What If: Bucks Need a New Head Coach

By: Aaron Morse 4/30/2025

The Doc Rivers hiring has not gone well in Milwaukee. It hasn’t been ridiculously bad, but things could have went much better.

And if you follow the team any but closely, you know what those things are- game plans, adjustments, and lineup rotations- especially in the playoffs.

While Rivers hasn’t been fired yet, there is a possibility he does get let go and there could be/are better options on the market.

When they were searching for the new head coach after Mike Budenholzer, I gave my thoughts on the best choices for the team moving forward in a few different tiers of preference… And *pat on the back* I did pretty well.

So, I am going to do it again.

TIER 1

Erik Spoelstra
He was a candidate the last time I did this, but he was more of a pipe dream. This time around I think it is much more likely he is available. His team just went eight games under .500 and despite getting in as the eight seed, they looked TERRIBLE and were swept by the Cavaliers in the most lopsided series in NBA history.
Spoelstra is a mastermind strategist and gets more out of his players than any other coach. He was able to navigate the Miami Heat when they had LeBron, Wade, and Bosh. And now he is doing it with a bunch of undrafted dudes.

Why would the Heat move on from such a good coach?
Sometimes, it is just time. See Andy Reid and the Eagles. Or Belichick and the Patriots. Or Phil Jackson.

Spoelstra could be on the move and the Bucks have to be ready to pounce.

Chris Quinn
If you can’t get ‘Spo’ then get his right hand man. Quinn played for the Heat for four seasons all with Spoelstra on the staff in some capacity.
Then Quinn joined the staff right after retiring from playing in 2014. Quinn has been referred to as Spoelstra’s “mini me”. And longtime Miami Heat player Udonis Haslem said about Quinn:

“When you listen to Quinny, you’re hearing Spo. It’s the same message. He has the knowledge, the experience, the relationship with the players. He has every base covered when you talk about checking the boxes to have the ability to be a successful head coach.”

Mike Brown
Brown was just inexplicably fired by the Kings in the middle of the season. He was the catalyst behind the Kings return to prominence a couple years ago and made the playoffs in 2022 which ended a 16 year drought for the franchise. The only reason he is available is because the Kings front office/ownership is mostly incompetent.
Brown is twice a Coach of the Year winner and has won an NBA Championship four times as an assistant coach- once with the Spurs (2003) and three times with the Warriors (‘17, ‘19, ’22). He also led a young LeBron James and the Cavaliers to the Finals in 2007.

TIER 2

Michael Malone
Malone was fired three games before the end of the regular season which gives me pause in terms of wanting to hire him. Something weird was going on their and reports are that there was strife between Malone and the front office.
He is the winningest coach in Nuggets history and won a championship in 2023. He has experience coaching a team similar to what the Bucks are. And like Brown, inexplicably fired by the Kings before heading to Denver.

Micah Nori
Nori is currently the lead assistant for the Timberwolves. He was tied for the best assistant coach in the league in a General Mangers survey last year.
Nori took over for Chris Finch in the playoffs last year after Finch ruptured his patellar tendon in game four in the first round. Finch was still operating as the Head Coach except for in-game situations because of immobility. Nori helped lead them to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years.

TIER 3

Jeff Van Gundy
I really like the approach Van Gundy brings to the game. He was a longtime ESPN color commentator on the league’s biggest games (17 years) before joining the Clippers staff this year to be the lead assistant which shows his interest in coaching again. Previously, he was the head coach of the Knicks and Rockets from 1996-2007 where he appeared in one finals with the Knicks in 1999.

Biggest worry: His length away from coaching and not being able to grasp this era of the game

James Borrego
Currently the Associate Head Coach with the Pelicans, Borrego coached the Hornets for four seasons. He led them to improvements in each year however, never made the playoffs despite his last year finishing with a 43-39 record in 2022 which was the first winning season since 2016. He was a long time assistant under Gregg Popovich and won two championships.

Biggest worry: No playoff appearance as a HC and lack of experience with a superstar

Sam Cassell
He was the other coach who tied Nori as the top voted assistant in 2024. He has been an assistant coach since 2008 and is currently with the Celtics who won the title last year. He played in the league for 15 years and won three championships. He has experience in Milwaukee as a player from 1999-2003.

Biggest worry: Was an assistant under Doc River for 9 seasons

TIER 4- “The Others”

Terry Stotts
Joined the Bucks staff when they hired Adrian Griffin due to his relationship with Damian Lillard but left before the season started because of strife with Griffin’s method of coaching. Very good offensive coach, but not great on the defensive side.

Dave Joerger
Currently on the Bucks staff so he has familiarity with what is going on. He has experience as the head coach with Memphis and Sacramento (there’s that team again) with good understanding of scheming on both sides of the court.

Taylor Jenkins
Like Malone, fired just before the playoffs. He had trouble scheming offense and defense for a team led by a star (Ja Morant) with great pieces around him.

Frank Vogel
Won a title with the Lakers in 2020 so he has experience coaching at the highest level with a huge superstar. But, he has a short shelf life and doesn’t have a good reputation with locker room control and leadership.

Steve Nash
Feels VERY similar to Jason Kidd in terms of coaching style. Has experience with a messy situation when he coached Brooklyn with KD, Harden, and Kyrie.

Again, Doc HAS NOT been fired yet. But he could. And should. I would take almost every single one of these coaches over Doc.

Packers prioritize building size and depth of OL this offseason

Paul Bretl | 4/30/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Many outside of the Packers’ organization entered the offseason thinking that the pass rush, cornerback, and wide receiver were the top positions of need for Green Bay to address. Internally, however, while not to say that GM Brian Gutekunst and Co. didn’t agree, the actions of the Packers over the last few months tell us that the offensive line is a clear area of improvement for this team.

“We’re always looking for opportunities to upgrade and/or bring in more competition,” said Matt LaFleur after the NFL draft. “I think that’s exactly what we did.”

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Between free agency and the NFL, the Packers signed Aaron Banks to a four-year, $77 million deal, and with–by their standards–relatively limited draft capital with only eight selections, spent two picks on the offensive line, including a premium second-round selection on Anthony Belton.

The play from the Packers’ offensive line unit in 2024 certainly wasn’t bad. In fact, this was one of the better collective units in pass protection, and after the season, Gutekunst acknowledged the group performed well in that regard.

However, as we’ve discussed before, if there is an area of opportunity for this starting unit, generating more explosive runs is at–or near–the top of that to-do list. As effective as Josh Jacobs and the run game were, Jacobs averaged a modest 4.4 yards per rush and ranked 32nd in PFF’s breakaway rate metric, which measures how often a back generates a run of 15-plus yards.

Those two stats aren’t about Jacobs; rather, it’s about the offensive line giving him more opportunities to get to the second level cleanly, where we know Jacobs can make defenders miss.

“Well you wanna get bigger as long as they’re talented, so I think it all goes hand in hand,” LaFleur added. “And I think it was pretty evident last year when you look at a team like Philly. I mean they dominated most teams up front on their offensive line as well as their defensive line, so I think in order to combat some of these teams that have elite pass rushes, you better be able to protect the quarterback and run the ball.

“So I thought to add big guys that can actually move, I think that’s a big-time positive for us.”

With that said, the emphasis on the offensive line this offseason goes beyond that one factor. We saw a shift last season with the Green Bay offense, which went from running a heavy dose of outside zone, where the offensive linemen are on the move and operating in space while the running back drifts towards the boundary before cutting upfield, to a more gap and power running scheme between the tackles.

The addition of Banks, moving Jenkins to center, and then adding Belton early in the draft tells us that this running style isn’t going anywhere, and the Packers are going to lean into that power scheme.

As Gutekunst said during his end-of-season press conference, while you never want to overreact to one game, the Packers’ offensive line depth was exposed during their playoff loss to Philadelphia. The already difficult task of moving the ball against the Eagles’ defense became even more daunting with Jordan Love facing constant pressure and the inability to rely on the run game.

And while the Packers benefited more than any other team in 2024 from continuity and health up front, the data tells us that many teams aren’t only going to need six capable linemen to get through an NFL season, but seven or even eight.

The Packers have now positioned themselves where one of Jordan Morgan or Rasheed Walker will be coming off the bench, along with incoming draft picks Belton and John Williams, while Travis Glover and Kadeem Telfort are returning as well.

From top to bottom of this Packers’ depth at the offensive line position, there are two qualities that are clearly evident with just about every player: size and versatility.

“I think for me there’s a skillset that they have to have to be able to play both tackle and guard,” Gutekunst said. “That’s been a big emphasis for us, we like to have guys that can play both. You’re either going to be a tackle-guard swing guy, a guard-center swing guy or a tackle-center swing guy. You’ve got to be able to play multiple spots. We’ve had a ton of luck throughout my years here of taking guys who played left tackle and moving them inside.”

Gutekunst would go on to add: “The big thing for me with the big guys, with what Matt likes to do on offense, is whether they’re inside or out, do they have enough quickness to get their head across the shade. And all these guys that we’ve taken, we feel pretty good about that.”

Ultimately, we have to see how this unit performs once the season begins, but on paper, which is all we have to go off of this time of the year, the Packers have better positioned themselves along the offensive, and did so not only for the 2025 season, but in 2026, where as of now, Walker, Sean Rhyan, and Zach Tom are all set to be free agents.

Of course, there is a long way to go before these decisions are made, but the Packers have potentially positioned themselves to be able to absorb losing Walker and/or Rhyan, with Morgan taking over at left tackle and Belton at right guard, while having Williams and Glover, among others, as depth off the bench.

As we detailed at the start of the offseason, the recipe was always there for Gutekunst to once again invest fairly heavily into the trenches, which he did.

Naturally, all eyes are on Jordan Love and the passing game, but consistent success for the Packers’ offense begins with stout play up front that provides a running game to lean on and gives Love time in the pocket to operate within the rhythm of the play.

“I think we really increased the competition across the board,” said Gutekunst. “I think I spoke before, 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.

“I think we were able to add, particularly these three days and even in free agency, pretty good culture fits, you know, guys that are going to fit into our locker room and be assets to us that way.”

Did the Packers address their pass rush enough this offseason?

Paul Bretl | 4/29/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The first addition that the Packers made to the defensive front all offseason, including in free agency, came on Day 3 of the NFL draft. GM Brian Gutekunst would then leverage the depth that this year’s draft class had along the defensive front by making three selections at the end or the tackle positions on that final day.

But with the roster shaping now largely completed for the 2025 season, did Gutekunst do enough to bolster the pass rush?

“It wasn’t something we were avoiding,” Gutekunst said about adding to the defensive line. “It was something that again if the right opportunity was there we were going to strike and we were really excited about the guys we got today. I do think we have a number of players that are coming into their own. There’s a number of young players that are coming into their own and should play their best football in front of them.”

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As Gutekunst said at the NFL combine, if the Packers are going to accomplish the goals that they have in 2025, then the pass rush has to be more consistent.

This was a unit last season that, in pivotal late-season games against Detroit, Minnesota, and Philadelphia, those three quarterbacks were pressured on a combined 30.6% of their dropbacks in those three games, according to PFF. For some context around that figure, over the course of the NFL season, Dallas’ Dak Prescott was pressured on 30.9% of his dropbacks, which compared to the rest of the NFL, ranked 34th out of 43 eligible quarterbacks.

As Gutekunst said, there were some strong pass rush performances last season and if you look at the raw pressure and sack numbers, the Packers ranked decently in those categories. However, looking specifically at the front four’s ability to win consistently in 2024, the Packers’ ranked 26th in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate metric as well, which tells the more accurate story of last season’s performance.

Although as the draft unfolded, things played out in a way where the Packers were able to take advantage of the defensive line depth in this class, it’s not as if Green Bay was ignoring that position group on the first two days of the draft. As Gutekunst said following Day 2, you build out the board during the pre-draft process and trust that work. Just because there is a specific positional need, “you can’t create stuff.”

Improved play from the Packers’ pass rush unit was likely always going to have to be a multi-faceted approach. The answer to the question of ‘how does this unit get more consistent’ wasn’t going to be in the form of one addition.

A big part of the equation is going to have to be improved play from those who are already on the roster. Yes, improved play is needed, but it’s not as if this is a position group void of talent either. The Packers have invested heavily into the defensive front, both in terms of salary cap space and draft capital over the years.

The team also hired a new defensive line coach this offseason, in former New England Patriots’ defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington, who, as LaFleur said on Sunday, “may be some new ideas that we can implement.”

“I feel very good about the guys that we’ve got in the building,” Gutekunst said. “We do need to improve with our consistency. But there were times we were pretty dominant this year rushing the passer.”

Along with what the Packers hope is improved play up front, Gutekunst believes the additions that they made on Day 3 can help out right away as well.

At defensive end, Barryn Sorrell is an ascending player, whose production has increased during each of his seasons at Texas. He’s also proven that he can hold up in the run game and has the versatility to line up across multiple gaps.

Collin Oliver, meanwhile, brings a change-up to the Packers’ pass rush unit. For one, he can play off-ball linebacker as well, but from a pass-rush perspective, at 240 pounds, he brings a speed element that isn’t otherwise on the roster at that position. Director of Football Operations Milt Hendrickson discussed the importance in today’s game of being able to win quickly, given how prominent the quick passing game is.

In addition to that, Oliver’s presence could provide some alignment versatility up front. For example on an obvious passing down, Oliver at one of the defensive end spots could allow Rashan Gary or Lukas Van Ness to pass rush from inside.

“Absolutely,” said Gutekunst about both Sorrell and Oliver contributing this season. “Obviously there’s going to be a transition there, but they’re two different guys. One guy wins with a lot of power and length and hands. The other guy’s got some athleticism and speed who’s played on his feet a little bit, as well. so I think there’s some versatility there. So yeah, I think both of those guys can contribute, but again we’ll see. Those guys coming into the National Football League it’s a whole different ball game. But I think both those guys can compete.”

Then, at defensive tackle, Warren Brinson brings size and athleticism to that unit, and as Gutekunst described, he has more natural pass rush abilities. Coming from the pro-style Georgia defense, Brinson has worn a variety of hats and filled a number of roles in that scheme, allowing him to add more versatility and pass rush “juice,” as he put it, to the defensive front.

“Brinson, he’s a bigger body interior player, so it’s not so much on the edge but just adding value inside,” Matt LaFleur said. “Losing a guy like TJ Slaton, you want to replace that, and so we’re hopeful he can come in here and do some of the dirty work in that regard.”

The third piece to this pass rush puzzle is Jeff Hafley and his defensive scheme. When hired, the thought was that this was going to be a pass rush unit that relied heavily on the four-man front pinning its ears back and getting after the quarterback.

However, as the 2024 season unfolded, and the front four battled inconsistency, Hafley had to get more creative when it came to drumming up pressures. This included dialing up more blitzes and using more simulated pressures to help create one-on-one matchups or to get a free rusher.

That evolution as the season progressed showcased Hafley’s willingness to adapt and to mold the defensive scheme to what fit his defense best, and from the sounds of it, the Packers are going to continue to lean into that.

“I don’t think necessarily we want to go back to that, to be honest with you,” said LaFleur about rushing only four. “Just coming from an offensive perspective, it definitely is harder to prepare for somebody that can throw a variety of things at you. You talk about front variation.

“But I think what is absolutely critical in terms of having defensive success in this league is the style of play. I don’t know how you guys feel, but 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.”

Now, of course, this doesn’t mean that the play of the front four can remain status quo heading into 2025. Winning more often will only enhance what Hafley is drawing up, but also true, Hafley throwing different looks at offenses can help shoulder some of that pass rush burden.

“I think that flexibility is great,” Gutekunst said of the pass rushing abilities the Packers have at linebacker, “and I think the second year in Haf’s scheme too, and as he really understands what we have in our players and how he sees them, that will help as well.”

Whether or not this overarching approach to improve the Packers’ pass rush will work ultimately has to play out on the football field.

As we’ve said before, the ceiling for this Packers’ defense as a whole is going to be determined by how effective the pass rush is. When it’s working, every defender on the field benefits from that unit. But when the front isn’t getting home, the jobs of every other defender on the field become much more difficult.

“I like our versatility right now,’ Gutekunst added, “and we’ll kinda see how Haf sees it this year and how he puts those guys in position, but I’m excited about it.”

Packers sign former top 10 pick and versatile LB/S hybrid defender Isaiah Simmons

Paul Bretl | 4/28/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — After having linebacker Isaiah Simmons in for a visit earlier this month, Ian Rapoport reported that the Packers have signed the free agent to a one-year deal.

Simmons, the eighth overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, may be listed as a linebacker, but he brings a very unique skill set to the Packers’ defense, as a linebacker/safety hybrid, who can pass rush one play, line in the slot on another, or cover the middle of the field.

“He could do a lot of different things. Explosive, athletic. That’s why he was picked where he was picked,” said New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll.

Measuring in at 6-4 and weighing 238 pounds, Simmons is a terrific athlete who posted a Relative Athletic Score of 9.97 during the pre-draft process in 2020. This included running a 4.39-second 40-yard dash.

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As eluded to, Simmons can handle a variety of roles defensively. According to PFF, over his five NFL seasons, he has spent 1,325 snaps in the box, another 583 along the defensive front as a pass rusher, and 796 in the slot.

“I would do everything in college,” Simmons said. “Just kind of like a Swiss Army knife, move me around because I’m able to show what I can really do. I wouldn’t say I’m really tied down to one position.

However, there’s a reason that the versatile and uber-athletic former eighth overall pick is a free agent–the production hasn’t been there throughout his career.

Simmons spent just three seasons with Arizona–the team that drafted him–and didn’t make it through his rookie deal before the team traded him to the New York Giants in 2023. Over the last two years, Simmons has been on the field for fewer than 600 defensive snaps, including only 181 last season.

Over the last two years in particular, missed tackles have been an issue, although it has been a relatively small sample size, while quarterbacks have been efficient when targeting him in coverage.

Like we’ve seen in the past under GM Brian Gutekunst, additions like Sammy Watkins or Andre Dillard last year, he’s willing to bring in high draft pedigree players to see if, in the right system and environment, there is more production to be had.

While we do not know Simmons’ contract details at this time, I’ll guess that this is a deal that the Packers could get out of fairly easily later this summer if needed. So he likely isn’t even a lock to make the 53-man roster.

But as the Packers continue to shape the defense in Jeff Hafley’s image, versatility has been a priority through free agency and the draft, not to mention that Simmons and fifth-round draft pick Collin Oliver bring some unique skill sets to the defense.

While Simmons is a hybrid between a safety and a linebacker, Oliver has experience playing off-ball linebacker and pass rusher from his time at Oklahoma State. At 240 pounds, he doesn’t fit the usual big-bodied mold we see the Packers’ covet at defensive end either, and can provide that unit with a change-up with his speed.

That general versatility element throughout the Packers’ defense gives Hafley a lot of flexibility as he builds out his weekly game plans, where he can really customize things based on the opponent. This can also make the defense difficult to game plan against with there potentially being so much film to watch, new looks being shown in game, and not being able to get a beat on what’s coming, just based on where everyone is lined up.

“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. 

There is still a long ways to go when it comes to figuring out if Simmons is going to be on the team, let alone what his role might be. But with his size and athleticism, he can provide immense special teams value, having played 566 career snaps across four of the six different phases.

On defense–if it gets to this point–Simmons’ presence as a potential pass rusher could provide a change of pace at defensive end and allow Rashan Gary or Lukas Van Ness, for example, to kick inside on obvious passing downs. He could also see snaps as a dime defender during obvious passing situations, patrolling the middle of the field or as a blitzer.

Again, we will have to see what transpires, but with Simmons’ versatility, there are options for the Packers, whether he provides depth, fills a niche role, or is a possible special teams ace.

Texas DE Barryn Sorrell ready to work and show what he can add to Packers defensive front

Paul Bretl | 4/28/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Texas defensive end Barryn Sorrell became an instant fan favorite among Packers fans after the team selected him.

Sorrell wasn’t going to be a first-round draft pick, so he was not on the list of invitees who sat in the green room on Thursday evening. However, a fan of the NFL and the draft for as long as he can remember, Sorrell wanted to experience the event in person.

During Round 1, Sorrell watched the draft from his hotel room with family. Then on Day 2, he sat backstage in the green room, anticipating that his name would be called, but it never was. On Saturday, Sorrell faced a decision: head back home or stick around to hear his name called. Sorrell decided to stay in Green Bay one more day, and it was well worth it.

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In the Packers’ war room, where Brian Gutekunst and Co. watch the draft unfold and make their selections, they had no idea that when they drafted Sorrell, he was on site. Commissioner Roger Goodell typically only announces the first-round draft picks, but with Sorrell backstage, he made an exception. After his name was called, Sorrell emerged onto the stage to give Goodell that big hug and to be greeted by the fan base for the first time.

“What a cool moment that was,” said Packers Director of Football Operations Milt Hendrickson. “We did not know he was here, in the sense that wasn’t the reason we picked him. Some things are just meant to be, and it was a pretty cool moment both for him and I think for the organization as well. Really love what he brings both as a human being, just the ruggedness and physicality this guy plays with. If you define him, I just say he’s a football player. He’s going to make us better. He’s going to make that room better.”

From there, Sorrell made his way through the crowd and stood atop a platform in the middle of the sea of people while he chanted “Go Pack Go” with the fans. Sorrell then made his way into the Lambeau Field bowl, where more fans awaited him and he made his first Lambeau Leap.

After each draft pick is made, we in the media have the opportunity to speak to each draftee over the phone. But with Sorrell in Green Bay, he made his way to the podium in the media auditorium.

Sorrell described the previous three days and what this whirlwind experience had been like. In the front row as he fielded questions were his family, whom Sorrell wanted to make sure they too got to experience everything with him. As Sorrell described, fighting back tears, a lot of sacrifices were made by his family throughout the years so that he could have the opportunity to hear his name called in the NFL draft.

“They sacrificed so much for me to be — they sacrificed so much for me to be here, and I’m just happy that I get to share this opportunity with them because they deserve it,” Sorrell said. “They deserve it so much.”

On the field, Sorrell brings that typical bigger-bodied presence to the defensive end position that we know the Packers’ covet. And like many draft picks before him, Sorrell was a Senior Bowl participant and standout performer, where Packers’ defensive quality control coach, Wendel Davis, was one of his coaches during that week.

Sorrell’s pass rush production increased each season at Texas, going from 33 pressures in 2022 to 39 in 2023, to a career-high 49 pressures this past season, which included nine sacks as well, according to PFF. For some context, those 49 pressures ranked as the 18th most among all defensive ends.

Sorrell has also proven to be stout against the run, another important element for the Packers as they evaluate the defensive end position. He brings an added level of versatility to the Packers’ front as well, having lined up across multiple gaps during his time at Texas.

“First of all, exceptionally durable,” said Gutekunst of Sorrell. “He’s been productive for multiple years at Texas. He’s strong, he’s wired exactly the way. Very, very smart, very, very technique sound, he’s got really strong hands to knock blockers off balance and then his ability to finish this year – he improved every year – but this year I thought he really showed an ability to finish that he took his game to a different level.

“But he’s been improving the entire time. When you talk to the people at Texas who do such a good job down there developing players, he was first class. They couldn’t say enough good things about him. We were pretty excited to turn that one in.”

Sorrell is ready to be a “sponge,” as he put it, and learn from Rashan Gary, a player who has a similar body type to Sorrell and someone whom Sorrell has watched tape of over the years, trying to learn and “emulate” how Gary operates as a pass rusher.

However, Sorrell also made it clear that he is ready to add to this Packers’ defense as well. The pass rush unit, specifically, is on the hunt for more consistency in 2025.

As Sorrell described, the Packers are getting a leader, a winner, and a competitor, but he chose not to go into detail about the specifics of what he can provide on the field. Instead, he’s going to get to work and show everyone what he can add.

“For me, I’m going to say I’m a leader, I’m a winner and I’m a competitor,” said Sorrell. “I’ve shown that in my time at Texas, just developing, and I feel like that’s the most important thing about a football player. I could say specifically and go on and on about the skills and all this and all that, but I’d rather just show you, and I’m just going to speak about my personality and I’m ready to get to work.”

CB Micah Robinson, OT John Williams look to be next 7th round contributors for Packers

Paul Bretl | 4/27/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — NFL teams aren’t going to bank on their seventh-round selections being starters at key positions one day. However, the Packers have two examples on their current roster of how a prospect’s draft status can take a back seat when a team brings in a player who is the right fit for what they want to accomplish on and off the field.

Rasheed Walker, the 249th overall pick in 2022, has started 32 games at left tackle for the Packers over the last two seasons. Then there is Carrington Valentine, the 232nd overall pick in 2023, who has appeared in 32 games over the last two years, which includes 19 starts at cornerback.

Tulane cornerback Micah Robinson, the 237th pick overall in this year’s draft, and Cincinnati offensive tackle John Williams, the 250th overall pick, begin their journey in Green Bay and hope to find themselves on similar paths as Walker and Valentine.

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“I am familiar,” said Williams about Walker’s path. “That was one thing I really loved about Green Bay was how they like to develop players. That was a big thing for me when I visited.”

At just under 5-11 and weighing 183 pounds, Robinson doesn’t have the size and length that we often see from Packers’ cornerbacks. But as GM Brian Gutekunst described after the NFL draft, Robinson’s footwork, ability to play off-man coverage, and his speed–he ran a 4.38–is why the Packers were comfortable selecting him.

“He’s got great feet, he can play off-man coverage, which is one of the harder things to do,” Gutekunst said. “He took up a step from Furman to Tulane, and really played really, really well in his first season there. So I think as he gets more reps against really better competition, I think he’s going ot continue to improve. He doesn’t have elite size, but I thought his speed and his ability as an athlete to stay with guys, particularly from playing off coverage which is so hard, and he’s got great ball skills.”

Robinson spent his first four college seasons playing at the FCS level with Furman. He then transferred to Tulane for the 2024 season. Now up against FBS competition, Robinson had a career year in many respects. According to PFF, he allowed a completion rate of just 47% on 47 targets and held opponents to a modest 11.5 yards per catch lining up on the boundary.

Throughout his career, he’s had strong ball production as well, with seven interceptions and 15 pass breakups over the last three years.

“I can play any position,” Robinson said on a conference call. “I can play nickel. I can play corner. I can play safety as well as special teams. I’m physical at the line of scrimmage. I feel good playing off-man coverage. I also come up and I travel, I’ll hit.”

Robinson may end up having as good of a chance as any seventh-round pick to make the 53-man roster in Green Bay. At cornerback, there is the uncertainty around Jaire Alexander’s future, and then on the depth chart beyond Valentine, Nate Hobbs, and Keisean Nixon, there is almost no NFL experience.

Williams, meanwhile, comes to Green Bay after starting at left tackle for Cincinnati the last two seasons. From Year 1 to Year 2 as a starter, Williams made massive strides. 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.

“I think my pass protection has grown an immeasurable amount in these last–honestly in just this last year,” Williams said. “If you just watch the tape from 2023 to 2024 it’s like a completely different player, and I think that’s really what’s going to translate. Our O-line coach Nic Cardwell has done such a great job implementing an NFL style system for all of our pass protections and it’s just paid off in, I don’t even know how to describe how much.”

Williams measured in at 6-4 and weighed 322 pounds. All of his snaps at the college level have come at the tackle position, but not surprisingly, the Packers believe he has the skill set–and intelligence as an Aerospace engineering major–to move inside to play guard.

“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.

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

Adding Williams to the mix along the Packers’ offensive line will improve the depth of this unit, something that was needed after what we saw in Green Bay’s playoff loss to Philadelphia. As Gutekunst has mentioned, you never want to overreact to one game, but the data also tells us that having seven-plus offensive linemen that can be counted on is a near necessity.

Williams’ presence in 2025 can raise the level of competition on the middle to back-end portion of the Packers’ offensive line depth chart, and have them better prepared for 2026, when Walker, Sean Rhyan, and Zach Tom are all set to be free agents.

IDL Warren Brinson bringing ‘juice’ and versatility to Packers’ pass rush

Paul Bretl | 4/27/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — For the fifth consecutive year, the Packers selected a Georgia Bulldog in the NFL draft. This year, it was interior defensive lineman Warren Brinson in the sixth round.

There’s obviously a reason that GM Brian Gutekunst has an affinity for Georgia players, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. But as it pertains to Brinson and the defensive front, in Georgia’s pro-style defensive scheme, defenders are asked to handle a variety of responsibilities and fill a number of roles–as is often the case in the NFL.

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“At Georgia, they expect you to do multiple things,” Brinson told local media members after being drafted. “Coach Scott has a saying, he doesn’t want anybody to be a one-trick pony and he wants you to be able to play any position on the defensive line.

“So I had Nazir Stackhouse next to me, helping me push the pocket, I will take double teams, he’ll take on double teams and when a 1-on-1 comes our way, the goal is to win our 1-on-1.”

Brinson measured in at 6-5 – 315 pounds during the pre-draft process and recorded a Relative Athletic Score of 9.10, which featured a 31-inch vertical and 9-07 foot broad jump, highlighting his explosiveness, which is obviously an important trait as an interior defender.

If you look at the stat sheet, Brinson’s numbers aren’t going to leap off the page. Over the last three seasons at Georgia, he tallied 42 combined pressures with three sacks during that span. However, that doesn’t exactly tell the whole story either.

For one, within the Georgia defense, the defensive line is rotated heavily throughout the course of a game. For example, last season, Brinson’s 180 pass rush snaps were the most of his career.

But Brinson made the most of those opportunities and showcased his ability to win his pass rush reps, ranking 37th out of 200 eligible defensive tackles in PFF’s pass rush win rate. For what it’s worth, Brinson would also grade out well as a run defender by PFF’s metrics.

“Georgia, we have a multiple defense,” Brinson said. “We play a lot of different scheme and we had a lot of guys that deserved to play on our team so our coach was doing the best thing possible, just keeping fresh bodies in. And my role in the defense was a lot of pass rush. First-, second-down, third-down pass rush. So it was everything for the team, honestly. Whatever they needed me to do, I did it.”

Gutekunst mentioned that Brinson is a more natural pass rusher than run defender, but what the Packers see is an interior defender who has size, is athletic, can get after the quarterback, and can line up across multiple gaps.

“I think Brinson coming out probably has a little more pass rush naturally,” Gutekunst said. “But again a really big man that can do a lot of things. I think the coaching staff and I know I believe he can play up and down the line. He’s not just a one position player on the defensive line. So that was one of the thongs that attracted us to him.”

Gutekunst continues to insist that the Packers have what they need on the roster already to be a productive pass rush unit this upcoming season. However, he’s also acknowledged that more consistency from that four-man front is a need as well. Both things can be true.

The addition of Brinson to the interior defensive line will strengthen the rotation and add some competition as well. And when there is competition, hopefully the level of urgency is raised, and therefore the level of play as a result of that.

“In pass rush, just interior juice and when a big play is needed, I’m going to bring a big play, honestly,” Brinson said of his game. “And just being an athletic three-technique big, and getting some pocket push, it’s all over.”

Packers add a new and unique skill set to front 7 with Collin Oliver pick

Paul Bretl | 4/27/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — In the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Packers added a different to their defensive front seven when they selected Oklahoma State’s Collin Oliver.

Oliver is a unique prospect, given his usage in college. During his 2023 season, Oliver played 349 snaps as an edge rusher, getting after the quarterback, and another 371 snaps in the box as an off-ball linebacker. In fact, Oklahoma State’s head coach Mike Gundy would compare Oliver to San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey because of the do-it-all presence he brings to a defense.

“Whatever the defensive coordinator wants me to play,” Oliver said of his versatility. “It does not matter where I fit in at. To me, I feel like I can be a linebacker, edge rusher. I can be both. It’s whatever the defensive coordinator sees me fit. I want to play that, whatever that position is, to the best of my ability. Whether it’s linebacker or edge, whether it’s punt returner, kick returner, the quarterback, running back, whatever it is, I’m going to play it to the best of my ability.”

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When asked to get after the quarterback, whether that be as a blitzer or pass rusher, Oliver recorded 37 pressures and seven sacks, according to PFF. He was off to a fast start in 2024 as a pass rusher, totaling 14 pressures through not even two games before a foot injury ultimately ended Oliver’s season.

Oliver would mention that he was fully healed from the Jones fracture by December, and that allowed him to compete in the Senior Bowl, where, as is often the case, the Packers took notice.

“When you go back to the ’23 tape,” said Packers Director of Football Operations Milt Hendrickson, “you turn the tape on him and you can see he’s got a twitch and explosiveness off the edge that brings a little bit more of a unique skill set that way. He’s also got some versatility that’s going to allow him to potentially play some stack and then he brings incredible special teams value with his whole skill set.”

Beyond Oliver’s versatility, his size relative to the other Packers edge rushers is different as well. We all know that GM Brian Gutekunst has an affinity for bigger-bodied edge defenders, as it allows them to better hold up in the run game. Oliver, however, measured in at only 240 pounds, when typically, 255 pounds has been the line in the sand at the defensive end position for Green Bay.

As Oliver described when speaking with the local media after being selected, at that size, he wins with speed, but that isn’t all he can do. Power is also a part of Oliver’s game and works hand-in-hand with the speed element, which can often set him up to use strength to keep blockers off guard.

“It’s always speed with me,” Oliver said. “That’s what I pride myself on is my get-off and how fast I can attack the corner. And also just to do it off of that with my power makes my speed rushes that much more effective, and it also makes my power-rush moves that much more effective.”

When we look at the rest of the Packers pass rush room, not that there isn’t speed isn’t a part of that of that equation, but at 240 pounds, Oliver, if we can speak in baseball terms for a second, is going to provide a change-up. After dealing with Rashan Gary’s power on back-to-back snaps, a blocker suddenly having to handle Oliver’s speed can be a quick change to deal with in the middle of a game.

In today’s NFL, where the quick passing game often dominates, the ability to win right away, and speed is frequently a part of that, has become a premium.

“The game has evolved, especially in the last five to 10 years, where the ball gets out so quickly that you have to have guys that can win in different ways,” said Hendrickson. “And you need guys that are more than power rushers, and I think we’ve got some of those guys, too. But I think we’ve got a good group of just edge guys right now.”

Along with Gutekunst wanting his defensive ends to be able to be on the field for all three downs if that’s what is required, drafting a pass rusher who can only win one way comes with risks. Specifically, if injuries strike and that player has to see the field more, their limitations could be exposed.

Given Oliver’s size, he could be viewed as a situational pass rusher, where he’s on the field during obvious passing situations so he can just use his speed to get the quarterback. Perhaps, as a rookie, that is how he first sees playing time. But what gave the Packers the confidence to go off-script with this selection was the multi-faceted alignments he allows for up front, his ability to help out at linebacker, and the Packers see him as someone who can contribute on special teams right away.

“The niche is that he’s a really good football player,” Hendrickson said. “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.”

For now, as Oliver makes the transition to the Packers’ defensive scheme and the big jump from the college to NFL level, Hendrickson said he would anticipate that Oliver starts out in the defensive end room. Then as he adjusts and get acclimated, they can potentially explore adding more to his plate, such as some linebacker responsibilities.

Savion Williams brings different element to Packers’ WR position

Paul Bretl | 4/26/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — After taking Matthew Golden in Round 1, the Packers were not done adding to the wide receiver position on Day 2, selecting TCU’s Savion Williams.

The Packers’ decision to add two wide receivers early on in the draft will increase competition, and also better prepare them for the 2026 offseason when Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are both set to be free agents. However, as GM Brian Gutekunst mentioned following Day 2, more than anything, the board is what led the Packers to making these picks.

“You’re aware of it but I don’t think when we go into the draft we try to put much emphasis on that,” Gutekunst said of the Packers’ contract situations at wide receiver. “We’re really trying to build the board with the right values and letting it come to us and follow the board. I think if you get in there and try to make decisions in the draft based too much of that stuff, you can get yourself in trouble and take the wrong guy.

“So we try to get the values right vertically and horizontally and then as the draft goes, there’s a lot of uncontrollables in the draft, you try to follow the board as best you can and that’s what we did tonight and that’s how it shook out.”

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While listed as a wide receiver, and that’s what he will play with the Packers, Williams brings a very different skill set to this offense compared to his fellow wideouts. Williams has terrific size, measuring in at 6-4 – 222 pounds and is fast, running a 4.48-second 40 during the pre-draft process.

That combination of size, straight line speed, and lateral quickness allowed Williams to fill a variety of roles within the TCU offense.

In addition to being a key cog in the TCU passing game, the last two seasons, which included 147 targets during that span, Williams also carried the ball 51 times last season, averaging an impressive 6.3 yards per rush as a wildcat quarterback in that offense.

“His ability with the ball in his hands. Obviously, size as well. He’s a huge man, but his determination, his ability, his elusiveness, his power, his ability to break tackles, I just thought those were the first things that stuck out to you.”

Williams’ presence can add a different dimension to Matt LaFleur’s offense. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com picked Cordarrell Patterson as Williams’ NFL comp. When Gutekunst was discussing Williams and what he adds to the offense, he referenced Tyler Ervin, who filled a gadget-type role in LaFleur’s offense a few seasons ago.

There are a variety of ways that Williams can get the ball in his hands, whether that be out of the backfield, on jet sweeps, or designed touches in space, where his YAC and playmaking abilities can be on display. According to PFF, Williams averaged nearly 7.0 yards after the catch in 2024.

He can also be a decoy as a motion man, which can cause some chaos for a defense, possibly forcing them to make a last-second adjustment, or get them flowing one way, which can open up opportunities elsewhere.

“Everything that my team needs me to do, that’s what I’m doing because that’s what I did my last year at TCU,” Williams said when speaking with reporters. “They needed me. Our running game wasn’t the best, so they put me back there in Wildcat and ran me and, shoot, that’s what I did to help my team. Whatever I need to do for my team, that’s what I need to do.”

However, as Gutekunst said, the Packers view Williams as a wide receiver. As highlighted, there are certainly creative ways to get him involved on offense, but Gutekunst likes his ability to create separation as well, specifically when stressing a defense vertically.

“They moved him all around in different ways, I thought there was a little bit of a rawness to his game as far as the polish as a route-runner, and things like that,” Gutekunst said. “But his ability to create separation and get behind guys vertically and catch the football, all those things I think, he just really seemed to fit what we’re trying to do.”

Williams’ presence on the roster will only add to the competition within the wide receiver room. Between him and Golden, with fewer roster spots available, less snaps to be had, and not as many targets to go around, I imagine that part of the hope internally is that then raises the level of urgency within the room from top to bottom, and therefore the level of play.

In an offense where versatility was already prioritized, Williams’ do-it-all presence will add a different element, giving Matt LaFleur even more options each week as he builds out his game plans.

“He is a unique body type,” Gutekunst said. “But he is one of those guys that I think just fits Matt’s offense to a T, because you guys know how we use our receivers in the blocking game. When scouts set out looking at receivers, we don’t watch blocking first, I can promise you that. He can do a lot of that stuff that Matt asks of our guys to do. And then, again, just the ability with the ball in his hands after the catch, I think is really elite.”

Packers again prioritize OL, drafting Anthony Belton in Round 2, adding more size up front

Paul Bretl | 4/26/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — After addressing wide receiver in the first round, the Packers didn’t choose to bolster their pass rush as they searched consistently in Round 2, nor did they add competition at cornerback. Instead, and as GM Brian Gutekunst often has, he prioritized the offensive line, selecting NC State offensive tackle Anthony Belton.

“He’s a professional kid. He’s quiet, he’s about his business,” said Packers VP of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan. “I think when you talk to the people there at NC State, we talked about his growth over the years there. Football’s important to him. He’ll fit great in the locker room. He’s one of the guys. He’s humble, there’s humility but, again, a lot like Matthew Golden, being a good football player is very important to him.”

Even for an NFL offensive lineman, Belton is big, measuring in at 6-6 and weighing 336 pounds during the pre-draft process. As Gutekunst mentioned during his press conference after Day 2 of the draft, the Packers have always tried to prioritize size along the offensive line, searching for players who can “move people off their spot.”

But to go along with that size Belton possesses, is athleticism, quick feet, and the ability to operate in space. That combination is how Belton was given the nickname ‘Escalade.’

“I got that from my strength coach, Coach Thunder (Dantonio Burnette),” Belton said of his nickname. “When I first got there, we had team runs, agility stuff and he seen I could move good. He drives an Escalade himself so that’s what he always told me – how smooth I could move be like an Escalade so that’s what that was.”

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Belton is an experienced player coming out of NC State, with over 2,200 career snaps on offense, including three years as a starter. From the 2023 season to this most recent year, 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.

“I think you can really see what you needed to see in terms of the twitch to play out there on the edge whether it be left tackle, right tackle when we were down there in Mobile (at the Senior Bowl), his ability to get out of his stance and match speed on the edge, it’s in there,” said Sullivan.

With Josh Jacobs at running back last season for the Packers, we saw a shift in how Green Bay ran the ball. There was less of the outside zone running scheme that we had grown accustomed to seeing under Matt LaFleur, and more power, gap running between the tackles. As Sullivan mentioned, having a number of blockers up front who possess that people-moving play-style, adds flexibility for Matt LaFleur as he builds out his game plans each week.

The addition of Belton is another example of the Packers wanting to lean into that running and blocking style. Both Sullivan and Gutekunst when discussing Belton referenced his ability to move defenders off their spot. Along with Belton’s improved play in pass protection, he made a big jump as a run-blocker as well last season, according to PFF’s metrics.

“I learned a lot about myself to the approach to the game, just mentally,” Belton said of his improved play. “As I got older I was able to do things to help myself out. Got better at film study, did stuff like that, that kind of helped me anticipate things pre-snap. Throughout my time cleaned up some technical stuff, just with my little things like hands forward, pad level, stuff like that. Over time I’ve progressively got better at that and that’s stuff I want to continue to grow at as well.”

Every one of Belton’s snaps at the college level came at the tackle position, specifically left tackle. However, the Packers believe he has the ability to not only be a swing tackle and play either the left or right side, but they view him as someone who can step in and play guard as well.

The Packers haven’t determined yet where Belton will begin his NFL career, and as always, that will remain fluid, as we possibly see him bounced around the offensive line throughout training camp.

‘Absolutely he can play guard,” Sullivan said. “One, the size, the girth and his ability to move people. When he gets on you, he can thick on you in a hurry and kind of road grade you out of the way. I think the ability to play against big people inside and hold up in the pass game, vs. power, you’re not going to see him in the quarterback’s lap too often. He can do those things.

“Again, I think he’s got all the athleticism and length to play on the edge, or outside at tackle, right or left if need be, and I think you can kick him in to guard and you can a really good player there, too.”

Even with the addition of Aaron Banks in free agency, addressing the offensive line depth was very much still a need for the Packers. The league-wide attrition rate among offensive line units last season was very high, and statistically speaking–and as we saw in the Packers’ playoff loss to Philadelphia–have six or seven capable linemen to lean on can be vital.

Perhaps Belton can step in and carve out a role on this Packers team right away, competing at right guard with Sean Rhyan for playing time. But this was a selection on Green Bay’s part that very much felt like they had their eye on the future, specifically 2026.

As of now, Zach Tom, Rasheed Walker, and Rhyan are all set to hit free agency, and I believe the only thing we can anticipate right now is that Tom will be back, but the other two, I’m not so sure. Gutekunst did confirm that the addition of Belton won’t change the team’s plans with Jordan Morgan, he will still be competing at left tackle with Walker this summer.

Belton has size, athleticism, and the Packers believe he can play both guard and tackle spots. That’s a very Packers-esque selection, especially at a position we know they covet and have prioritized adding to heavily during Gutekunst’s tenure. In the short-term, Belton boosts competition and depth, in the long-run, he’s a probable starter.

“I’m pretty comfortable with that,” Belton said of playing guard. “Just my mindset and I was telling them,  pretty much everything is my mindset, I’m a competitor and I’m a ball  player. I want to put myself in a position where I’m out there being one of the five out there. If it’s at guard, I’ going to figure out how to be the best version of myself at guard. My mindset, I’m going in there as a competitor, I just want to play ball, and I want to be in a position to be out there on that field.”

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