Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur answers questions from the media during the NFL Annual League Meeting at The Breakers. Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

'They really really like him': Packers insider identifies the UDFA team may love the most

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics | By Robin M Adams | Last updated May 3, 2025 9:02 AM ET

The Green Bay Packers surprised a great many people with their 2025 NFL Draft selections. Not only did they select a wide receiver (Matthew Golden) in the first round for the first time since 2002, but they took offensive lineman Anthony Belton in the second round and another wide receiver, Savion Williams, in the third round.

It was not until the fourth round that the Packers took a defensive player, defensive end Barryn Sorrell, and not until the seventh round that they drafted a player that many felt was their greatest position of need: cornerback (Micah Robinson).

Why did so many people expect the Packers to draft a cornerback early?

Of course, the easy answer to this question is that the Packers still need to figure out if two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander will be on the team this year. Their very public falling out led many to believe that Green Bay would try to trade him leading up to or during the 2025 NFL Draft.

And they did try. However, they did not get a deal they felt was good enough, and the one that they did like was nixed by Alexander refusing to rework his contract.

But while Green Bay and Alexander work through their differences with a return certainly a possibility, the fact of the matter is that the Packers lost a great deal of cornerback depth this offseason.

Eric Stokes, Corey Ballentine, and Robert Rochelle all left in free agency, and the only cornerback Green Bay added was Nate Hobbs.

Even if Alexander returns, depth at the position will be a concern.

Packers must 'really really like” Johnathan Baldwin

As mentioned, the Packers took just one cornerback in the 2025 NFL Draft, Micah Robinson from Tulane in the seventh round. However, they also signed UNLV’s Johnathan Baldwin as an undrafted free agent, and, based on what they are paying him, must really like him.

ESPN’s Rob Demovsky recently posted on X:

The Packers gave Baldwin $115,000 guaranteed ($15K signing bonus plus $100K of his base salary).

The Packers don’t typically do the base salary guarantees with UDFAs so either they were in a bidding battle for him or they really, really like him. https://t.co/7ttGshj5MK

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) May 2, 2025

As one can see from Demovsky’s post, the Packers have agreed to a $115,000 contract with Baldwin for the 2025 season. Giving this much money to an undrafted free agent is not something the Packers usually do, though last year they gave undrafted offensive lineman Donovan Jennings $100,000 (he spent the 2024 season on their practice squad).

While Baldwin has a long way to go before he makes the team, the fact that they are paying him this much would indicate that they believe he could have a bright future.

Defense & Fumbles Table

Season	Team	Conf	Class	Pos	G	Solo	Ast	Comb	TFL	Sk	Int	Yds	Avg	IntTD	PD	FR	Yds	FRTD	FF
	Tackles	Def Interceptions	Fumbles
2021	Nevada-Las Vegas	MWC	FR	DB	7	7	3	10	1	0.0	0	0		0	1	0	0	0	0
2022	Nevada-Las Vegas	MWC	SO	DB	12	37	19	56	1	0.0	1	15	15.0	0	7	1	55	1	1
2023*	Nevada-Las Vegas	MWC	JR	DB	11	42	35	77	4	1.0	2	36	18.0	0	5	0	0	0	0
2024*	Nevada-Las Vegas	MWC	SR	DB	14	40	28	68	9	3.5	3	63	21.0	0	11	0	0	0	0
Career		44	126	85	211	15	4.5	6	114	19.0	0	24	1	55	1	1