Jan 12, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark (97) against the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC wild card game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Packers Expected to Help UCLA Bruins in NFL Draft

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Brock Vierra | Last updated Apr 13, 2025 12:13 PM ET

After the Green Bay Packers' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in their NFC Wild Card matchup, it was made clear that both sides of the ball needed an injection of youth.

For UCLA Bruins Kenny Clark and Sean Rhyan, 2025 may be both men's final year in Green Bay, thus their last chance to lift the Lombardi in Green and Yellow.

Thus, ESPN's Rob Demovsky and Matt Miller took time to answer questions about how the team may address each side of the ball.

On offense, Rhyan will be battling for playing time, but the major question will be if this will be the year Green Bay finally drafts a receiver in the first round. The last time they did so was Javon Walker in 2002.

"Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst made a point of saying this offseason that it has never been an organizational philosophy to skip receivers in the first round," Demovsky wrote. "That said, it's still hard to feel good about projecting a first-round receiver to the Packers until they actually do it.

"While Gutekunst said he hasn't purposefully avoided taking a receiver on the first day, he did say it's one of the more difficult positions for a rookie to make an immediate impact from, which could be why he has favored other spots in Round 1."

The Packers should have two or three first-round graded receivers to select, should they choose to do so when their pick comes up.

On the defensive side of the ball, Clark should get some help next to him and in the secondary.

"A rival scout told me that his team expects the Packers to focus on adding defensive players for Jeff Hafley's scheme in the early rounds," Miller wrote. "He predicted that Green Bay would draft a cornerback in Round 1 and a defensive tackle in the second round before shifting to a value receiver pick in Round 3."

Based on conversations held with draft analysts, the Packers will have at least five cornerbacks to choose from in the first round that would fit the value of the pick and the team's needs. In recent mocks, the second round has seen a run on defensive tackles, averaging four to six players.

This article first appeared on UCLA Bruins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: