’m in the playbook. I feel like all that kind of lines up to allow me to be able to come in, compete and be able to get reps with all the guys.”

Packers go off-script with 2 draft picks, prioritize versatility and new skill sets

Paul Bretl | 5/7/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Going beyond Brian Gutekunst’s tenure as general manager, the Packers have fairly well-established height, weight, and athletic testing thresholds within each position group that they often adhere to during the NFL draft. However, in this year’s draft, with two of the Packers’ four defensive selections, those thresholds took a back seat.

What gave the Packers the confidence to deviate from their norms with two of those picks was the versatility that was added, and the defenders’ fit in Jeff Hafley’s defense.

Oklahoma State’s Collin Oliver is a unique addition to the Green Bay defense for two reasons. One is his ability to play both defensive end and linebacker, something he did in college. And second, at 240 pounds, Oliver isn’t the prototypical big-bodied edge defender that we see the Packers frequently covet at 255 pounds or more.

“The niche is that he’s a really good football player,” Director of Football Operations Milt Hendrickson said on Day 3 of the draft. “If you say the old-school DPR (designated pass rusher) situational pass rusher, if you want to put a tag on him right now I’d say that’s probably if you were to put him in a position that would be it. But we took him with the idea that the things coach Hafley wants to do, he’s going to allow some multi alignments that just increased his value in our eyes.”

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Micah Robinson, meanwhile, measured in at under 5-11 and weighed 183 pounds. Both measurements are outliers for a Packers team that typically prefers bigger, longer cornerbacks.

But what the additions of Oliver and Robinson do is enhance that versatility element within Jeff Hafley’s defense, and that is something that appears to be a cornerstone for this unit and can play to the Packers’ advantage.

Oliver will begin his NFL career working with the defensive ends specifically, as he gets onboarded and acclimated to his new team. At 240 pounds, Oliver provides a bit of a change-up to the Packers’ pass rush unit with his ability to win with pure speed.

As Hendrickson described, in today’s NFL, where the quick passing game is prevalent, the ability to win fast is at a premium. In addition to that, Oliver’s presence can provide a change of pace for an offensive tackle after they spend multiple snaps dealing with Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness’ power, which can in turn, keep the blocker off balance.

From a schematic standpoint, Oliver’s presence could allow for more movement up front and multi-faceted alignments. One example might come during obvious passing situations where Oliver is at one defensive end spot and Van Ness is then moved inside to rush from the interior. Even Oliver himself, at 240 pounds, has some experience rushing inside.

“I’m sure the coaches know my strong suits and the talents that I have,” Oliver said during rookie minicamp. “I get to the passer. That’s what I do best. Everything just complements. So whether it’s linebacker, whether it’s edge, whether it’s special teams, whether it’s playing kicker whatever it is, I don’t care, I’m just going to play to the best of my ability whatever that position is.”

With Oliver, his versatility, ability to impact the game in multiple ways, and the flexibility he provides Hafley with from a game planning perspective are all reasons that the Packers were comfortable going off-script at this position. It’s a similar situation for Robinson at cornerback. Although a bit undersized, he has excellent speed, running a 4.38-second 40, and has proven he can hold his own playing off-man coverage, which is no easy task, as Gutekunst pointed out.

“He brought me here because he knows I can make plays,” Robinson said. “That’s all it is, honestly. Just go out there, do my job, make plays, no matter what position it is.”

At the NFL combine, Gutekunst noted the importance of playing with vision on the quarterback in Hafley’s defense and the ball awareness that is needed. Robinson brings that skill set to the NFL level, and it’s evident in his ball production. Over four seasons, Robinson came away with seven interceptions and 21 pass breakups, according to PFF.

While most of Robinson’s college snaps came at the outside cornerback position, he also has a fair amount of experience as a box defender as well. Whether playing off-man coverage, sitting in a zone, making plays on the ball, or helping out in run support, Robinson was able to impact the game multiple ways and in different roles during his season at Tulane.

“Honestly, anywhere,” said Robinson when asked where he fits in the defense. “I could be the cornerback room, nickel room, anywhere, special teams. I’m just, wherever the coaches want to put me, I can play.”

The specific skill sets and versatility that Oliver and Robinson bring to the Packers’ defense only add to the bevy of options Hafley already has on the defensive side of the ball as he puts together his weekly game plans.

Versatility is obviously a crucial element for a few reasons. One of which is injuries happen. However, when that occurs, the ability to move your starters around to fill different roles hopefully minimizes the absence of the player who is sidelined.

But in addition to that important aspect, a versatile defense can put a lot on the plate for an opposing offense. From a preparation standpoint, there’s a lot to watch and be ready for throughout the week when the defense is putting a variety of looks on tape. Then pre-snap, quarterbacks won’t as easily get a beat on what’s coming based solely on where defenders are lined up because it’s either a different look or where players are aligned could change once the ball is snapped.

Hafley obviously has his playbook and defensive philosophies that he believes in and wants to generally stick to. But what we saw in 2024 and will continue to see is an ever-evolving defensive unit that will continue to adjust and adapt on the fly based on who the opponent is and what the players on the Packers’ defense do well, so they can be put into positions to be successful.

In order to accomplish this, versatility is an important factor, and in the process, it makes life more challenging for offenses as well–-and, of course, that’s always a good thing.

“This league’s about matchups and I think if you have guys that can play certain positions that gives you an advantage, then I think it’s our job to coach it and get it done,” Hafley said last season. “I think it’s about adapting. I’ve said this since I got here, it’s not like, ‘Hey, here’s the playbook. This is in. Go run the defense.’ It’s each week, what did we look like? What do we look like when they watch us on tape? What can we do a little bit different to counter that? What do we do really well?

“Let’s do more of it, make it look different. And then as we start to see certain players do certain things, how can we best use them to improve? We have to keep getting better. That’s the whole key to this whole entire thing as we go. Any way that we can adapt and get better, both coaching, playing, scheme, personnel, it’s not just like plug and play. Let’s evolve. I think that’s very important.”

Maximizing the skill sets of Matthew Golden, Savion Williams begins with the fundamentals of Packers’ offense

Paul Bretl | 5/5/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — After Day 3 of the NFL draft, when Matt LaFleur was asked about Savion Williams and his versatility, he said that “the only thing that limits your creativity is your imagination,” referencing all the different ways his skill set could be utilized within the offense. Matthew Golden and his 4.29 speed, ability to play inside and out, and attack all levels of the field can also give LaFleur a variety of ways to utilize him within the offense.

The Packers, of course, have a vision for how they want Williams and Golden to fit within their offense, but as is the case with just about anything, the vision is what is being chased; it’s not the starting point.

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First, Williams and Golden must learn the playbook and the core principles of the LaFleur offense.

“A lot of it’s going to be dependent upon them and how well they pick up the offense and how fast they can do it,” said LaFleur during rookie minicamp. “I think it will all work itself out in due time, but obviously very excited about the talent that both those guys bring for sure, especially being out there and just kind of being around them a little bit. I love how serious they are about football.”

The LaFleur offense, as it is, is already one where pre-snap movement, differing alignments, and wide-ranging personnel groupings are key facets of this scheme. So that creativity component that can help maximize the diverse skill sets that Williams and Golden have is baked into the scheme and what the rookies will be learning from Day 1. It’s not as if this is a stagnant offense pre-snap that has to incorporate entirely different elements to fit what Williams and Golden do well.

From there, as the rookie receivers get comfortable operating within the offensive system and what’s being asked of them, LaFleur can begin asking more of them and putting them in different positions and roles.

“We do a lot of that stuff, anyways, within the scheme of our offense, in terms of moving people and putting them in a different position,” LaFleur said about adding more creative elements to the offense. “So that’s kind of the starting point is the stuff that you have done, or in the offseason, study things that you’d like to do off of things that you’ve done. But I think in terms of where that goes, it’s going to happen organically over time.”

Whether it be with Golden and Williams or any incoming rookies, what the Packers want to be mindful of is not putting too much on their plates. These incoming players already have a lot to digest just when it comes to learning the playbook as it is, not to mention adjusting to the play speed and strength of the NFL level.

Running backs coach Ben Sirmans has a saying, “If you think, you stink,” meaning that the team doesn’t want players overthinking when on the field, which can slow them down. They instead want their players out there reacting to what they see and letting their natural abilities take over.

To facilitate this growth and ensure that incremental steps are being made, the rookies are given “point of attack” tape, as LaFleur and the Packers call it, which are put together by the position coaches and highlight what the player does well, along with one to two things to work on. Learning the playbook and mastering these assigned tasks is an important way for a rookie to broaden his role.

“We call them point of attack tapes,” LaFleur said. “And it’s, I guess, a condensed version, you know, maybe it might be 20-30, clips, say, here’s the things that we think you do really well, and here are the one to two things that where we would like you to focus on throughout the course of the offseason. If you master that, then we’ll give ‘em something else.”

So, as we sit here in early May with Phase II of OTAs on the horizon, the Packers’ offense isn’t going to look any different at this time from a schematic standpoint with Williams and Golden now a part of the equation. While they have to learn the playbook and the ins and outs of LaFleur’s offense, the Packers’ coaching staff is doing some of the learning as well.

Getting to know each of these players and watching them work up close rather than just on film can often lead to the coaches discovering something new about their game that didn’t pop up on the tape.

“I think more of that’s determined after the fact,” said LaFleur about adding new wrinkles to the offense for Williams and Golden. “When you get them in the building, you get to work with them on a daily basis, you see how fast they pick things up. Inevitably, there’s going to be something that’s going to surprise you in a positive light, that they do really well, that you’re like, ‘Oh shoot. Maybe I didn’t recognize that, just off the tape.’ So I think it’s all about just that process of working together and kind of growing together.”

In Green Bay and with the Packers is exactly where Savion Williams wanted to be

Paul Bretl | 5/3/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — When TCU wide receiver Savion Williams got the call from Brian Gutekunst on Day 2 of the NFL draft, an overwhelming amount of emotion washed over him. For one, a lifelong dream of being drafted and making it to the NFL had been achieved. But playing in Green Bay and with the Packers is also exactly where Williams wanted to be.

“That whole week before the draft, everybody was always asking me, ‘if there was one team you could get picked by who would you want to get picked by?’ I told them it would be Green Bay,” Williams said on Friday at Packers’ rookie minicamp. “That’s where I want to go and shoot, just seeing the area code number just pop up and then just grinning the whole time. Just knowing I’m being in Green Bay was just a dream.”

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So what was it about Green Bay that led Williams to know he wanted to be here?

Williams was one of five Packers’ draft picks who visited Green Bay during the pre-draft process on an official visit and with him being from a small town, the “small town type vibe” that the city of Green Bay has with how “tight-knit” the community is was something that fit well with Wiliams. The love from the fans caught Williams’ attention as well.

If that comfort with the area was one reason Williams wanted to end up in Green Bay, reason No. 2 is head coach Matt LaFleur and the Packers’ recent history.

“Like Matt LaFleur, man,” said Williams when asked why he wanted to be a Packer. “I mean, shoot, with him and Green Bay like, when I was a kid watching Aaron Rodgers, it’s a dream. Just playing–having a cheesehead. Being a cheesehead, man. I love being a cheesehead.”

As Gutekunst said after the NFL draft, Williams will fit Matt LaFleur’s offense to a T. Williams, of course, recognizes this as well and knows that his versatile, do-it-all skill set will be maximized in an offense such as LaFleur’s.

At 6-4 – 222 pounds and with 4.48 speed, Williams filled a variety of roles within the TCU offense. As someone who played quarterback growing up, Williams is comfortable with the ball in his hands.

Over the last two years, Williams had 147 targets during that span. In 2024, as the team’s wildcat quarterback, he carried the ball 51 times, averaging 6.3 yards per rush. Also important to playing the receiver position on LaFleur’s offense is that Williams is a willing blocker as well.

Within LaFleur’s malleable offensive system, there are a variety of ways to get Williams involved. We could see him sharing the backfield with Josh Jacobs in some two running back sets, like we saw last season with Chris Brooks. Williams could be used as a motion man, get the ball on jet sweeps, or on designed touches in space where his impressive YAC abilities–he averaged 7.0 yards after the catch in 2024–can be on display.

“Quickest impact?” Williams said to a question, “Just getting the ball in my hand quick. That’s probably it. But just anything I need. Doing everything I need.”

While what we just described was perhaps more so a gadget-type role, Williams is going to be a wide receiver in Green Bay. Gutekunst highlighted his ability to create separation on vertical routes, and as he has more time to focus solely on the receiver position, Gutekunst anticipates that Williams’ route-running abilities will become more polished.

Williams is joining a talented and competitive Packers’ wide receiver room, but the unique skill set he brings to the offense can help him stand out and carve out a role. But before any sort of role can be established, right now, it is about learning the playbook, which for Williams, can involve a lot of studying, as he mentioned, because there are potentially a variety of responsibilities he could end up having.

From there, whatever LaFleur and the offense needs from Williams, he’s ready to provide.

“Whatever my team need me to do, that’s what I’m going to do,” Williams said. “If coach tell me to get on tight end, I’m gonna play tight end. Get on the line, I’m going to play lineman. Whatever I need to do I’m going to do.”

Two key tasks Packers want to accomplish during rookie minicamp

Paul Bretl | 5/2/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Following the conclusion of the NFL draft last Saturday, it is a quick turnaround for the Packers’ rookies, who arrived at Lambeau Field on Thursday for rookie minicamp, in what is a whirlwind few days for these players as they begin the process of getting acclimated to their new team and competing in the NFL.

Participating in this four-day event are the Packers’ eight draft picks, 10 undrafted free agents, a bevy of tryout hopefuls, and a few returning players who haven’t accrued an NFL season.

Of course, for these players, they’ve accomplished a lifelong dream by making it to this point, so there is an overwhelming amount of excitement and emotions.

“Man, it’s been great,” said Barryn Sorrel about rookie minicamp on Friday. “You just realize that you’re finally here. Like you said, draft day and everything, it was a blessing and great but it was a lot. Time to actually put my cleats in the ground, put my hand in the dirt and do what got me here. I’m just excited to go out there. I’m out there practicing as a Green Bay Packer, it don’t really get better than that to me. You learn about the tradition of this team. You learn about this organization and the people in this organization. I’m just so happy to be apart of this but also, I’m just happy to be playing football another day.”

However, there’s also work to be done. So, what does Matt LaFleur want to accomplish during this portion of the offseason?

 “Just know where these guys are at physically,” LaFleur said on Friday. “I mean, I was just talking to Anthony Belton, and he went on 14 different 30 visits, so it’s hard to be in peak physical condition when you get them in here. So more or less, it’s just try to get these guys a taste of what’s to come, and you know, kind of knock off the jitters a little bit. All these guys are amped up. You just want to get them acclimated as fast as possible because the next time that they’re in here, it’s going to be Phase Two, and they’re going to be in with the vets.”

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For the Packers’ incoming draft picks and UDFAs, this means having two scheduled workouts with the strength and conditioning staff on Friday and Saturday. Then, when the Packers hit the practice field on Saturday morning, there won’t be any full-speed football or 11-on-11, as LaFleur described. Instead, the team will run through an “extended modified individual period,” where the intensity is “scaled back.”

With there truly only being two full days where the rookies are at the facility during this initial minicamp, there’s only so much that can be accomplished. So, one of the key points of emphasis is on beginning to learn the playbook. The expectation is that the players continue to study heavily before they return on May 11th because at that time, they’ll be with the veterans.

“Extremely, extremely difficult,” said LaFleur about learning the playbook. “But everybody’s got a different background in terms of what they’ve been exposed to. So I think some it can be a little bit more challenging than others. That’s why, again, it’s good to get them the information early. That way, I don’t, when they leave here, I expect them to study so that it’s not just you’re starting over when they get here in a week.”

Knowing the importance of this, when the Packers’ recent draft picks were asked on Friday about their goals over the next few days, their responses were all quite similar:

“Just the plays,” said Savion Williams when asked what he wants to get out of these next few days. “Just learning the plays, man. Seeing what I need to do so when I get back next week it just comes smooth.”

Along with having to keep their noses in the playbook, the players will be given a few items specific to their respective games to focus on as well. The Packers’ position coaches are, of course, familiar with the college tape of each of the draft picks and UDFAs and, through the film, have attempted to identify what each player does well and what they can improve upon.

Each rookie is then given a condensed version of their “point of attack tapes,” as LaFleur called it, that showcases what each respective position coach wants their first-year players to focus on. The balance that the Packers want to strike, particularly with rookies, is making sure that they are intentional about everything that they do because that is where growth can be fostered, but also making sure that not too much is put on the plates of these young players, who are tasked with learning a lot in a short time frame.

“I think that that’s an important piece of it is you better know who you’re working with, and you’ve got to try to identify their strengths and weaknesses, at least how you see it and how it fits within our scheme,” LaFleur said. “So we do this with all our players. All of our returning players, any guys we get in free agency. We call them point of attack tapes. And it’s, I guess, a condensed version, you know, maybe it might be 20-30, clips, say, here’s the things that we think you do really well, and here are the one to two things that where we would like you to focus on throughout the course of the offseason. If you master that, then we’ll give ‘em something else.”

Once rookie minicamp is over, everyone, including the veterans, will reconvene for Phase II of voluntary offseason programs. During Phase II, teams can be on the practice field for the first time this offseason and go through individual and group drills.

This is the time of the year, especially for first-year players, when the foundation for everything that’s going to come their way is laid.

“I think it’s important to try to acclimate them as fast as humanly possible, and I think it’s a great, I guess, advantage of bringing them early,” LaFleur added. “That way, when they leave, they’ve got a sense of direction of what they need to do, what’s going to be asked of them when they come back.”

NFL draft again showcases belief Packers have in their cornerback room

Paul Bretl | 5/1/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Even with the unknowns swirling at the cornerback position this offseason, the Packers didn’t address that unit in the NFL draft until the seventh-round when they selected Tulane’s Micah Robinson.

“I don’t really go in there with like those kind of priorities,” said Brian Gutekunst about not adding a cornerback until late in the draft. “We build our board and we try to stay true to our evaluations. Other than that, we let the board come to us. Every draft class is a little bit different, so it wasn’t something we were going to chase.”

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While cornerback was considered a top priority by the outside world, it’s not as if the Packers haven’t added to the cornerback position this offseason. In free agency, the team did sign Nate Hobbs to a four-year, $48 million deal, adding another experienced and versatile presence to the secondary.

And whether you agree, disagree, or are indifferent, for a year now, as Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur have answered questions about the Packers’ cornerback position, internally, Green Bay has remained bullish about this unit.

“I think he played really, really well,” Gutekunst said after the season of Keisean Nixon’s play. “I think he really fit what Jeff (Hafley) was trying to do. First of all, he’s an outstanding competitor. I didn’t blink when we asked him to do that, but I just think his athleticism and his ability … with his eyes and his ability to tackle served us well out there. For me, he may not have the length that some of those guys on the outside have, but his awareness and ball skills make up for that.”

Keisean Nixon last season allowed a completion rate of 66% on 86 targets and held opponents to just 9.3 yards per catch with six pass breakups and an interception. Among cornerbacks who played at least 375 coverage snaps, only seven had a lower yards-per-catch allowed than Nixon.

Valentine, meanwhile, took control of the CB2 role over the second half of the season and came away with two interceptions in the final four games, along with holding pass-catchers to under 11.0 yards per catch in five of the final six games last season.

“I feel like when you go and watch the tape and look at it throughout the course of the season, I think our style of play just continued to improve, and I thithink at the end of the season we were playing some really good football,” Matt LaFleur said of the Packers’ defense. “You could argue we played one of our better games defensively in that playoff game vs. Philly. Just got put in some bad situations via turnovers throughout the course of the game.”

Even though the Packers navigated uncertainty at the cornerback position last season when they were without Jaire Alexander, this unit often was able to keep opponents in check. For the season, the Packers’ 6.4 yards per pass attempt allowed was the 10th lowest in the NFL. The passer rating for opposing quarterbacks was the 11th lowest as well.

In the instances where we did see opponents have success against the Packers’ secondary, such as in the Minnesota and Detroit games in the second half of the season, a lackluster pass rush contributed to those results. Most secondaries are going to have issues if asked to routinely defend for three or four seconds.

Perhaps also contributing to Green Bay’s confidence in this unit is the return of Jaire Alexander. It was reported after the draft by ESPN’s Rob Demovsky that a return for the 2025 season remains possible. Obviously, this room takes on a very different complexion with Alexander in the mix.

Although some unknowns at this position remain, what also cannot be overlooked is one advantage that the Packers’ secondary as a whole has, and that is versatility, an element that is then maximized within Jeff Hafley’s defensive scheme.

The Packers believe Hobbs can play inside and out, just as Nixon can. At safety, we saw Javon Bullard play both free safety and in the nickel, which Green Bay believes Evan Williams can do as well, and then Xavier McKinney fills a do-it-all role from the safety spot.

Versatility is obviously a crucial element for a few reasons. One of which is that injuries happen. However, when that occurs, the ability to move your starters around to fill different roles hopefully minimizes the absence of the player who is sidelined.

But in addition to that important aspect, a versatile defense can put a lot on the plate for an opposing offense. From a preparation standpoint, there’s a lot to watch and be ready for throughout the week when the defense is putting a variety of looks on tape.

Then pre-snap, quarterbacks won’t as easily get a beat on what’s coming based solely on where defenders are lined up because it’s either a different look or where players are aligned could change once the ball is snapped.

“You start having these different packages of people so you can get guys in different roles so you can create some mismatches,” Hafley said last season. “So you take advantage of situations. So you put yourself in better position to have success.”

All of this isn’t to say that there isn’t room for growth. While overall, the Packers’ cornerback room in 2024 was very good at limiting big plays, quarterbacks were efficient when targeting both Nixon and Valentine. Even when only surrendering 10 yards per catch–which is good for a boundary cornerback–if you’re giving up three receptions on every four targets, that’s a lot of first downs for the offense, which in turn keeps them on the field.

In addition to that, beyond McKinney’s interceptions at safety, there wasn’t much ball production with Green Bay ranking 31st in pass deflections. There also happens to be quite a bit of inexperience on the roster at this position as well, once you get past Alexander, Hobbs, Valentine, and Nixon on the depth chart.

Having said all of that, at just about every position, there are always likely to be some sort of question marks. But at the top of the cornerback depth chart, the Packers like the tape, past production, and Hafley’s ability to maximize the skill sets they have.

“We feel pretty good about our group right now,” Gutekunst added. “The guys that we have in that room, they’ve got some pelts on the wall, so to speak, as far as what they’ve been able to do in the National Football League. So, we’ll kind of see how that goes.”