Continuing on with my way to early look ahead to the 2025 NFL draft for the Green Bay Packers, it’s time to examine the linebacker position, with 10 names to keep your eyes on during the 2024 college football season.
Pro Football Focus has recently gone through all 11 positions and picked the top 10 draft prospects from each. Here is who they chose at linebacker. For more details on each player, click here.
Harold Perkins Jr., LSU
The Green Bay Packers’ linebacker unit has some unknowns going into the 2024 season, and of course, poor play can drastically shift how a position group is viewed the following offseason.
Having said that, at this time it’s difficult to envision the Packers spending an early-round pick on this position group next April.
For one, the Jeff Hafley defense should help with some of the heavy lifting when it comes to putting the linebackers in a position to make more plays. The emphasis for the defense as a whole is on running and hitting rather than reading and reacting.
But on top of that, Quay Walker is still under contract through the 2025 season, plus the Packers will have the opportunity to pick up his fifth-year option for the 2026 season.
Green Bay also spent a second-round pick on Edgerrin Cooper in this year’s draft and a third-round selection on Ty’Ron Hopper.
Now, depth will likely be a need, but to what degree depends on what happens with the Packers’ current group of linebackers who are set to be free agents in 2025.
At the moment, Isaiah McDuffie, Eric Wilson, and Kristian Welch are all playing on expiring deals. Earlier this offseason, GM Brian Gutekunst mentioned that the shift to a 4-3 defense could require the Packers to carry additional linebackers compared to when they were utilizing a 3-4 scheme.
The Packers currently have seven official picks in next year’s draft, one in each round, and are projected to receive a compensatory pick for losing Yosh Nijman in free agency, which would give them eight selections in total.
