Cover photo taken from Bleacher Report.
Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.
We’ve entered the homestretch, closing out the NFC North with the Packers, who have made major headlines this offseason and look primed to return to championship contention behind a boisterous defense and a healthy Jordan Love.
Until a few days ago, it felt like we knew everything there was to know about this Green Bay team. Last year was better than it felt, Love was really never himself after getting injured in the opener, the season ended with a whimper and they didn’t do a whole lot in the offseason.
That all changed rather quickly. In a process that escalated exponentially, the Packers acquired star linebacker Micah Parsons from the Cowboys, sending two first-round picks and DT Kenny Clark to Dallas before giving their new pass-rusher a record-breaking four-year, $188 million extension. It’s a move that completely changes the landscape of the NFC, making an already (seemingly) good defense one to be feared, and makes the Packers a clear-cut heavyweight in a top-heavy conference.
It’s also a move that Green Bay pretty much had to make. This defense was very Jekyll and Hyde last year — they were 4th in EPA/play but 21st in success rate, 28th in dropback success rate and 26th in pass rush win rate. They could stop the run effectively, but that was about it. Their numbers looked way better than the tape and analytics would suggest, and it eventually led to their unraveling down the stretch against teams like Detroit, Minnesota and Philadelphia.
To that end, I wish they did something to upgrade the secondary this summer. Moving on from Jaire Alexander felt inevitable, but I don’t know that they have an adequate replacement. Keisean Nixon and Nate Hobbs don’t exactly form the scariest corner duo in the league, even if Xavier McKinney and Javon Bullard are a very solid safety tandem. If anything, this defense is opportunistic, having finished third in turnovers in 2024. I just need them to be more consistent on the backend, because the pass rush is going to be leagues better than it was previously. With Rashan Gary, Edgerrin Cooper and Quay Walker still holding things down, they certainly don’t lack for talent in the front seven.
A lot of people have also clamored about this offense and particularly about Jordan Love, but I’m honestly not concerned. Do I think they’d be much more feared with a true WR1? Absolutely. But, we’ve seen them make it work with their committee of WR2s, especially when Love is healthy and in a groove like late in 2023. We mustn’t forget that this guy hurt his knee in the very first game of the season last year. He was clearly never the same when he got back. His health will be a major point to watch, but as long as he’s at or close to 100%, I expect to see the Jordan Love of December and January 2023.
Besides, Love was fine last year anyways. He was 10th in EPA+CPOE, 15th in success rate and 5th in QBR. If that’s a down year, then this Packers offense should be just fine. The offensive line was 7th in pass block win rate, they resigned Zach Tom at tackle, and they’re getting the most out of RB Josh Jacobs despite subpar run blocking. If one of those WRs can take a leap — more on that later — then they could be feared.
X-Factor: The Secondary
I touched on it earlier, but this secondary needs to be better if the Packers want to reach their championship potential this year. Which means second-year DC Jeff Hafley will need to draw blood from a stone. This unit didn’t get better on paper over the offseason — if anything, this team is just hoping that their young guys step up and turn into key pieces. That doesn’t feel like an effective strategy. Neither does trying to convert WR Bo Melton into a corner. I just have this nagging feeling that the defensive backfield is what’s going to drag this Green Bay team down in the postseason. Even if Love plays like we know he can, even if the receivers show up, even if Parsons is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and the pass rush improves exponentially. I just need to see these DBs play up to par before believing that they can.
Team MVP: QB Jordan Love
What Jordan Love will we see in 2025? I choose to believe it’ll be the best version of him. I hope that doesn’t come back to bite me. If you’ve been reading my stuff through the years, you know I’m pretty fond of this guy, even dating back to the Utah State days. Seeing it all come to fruition in 2023 was everything I had hoped it would be. Last year… not so much. But, again, I almost want to throw it in the bin because of the knee injury he sustained in Week 1 in Brazil. It’s hard to come back from that so quickly and still be effective. Love has the offensive line and run game to allow him to thrive, so I’m hoping that good health allows him to remain on the field and be the quarterback we know he can be.
Breakout Candidate: WR Matthew Golden
If Love is going to have the season I expect, this kid is going to play a big role in it. Ever since trading Davante Adams, the Packers have lacked a WR1. You kind of need one to win a Super Bowl. Now, they hope that Golden can be that guy. The speedster from Texas wasn’t Green Bay’s first WR taken in the first round since 2002 for no reason. With a 4.29 40 and an innate playmaking ability, he was my favorite receiver in the 2025 class — though the bar there is admittedly a little low.
That being said, I wasn’t sure that he could go somewhere and immediately be a WR1; I initially loved the idea of him going to Dallas, because being a two alongside CeeDee Lamb felt like a killer combo. It would be neat to see him shut me up. I don’t know that he has the route tree or technical skillset to develop into the Davante Adams type, but few players do. All he needs to do is prove himself as a go-to target for Love and solidify his spot as the X in this offense. Is that a high bar for a rookie? Maybe. But I think he can do it. It’s what he was drafted for, after all.
Record Prediction: 12-5
Even before the Parsons trade, I had the Packers winning the NFC North. Now, I feel a lot more confident in that pick. This pass rush is going to be so much better, even if the run defense takes a hit (Rashan Gary is arguably the best run-stopping LB in the league, anyways). The offense is going to get a boost from Golden and a healthy Love while Josh Jacobs does his usual thing. The secondary is the only thing that concerns me, but we’ll see how that plays out.
The schedule is undoubtedly tough with the NFC East and AFC North on tap, but Lambeau is obviously an anchor of success, and I think this squad can go win games at Dallas and Pittsburgh. And I sure as heck don’t want to play them in the playoffs, despite their recent track record.
The Super Bowl window is wide open in Green Bay. Let’s see if they finally, finally make that jump.
Next up: 
New England Patriots
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