Reader question: I'm a subscriber and am curious how the attendance numbers were calculated at the [2025 NFL Draft] They weren't requiring us to show the QR code on the One Pass app upon entry Did the metal detectors have counters on them perhaps I've been part of several conversations regarding this and no one seems to know Ralph Ennis, the NFL's director of investigations and security, spoke in general terms during a Green Bay City Council meeting almost two months before the 2025 NFL Draft about the methods they would use to count attendance "We use numbers for people coming in and analytics to kind of keep an eye on the number of people coming into the draft And we have plans with the police and the fire and all to make sure we don't have an overcrowding issue." Fan were moved into Lambeau Field for overflow viewing of the draft and the gates reopened about 7:45 p.m The NFL said over 600,000 total visitors attended the three-day event, shattering estimates of 250,000. About 205,000 fans attended that first day of the draft 175,000 on day two and 220,000 on the final day ― an anomaly as it's usually the first day that draws the biggest crowd A record 775,000 people attended the 2024 draft in Detroit Jon Barker, the NFL's global head of major events and international games, reiterated Ennis' comments during a public safety meeting on the second day of the NFL draft with a bit more specificity: That cameras at the entrances to the draft campus counted attendance "and that's the most accurate way you can do it We've moved a long way from hand clickers and people standing there and now use technology to help us do it." The NFL did not respond to a request for an interview but Barker's comments alluded to the difficulty of crowd counting an art that blends elementary math with the latest research to measure one of the most important pieces of information for businesses and governments to get right during large events for the sake of public safety and future event planning So we came up with methods to mark down our observations totaling up the number of passengers getting on a boat to Rock Island in Door County where the numbers are small enough And these manual ways of counting people, which include having sensors at entrances or looking at ticket sales, work in controlled environments, according to a 2023 review published in the Journal of Acute Medicine But the review continues that these methods require a lot of effort and are sometimes not possible to do in environments like the NFL draft where people are coming and going in many different directions Over- or underestimation can happen when counting large crowds with these rudimentary techniques So more advanced technology has been developed over the past decade according to city staff and On Broadway employees The analytics software showed 15,700 visitors attended the city's music festival On Broadway's Vice President of Marketing and Communications with 9,600 visitors on the event's opening day and 6,100 on the last day essentially creating a heat map that shows where density is greatest in an area The league's Chief Security Officer Cathy Lanier noted on the second day of the 2025 NFL Draft that "we're also looking at various different camera views." She continued that in addition to watching the number of people entering and exiting the venue at any given time "We're watching that density as it builds up around that draft stage and when we see that density starting to get to a point where we feel like it may create some safety issues .. then we have a way of first isolating that area .. Send them to Jesse Lin at 920-834-4250 or jlin@gannett.com to look into and come back with an answer every week Mark will write about a topic of interest to Packers fans and the organization and then answer five fan questions Fans are encouraged to email Mark with their name and hometown at: *MurphyTakes5@packers.com* When we first started lobbying the NFL about holding the draft in Green Bay almost a decade ago we knew that one of our strongest arguments was the tremendous support we receive from our fans Six hundred thousand fans attended the draft over the three days making it the second most attended draft ever I estimate that over 90% of the crowd was Packers fans It was the first time in NFL history that more fans attended the draft than lived in the host city Our fans were everywhere during the draft week soaking in all that the draft has to offer (the setting for the draft was a lot like Disney World One of my favorite moments was when I was introducing our first-round pick When I started by saying "for the first time since 2002," our fans are so knowledgeable that they knew right away that we were going to draft a wide receiver (and most likely knew that it was going to be Matthew Golden) it was a special time for everyone attending the draft and the local community and entire state will reap the benefits of this event for many years to come I recently watched the NFL Draft live from Green Bay Well done and thank you for representing our state and team so well the Packers had not taken a receiver in the first round for 23 years prior to this draft We were all very pleased with the draft – and it was a true team effort I do not think we have intentionally decided not to draft wide receivers in the first round over the years It was just a matter of how our board fell It is worth noting that we have drafted many excellent receivers in the second round You and the whole 2025 draft team deserve a big shout out for successfully hosting an estimated 600,000 football fans from around the globe what was the biggest hurdle your team had to overcome to secure the draft for the Packers franchise the city of Green Bay and the people of Wisconsin What were your favorite moments from draft weekend Do you think the NFL will award another draft to the Packers Many thanks for all your achievements during your time as president Our local organizing committee and so many Packers employees did an excellent job and credit must also go to the City of Green Bay it was a team effort – we all knew how much it meant to the local community I think it was convincing the league that a small market like Green Bay could host an event as large as the NFL Draft There were particular concerns regarding the relatively small number of hotel rooms I thought it was pretty special when we drafted Barryn Sorrell in the fourth round and it was great to see how excited he was to be here and be drafted by the Packers I do think Green Bay will host another draft Twenty cities have filed applications to host the draft Thank you for your hard work for this team over the past few decades The energy was there all night and your announcement alongside the commissioner was the highlight of the draft does the team being located in Green Bay serve any logistical challenges for the team and associated groups I know last season when we played in Brazil air travel was a big point of contention when playing the season opener in Sao Paulo I also know that a lot of journalists that cover the Packers usually have to fly to a connecting airport whenever they travel to a Packers road game The air travel market in the Green Bay-Appleton area is by far the smallest in the NFL and direct flights to most other markets are not offered Does being in the smallest market by far affect the team in any unseen way I love to hear from Packers fans in Illinois but traveling to other parts of the country (and world) from here is challenging Almost every destination is at least two flights and the flight options have become more limited during my time living in Green Bay It also hurts us that there is no train service to Green Bay (but we do have the National Railroad Museum here!?) We would be much better off with one airport between Green Bay and Appleton rather than having both airports compete with each other I know people would gladly drive 15 more minutes to go to a centralized airport to have many more flight options the airports in Green Bay and Appleton should coordinate with each other I recently had a league meeting in Atlanta at 2 p.m The direct flight to Atlanta was at 5:15 a.m That would require me getting up at 3:45 a.m so I checked Appleton's flights to Atlanta – the only morning flight was at 5:20 a.m These travelling issues do not really affect our team travel since we fly charter it does present issues as it does for everyone living in Northeast Wisconsin Thanks for being a great leader of the Pack and have a great retirement My question is: Why is illegal hands to the face and face mask grasping a penalty no matter the player but "stiff arm" by a ball carrier is not a penalty The stiff arm is impeding the defender and could cause injury Because the league likes high-scoring games and always favors the offense it only seems that way to us old defensive players it is a penalty if a runner stiff arms a tackler and grabs the face mask Let me start by thanking you for a fantastic career with our beloved Packers After your football career did you ever think you would go on to be the CEO for as many years as you've been are you related to the former Washington punter of the same name I never thought I would go on to be president of an NFL team (let alone for 17 years) I was very involved with the NFLPA (as the Washington player rep vice president of the union and later as an employee) and was viewed as a radical I was involved in two strikes – one as a player and one as an NFLPA employee make a connection during that time period that helped me later Paul Tagliabue was an attorney for the league and a Washington season ticketholder he contacted me (I was AD at Colgate at the time) and asked me to serve on a committee he established on player relations I know that he was helpful in my being offered the job I learned a valuable lesson – don't burn bridges This was also one of my father's (Big Murph) "pearls of wisdom." Murphy Takes 5 is a monthly column written by President and CEO Mark Murphy  Murphy Takes 5 is a monthly column written by President and CEO Mark Murphy Green Bay-based Schneider National Inc. reported strong revenue and earnings growth in the first quarter of 2025 but lowered its projected earnings for the year amid uncertainty on how tariffs will impact global trade and consumer spending The publicly-traded trucking and logistics company on May 1 reported revenue increased 6% to $1.4 billion compared to the first quarter of 2024 while net income increased 42% to $26.1 million While optimistic it can continue to perform well in 2025 Schneider said increasing economic uncertainty has started to impact consumer sentiment and market expectations with more of the same expected in the months ahead it lowered its 2025 earnings per share forecast from $0.90-$1.20 per share to $0.75 to $1.00 per share and lowered projected net capital expenditures in 2025 by $75 million to between $325 million and $375 million “While the current macro-economic environment is leading to declining consumer sentiment and increasing shipper uncertainty we expect to deliver improved year-over-year results through 2025 although tempered versus our previous outlook," said Darrell Campbell Schneider's executive vice president and chief financial officer Schneider executives laid out several ways the company plans to maintain profitability and weather the uncertain economic forecasts for the months ahead explore AI investmentsSchneider CEO Mark Rourke said the company will look to reduce operating costs by $40 million across all of its operating segments and look at investing in artificial intelligence to automate routine tasks so employees can focus on work that creates more value to the company and customers In a follow-up email, Schneider said cost containment and efficiencies will come in technology spending, safety performance, synergies with recent acquisitions like Cowan Systems LLC Rourke said Cowan Systems is already contributing to Schneider's profits and that the integration is expected to result in $20 million to $30 million in savings once the combination is completed While uncertainty is the key word right now Schneider executives told analysts they chose to focus on what the company can control rather than what it can't like consumer spending and global trade policies remaining competitive on pricing and outperforming competitors by offering a broad range of services generated about 21% of the company's revenues in the first quarter It estimates that overseas imports account for 15% to 25% of its intermodal segment and goods from China "We do expect there is going to be some drop off in volume on the intermodal business but our increase in new business offset what we're anticipating in declining imports," said Jim Filter The company's cross-border freight service between the United States and Mexico remains a strength for the company Filter added that freight shipped from Mexico is an area of growth for the company's intermodal segment, and that while there's a lot of focus on tariffs right now, the goods shipped across the border comply with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and are exempt from tariffs Schneider is positioned to perform well amid uncertain freight industry and market conditionsThe general market conditions Schneider sees presents an opportunity for the company to compete for business Rourke said he thinks Schneider has "been through the bottom of the pricing market" and that rates have improved Filter said the company has seen a "steady drumbeat" of trucking companies leaving the market and that general uncertainty could accelerate that trend Few trucking companies would mean less competition for business the company noted its intermodal partnerships with railroads suite of services it can offer customers and focus on specialty equipment like refrigerated trailers can help Schneider stand out in the market frequent conversations with customersWhen asked about how Schneider discusses prices with customers amidst the global economic uncertainty Filter said the company does so frequently and frankly "It's real important in times like this that we state our assumptions with customers," Filter said we come back and have another discussion." This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy Contact business reporter Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 or jbollier@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JeffBollier My granddaughter, Magdalene, recently had a sewing lesson at Ana’s Sewing Studio in Green Bay. “You have to write about them,” she said. “I learned so much in a short time. The teacher, Donna, was excellent, and it’s a really good business.” For the beginner seamstress and the quilter, the growth in the studio proves that the comment is not unwarranted. Just as my granddaughter has been inspired to learn more, so are the hundreds of loyal customers who join clubs, purchase kits, and move up to higher quality machines. The owner behind this success is Ana Rivera of Appleton. Rivera took quite the turn in her career when she purchased Julie’s Sewing Center in Green Bay (it was renamed after purchase to Ana’s Sewing Studio) in 2016. But it was a journey that started many years earlier. Rivera, who learned to craft and sew from her grandmother, graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Superior in 2002 with a major in legal studies and focus on domestic conflict and abuse. She had planned to go to law school. “My grandmother insisted that I work before committing to spending that much on obtaining a law degree,” Rivera said. “That turned out to be good advice.” She moved to the Fox Valley area and accepted a job with Department of Workforce Development where she worked with clients who were looking for employment opportunities. A hard worker (she says she worked as many as three jobs at one time), she moved through the ranks and accepted additional management responsibilities. Her off hours were spent quilting and sewing. When her grandmother gave her $5,000 as an advanced inheritance and told her to spend it on something fun, she bought her first embroidery and sewing machine. “I loved that machine and learned everything about it,” she said. Years later and still in love with her hobby, Rivera began taking lessons at Julie’s Sewing Center in Appleton, owned by Julie Christensen. (Christensen had purchased Holtz Sewing Centers in Appleton and Green Bay.) Rivera found the shop to be welcoming, and unlike many of the other specialty shops in the same niche, the employees were helpful and friendly. The next step in Rivera’s journey came when she was talking to her aunt, Edith Johnson, and confided that her dream was to have her own sewing and quilting shop someday. Johnson encouraged her in that pursuit, but recommended that she learn the business first by working in a similar shop. “You always like going to Julie’s, why don’t you go there and see if they have any part-time jobs,” her aunt said. Rivera took that advice and was hired at Julie’s. As she worked full time during the week, evenings and weekends were dedicated to learning the ins and outs of the shop. Julie’s husband, David, who was the repair expert, taught her how to fix machines. She said, “I would leave work and then spend evenings fixing machines. Some nights I would stay up almost all night because I fell in love with it.” That love for the machines translated to success in selling them. She joked about a customer who came in to purchase a light bulb for his wife’s machine, and when he saw how enthralled his wife was with the new machines, came in the next day without her to buy one as a surprise. “He came in for a light bulb and ended up with a machine,” she laughed. “But I can only sell like that because I love these machines; I’m passionate about this.” That passion grew as she continued to learn the business. When Julie decided to sell in 2016, it was fitting that Rivera would be the new owner. All along, Rivera said that Julie had been teaching her — both the good and bad of business ownership — and Rivera was ready for the transition in ownership. They figured out the inventory cost and agreed on a price for Rivera to purchase the Appleton and Green Bay shops. An important part of the transaction was making certain that the dealership agreements would transfer so that the same top-quality machines could be sold. With that accomplished, the sale closed in 2016. Rivera, who says she has always been frugal, had saved for the purchase. It wasn’t long before she was in growth mode. Inventory levels at both shops increased, classes were added, and clubs formed. She took a team approach to staffing that turned out to be very effective. Rivera said, “I don’t do managers, I do teams. I have a team leader in the shops because I recognize that everyone contributes to our success. The employees are the best and work well together. As a small business, I can’t afford to always have two or three people working at one time, so we need to be able to communicate without always working together.” The teams are part of what she says are one-stop shops with an inventory of 5,000 to 6,000 bolts of fabric and the largest selection of thread in the area. She sells quilting kits with pre-cut squares and supplies, books and patterns, notions, and machines. There is a schedule of classes on the website, anasewingstudio.com, and information on special projects and clubs. “People enjoy getting together to gather and socialize. When you take a class, you not only learn from the teacher, you learn from the other students,” Rivera stated. Those classes, including private lessons like Magdalene took, are part of the growth the shops have experienced. Rivera opened a store in Wausau and is now in the process of opening a fourth shop in Columbus, near Madison. The goals she set in 2016 are taking shape. She said, “My long-term goal was to open a fourth store and a sewing retreat. The retreat is almost complete (it is in Appleton where she purchased the building) and it will be a place where people can do projects and take classes, set up a booth for special events and sell their stash of fabrics, or have something like a swap meet.” Other plans call for building a suite above the retreat center where she will live initially, but will later rent out for events. She said that she sees growth within the industry as machines become more technical. Many have computers and tablets built in them and are able to perform such tasks as taking a photo from a mobile phone and then presenting options for completing the project. With that additional complexity comes the need for training that the studio provides. She says that her customers develop the same passion for the machines that she felt when she purchased her first good machine. Sewing and quilting, for many, is an escape. “You work hard all day, why not go home and do something you love?” she said. “You can lose yourself in the fabrics and colors and I find that if I’m worried about something, I can get on a project and just forget about it. I need to sew.” Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and Past District Director for SCORE, Wisconsin. They believed they added more talent to an already stout group and are ready to get the ball rolling The Green Bay Packers had an eight-player draft class and are thrilled with the guys they selected The Packers have a rookie minicamp running from May 2 to May 3 which gives these players the first chance to be in the building and impress the coaching staff This was also the first time these rookies were able to speak to reporters in person TCU WR Savion Williams was drafted with the 87th overall pick in the third round to bolster the receiver corps Landing with the Packers was a dream for Williams and he knew he wanted to land in Green Bay ‘If there was one team you could get picked by who would you want to get picked by?’ I told them it would be Green Bay just seeing the area code number just pop up and then just grinning the whole time Just knowing I’m being in Green Bay was just a dream.” Williams was asked why he wants to play for the Packers and head coach Matt LaFleur was a big reason for that The #Packers' eight draft picks met with reporters today. Here's a quote or two from each of them.https://t.co/7MtharIWjT The era with LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers was stellar and was must-watch TV at times They were able to get Williams to get to a screen and now he gets a shot to don the Packers jersey He stands at 6-foot-4 and provides this offense with someone who can win above the rim Getting a contested catch weapon was something the Packers wanted to improve upon and the Texas native will be pumped to play for one of his favorite coaches © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER The #Packers' eight draft picks met with reporters today. Here's a quote or two from each of them.https://t.co/7MtharIWjT The Green Bay Metro Fire Department responded to a chemical leak at an Allouez water treatment facility May 5 The fire department and the Hazardous Materials Response Team responded to the leak at 10:55 a.m it was reported that a 100-pound chlorine cylinder had developed a leak near the valve after two HAZMAT members entered the facility containing the leak within one minute of entry One worker was exposed and was transferred to a local hospital for further evaluation Air monitoring was done in the area to ensure residents were safe The water supply system was not affected by the leak Rashad Alexander can be contacted at ralexander@gannett.com and 920-431-8214 I always assumed that there were other Packer Backers in sparsely populated Tuolumne County and it is great to know there are others in my backyard that read II and I appreciate the II for illustrating that point 5-6 days a week A big thank you to both Justin and Spoff for that intro Friday. I couldn't stop laughing. The best part was I didn't realize our social team also used that line for the Twitter copy I read the "Pa Hod x 11 maybe" line before I even had a chance to read Spoff's column Do you get to take a deep breath now that the draft is over Did Murph give everyone Monday off to recover from the long weekend we write and this past weekend there was a rookie minicamp to cover Just want to shout out that the draft wrap-up video the Packers released Friday is fantastic and not gonna lie It also provided a little bit of that backstage peek we all crave including the draft room (though not the board) Brian Gutekunst's jolt in his chair and "He's here?" reaction when he learned Barryn Sorrell was on-site makes that moment even cooler For me, Gutekunst's reaction to Barryn Sorrell walking on stage was the high point of a tremendous package our video team put together I appreciated how Packers fans shared that moment with Sorrell think about the unlikelihood of fans from the NFL's smallest market embracing the fourth-round pick who bet on himself and made the cross-country trip to Green Bay...We'll be talking about that moment for decades Six of eight draft picks are already signed Getting the third-round pick done this early might be a bit surprising but those Day 3 deals usually get done during rookie weekend There's more to hash out on the guaranteed money front in the first two rounds the pictures of the new guys getting their equipment never fail to bring a smile to my face The culmination of their grind to get to the NFL is now realized A lot of Pro Bowl and Hall of Fame careers have started in that shoe room The eyes have it; you have seen the rookies Did anyone stand out as a person that might really exceed expectations It wasn't that type of practice. It was mostly an introduction to position drills. I will say Canadian quarterback Taylor Elgersma looks the part and flashed a live arm in QB drills. Talking strictly about the interviews with draft picks, I couldn't believe how large Anthony Belton was in-person He is a full-grown man and carries his weight well Where does Warren Brinson rank on favorite rookie interviews Right near the top with the likes of Eric Stokes Corey Linsley and Micah Hyde (all for different reasons) Brinson was gifted with the personality gene but is rookie minicamp attended exclusively by the rookies Only rookies and players without an accrued NFL season are eligible for rookie minicamp Veterans can only participate if they're unsigned and in on tryout (e.g orientation … do the newbies get taken through the Hall of Fame Seems like it would be an important part of becoming a Packer Matt LaFleur and director of player engagement Grey Ruegamer do a phenomenal job of giving players a proper background on the history of the Packers franchise I think a good comparison for Matthew Golden would be Tyreek Hill: 4.29 in the 40 Hill was an impact player with KC and Miami I'm hoping Golden can have that type of impact with the Packers I'll continue to leave the comparisons up to all of you but Golden has every tool to become an impact player in this league "Get thick on you in a hurry" is easily my favorite of that bunch but it's also one I can't intuitively figure out Is it referring to an offensive lineman squaring up to prevent a pass rusher I completely understand what Jon-Eric Sullivan was saying after seeing Belton in-person I can only imagine how difficult it can be for a defender to get away from his grasp once Belton gets his hands on you The Green Bay Packers finished their last day of rookie minicamp in the Don Hutson Center on Saturday Looking ahead to the schedule release on May 14 what are your hopes for the season schedule I think the next biggest bridge to cross is having the Week 1 at Lambeau Field curse broken and the organization requested it for the 100th season it's time the Packers host a Week 1 opener at Lambeau Field I am super excited about the competition this year's pickups will inject into the equation along with the probability of adding healthy bodies and second-year jumps and everybody chasing their next payday it seems most teams are a collection of mercenaries Can either of you speak to how Packers players balance the locker room comradery we often hear about with the looming reality that they're competing every day against the men in their position group for a job LaFleur was asked if he spoke with Xavier McKinney about Isaiah Simmons ML said all he needed to hear was that Simmons was a good teammate Do you think it's difficult for players to express that a former teammate isn't a good teammate The stakes are high in the NFL and the Packers want honesty wouldn't have asked McKinney for his opinion if they didn't A) value it and B) think he'd respond earnestly If the Packers didn't feel Simmons was a good fit Has the league failed Isaiah Simmons in its deployment of his talents He was really effective as more of a strong safety in college He dominated in between the safeties and linebackers it's a different game and a different field altogether But watching his deployment in New York and Arizona it seemed like he had trouble in tighter areas I haven't watched Simmons enough to know what happened in Arizona but LaFleur said the Packers plan to play him at linebacker Simmons is still only 26 and possesses the speed to make a difference Simmons could add an interesting wrinkle to Jeff Hafley's defense depending on how the Packers use him Mike relayed a story about Ron Wolf and the replacement of players all NFL players will experience that; even superstars when beyond the prime of their careers The fact fans will say a player didn't try hard or isn't getting better astounds me considering that constant threat Everyone has a bad day and none of us meet our potential every day at our job Could you imagine the pressure if you were at risk every day of losing your job for an off day You realize I worked in newspapers for a decade Goose" competition to keep my job (…kidding For a visual depiction of Spoff's route-running answer watch Will Howard's combine workout on YouTube Throws the same route to several receivers and although the ball is (mostly) thrown to the same spot at the same time the results vary – some balls caught in stride others miss badly – because of the timing and quality of the route by the WR Hence why Aaron Rodgers was so particular about how his wideouts ran their routes so much is based on anticipation and timing The quarterback is counting on his man to be where the ball is going The results can be disastrous if the wideout doesn't come through Green Bay Packers DL Warren Brinson spoke to the media on Friday as the team kicked off rookie minicamp What's your take on the Packers picking up the fifth-year option on Devante Wyatt but not Quay Walker Picking up a fifth-year option on a player is a bigger decision for teams today than when it was first introduced in 2011 because that fifth year is now fully guaranteed The Packers have made it known they still want to extend Walker regardless of whether the option was exercised Gutekunst talked after the draft about his excitement level for the undrafted class the Packers were assembling and we're starting to see why three interceptions and 3½ sacks while manning the slot in UNLV's defense last year I've read previously in the Inbox the Packers benefiting from their staff (coaches and football ops) being in alignment Listened to Sullivan's presser earlier this week on the cell and again today on the laptop His focus on player traits is why those pressers are a great listen for any fan and also mirror LaFleur's comments in Friday's presser as well as the Dan Patrick show Milt Hendrickson's comments on overcoming adversity reflect Gutekunst's priorities as well One of the true strengths of the Packers' organization is how well-aligned the personnel department and coaching staff are It's something for which Mark Murphy doesn't get nearly enough credit after promoting Gutekunst to GM in 2018 and hiring LaFleur in 2019 the Packers kept a strong personnel department together and that group only grew stronger once Hendrickson came aboard a year later but that group rows together in the same direction Sturdy leadership has made the Packers one of the NFL's most consistent winners An interesting thing that my group noticed while walking around the draft last weekend was the abundance of Super Bowl XXXI championship hats there has never been a cooler championship hat presented to any person in any sport Am I being a homer because that was a Green Bay championship I still have that hat and cherish it deeply for both what it was (the end of a nearly 30-year drought) and how cool the design was I remember standing in line for the Super Bowl XXXI hat when I was a kid and being ecstatic when I landed one especially with how it organically captured the New Orleans vibe What does the NFL do with the Packers-Steelers game if Aaron hasn't made his decision by May 14 It still wouldn't surprise me to see Pittsburgh booked for September 100% agree with Mike on the Keith Jackson take I remember watching him as a kid and you knew it was the biggest game of the college weekend Growing up in Wisconsin in the 1970s and '80s meant you were watching someone other than the Badgers I fondly remember his pronunciation of Alabama I now have a child attending Alabama and every time we visit I caught Jackson during the final stretch of his career but what a titan of sports broadcasting he was I heard the promotions for the drone show BUT haven't heard anything about it or even any video clips of it I was writing draft-pick stories when all that was going down I can kind of picture Spoff and Hod reading the Inbox questions laughing and making snide remarks like those two judges upstairs during "The Muppet Show." Join Packers.com writers as they answer the fans' questions in Insider Inbox They're looking to expand those capabilities The Packers picked an all-around winner in Matthew Golden Any such decisions will be made in due time Nobody really knows what these teams think until the picks are for real the Packers hope to acquire a playmaker who'll add to this franchise's rich history This draft could cause a tectonic shift in how the NFL views elite prospects It is officially NFL Draft week in Green Bay The draft is always more about the future than the present the bad news: The Green Bay Packers didn’t have a good draft the better news: The rest of the NFC North In NFC draft rankings by Gilberto Manzano based on “immediate impact,” the Green Bay Packers ranked 13th out of 16 teams The Chicago Bears had the best draft but ranked eighth but that might not have solved their problem of needing a legitimate No 1 target,” Manzano said of the Packers picking Matthew Golden in the first round and Savion Williams in the third round Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks returning from last season and Christian Watson coming back at some point from a torn ACL the Packers have a “surplus of quality” receivers who can “play certain roles.” What they still don’t have “Perhaps one day Golden can develop into an all-around threat he’ll mostly just help the offense stretch the field as a speedy weapon for Jordan Love,” Manzano said Even if Golden is only a speed threat as a rookie he’d fill an enormous void in Green Bay’s offense Without Watson due to a late-season knee injury and then a season-ending knee injury the Packers averaged 8.87 yards per passing play when Watson was on the field compared to 7.60 yards when he was off the field That 1.27-yard differential was one of the largest in the league among receivers who earned regular playing time “I’m going to come out here and do what I’m supposed to do,” Golden said “I’m going to do it to the best of my ability so I’m definitely going to try to run 4.29 on the field so Jordan can put the ball out there somewhere for me.” Meanwhile, in a draft class that was perceived to not contain a lot of value second-round lineman Anthony Belton will at least add depth to the offensive line and Williams has been compared to Deebo Samuel and Cordarrelle Patterson we’ll see,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said at rookie camp of the potential impact that Golden and Williams could make “A lot of it’s going to be dependent upon them and how well they pick up the offense and how fast they can do it I think it will all work itself out in due time very excited about the talent that both those guys bring “I love how serious they are about football Not that I know these guys that well yet – I’ve only been around them not even 24 hours most of those guys – but I can tell we’ve got a group that I think loves the game of football whether it’s our athletic trainers or whoever The two-time defending NFC North champion Detroit Lions who beat the Packers in Week 1 and again in the playoffs on their way to winning the Super Bowl “The Lions’ draft class wasn’t well received by the football public because they didn’t add many recognizable names physical players in the trenches,” Manzano wrote “(First-round defensive tackle Tyleik) Williams was regarded as the best run stopper in the draft but he’ll need time to develop as a pass rusher (Second-round pick Tate) Ratledge could fill in at guard and make up for the loss of Kevin Zeitler this offseason it will be interesting to see what Detroit does with the intriguing (third-round receiver Isaac TeSlaa the athletically gifted wideout who can play inside and outside.” Check out the full rankings and commentary here. Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates Green Bay Packers rookie Matthew Golden might not care much about his uniform number 22 -- a non-traditional number for a wide receiver -- as his new digits in the NFL explained his thought process behind getting No 22 for his first professional number while meeting with the media for the first time at rookie minicamp on Friday She told she wanted me to represent that number I knew that last receiver that was drafted was 2002 Golden said he talked to the Packers after getting No 2 -- his preferred number -- is currently worn by backup quarterback Malik Willis in Green Bay He'll be confident as a player regardless of number I’m still going to go out there and get open...there was just meaning behind the number 22 for me It's got history behind it so it made sense to me." who intercepted 31 passes over 11 seasons for the Packers who scored 34 total touchdowns as a five-time champion during the Lombardi era 22 isn't completely foreign to wide receivers 22 during the 1996 preseason before switching to No called his grandma his "best friend" and inspiration growing up "She helped me getting to this point," Golden said He was the team's first receiver picked in the first round since Javon Walker in 2002 Green Bay Police officer and Brown County Sheriff According to an obituary posted by the Hansen Family Funeral & Cremation Services Hinz passed away at home surrounded by his family on Saturday Hinz served as a police officer with the Green Bay Police Department from 1966 to 1996 and retired from GBPD as the assistant chief he was elected as the Brown County Sheriff He was also an Army veteran who served in Vietnam Hinz was elected as a Brown County executive and held the role until 2011 He also served as a board member for the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce during that time Hinz founded and directed the Northeast Wisconsin Veterans Treatment Court a 4-phase program that helps veterans who are facing criminal charges overcome addictions or other issues they may face as a result of their service to the country "These veterans have committed their lives for this country Some of the problems that they've had have been enhanced by the going into the military They carry this hidden baggage and our goal is to unload some of that baggage," said Hinz in an interview with FOX 11 in 2017 undergo drug testing and treatment in order to get back on the right track Green Bay thinks they got something in UNLV’s Johnathan Baldwin ESPN’s Rob Demovsky broke the news on Friday that the Green Bay Packers guaranteed cornerback Johnathan Baldwin, an undrafted rookie signing, $115,000. For reference, the Packers’ seventh-round pick John Williams is only guaranteed $101,672 on his four-year rookie contract, per Over the Cap Green Bay isn’t known for guaranteeing a lot of money to undrafted rookie free agents It’s not uncommon for other NFL teams to spend in the ballpark of $300,000 in guaranteed money for their top undrafted free agent rookie So the Packers must like Baldwin, who was originally announced in media reports as a safety before being listed by the team as a cornerback as he was primarily a slot defender for UNLV Baldwin played 664 snaps in the slot in 2024 for the Rebels and only 92 snaps at safety Baldwin is one of three cornerbacks the teams signed in undrafted free agency along with Delaware’s Tyron Herring and Florida Atlantic’s Kahzir “Buggs” Brown While their contract details have yet to be reported two other defenders who may have received decent guarantees by the team are Georgia defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse and Kentucky linebacker Jamon Johnson (formerly Jamon Dumas-Johnson) who were frequently graded as draftable players on analysts’ big boards Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More Wis. — Officer Jake Wallner has been on the Green Bay Police Department for the past seven and a half years He started in patrol and has worked into a job in the department’s professional standards division.  “No day is like the previous,” Wallner said but the kind of police work you’re doing is always going to be a surprise Wallner does background investigations and helps onboard and train new officers It’s just one of the specialties available at the department “I’ll come back to the teaching where I get to share my experiences in the job with others,” he said about the highlights of the job can help someone else be successful somewhere in their job Whether it’s something as simple as a traffic stop or something as complex as an OWI or some sort of tactic, I taught them that saved them from serious injury or some sort of fight in the long run.” The department has about 190 sworn officers Kristopher Thoreson has been with the department for 11 years He also works in the professional standards division “We’re looking for the best candidate is really what it boils down to,” Thoreson said and also has the ability to have some presence out there Thoreson said recruitment is a steady process “Because we’re always going to have retirements,” he said people can stay longer and some people can decide to pull the plug but we’re going to be always looking to fill those positions.” Wallner said he likes the size of the city and the department We’re big enough to have your critical incident “But we’re also a small enough department where I may not hang out with everyone at work More information about careers at the Green Bay Police Department can be found here 3B67R60 Green Bay Packers' Matthew Golden (22) stretches during the NFL football team?s rookie minicamp The Packers went more than two decades without selecting a wide receiver in the first round; that all changed with the 2025 NFL Draft class While offensive additions dominated the first three rounds Perhaps the shift in roster-building mentality is a signal of good things to come for Green Bay. While much is still to be seen, the Packers earned a solid mark in PFF’s draft grades.  A receiver with blistering speed in Round 1: Matthew Golden clocked the fastest 40-yard dash (4.29) at the NFL Scouting Combine among receivers and now provides quarterback Jordan Love with another weapon to distribute the ball to He showed an impressive ability to defeat press coverage with active hands and excellent body control on off-target passes He dropped just four passes in 2024 and was one of the best in the class in contested catch rate (61.1%) A mauler along the offensive line in Round 2: Anthony Belton is a large powerful offensive tackle who spent his first few seasons at the JUCO level before transferring to North Carolina State he shows a good ability to reach the second level and uses his size and strength to anchor well against bull rushes His 87.3 PFF pass-blocking grade ranked among the best in the nation as he allowed just 11 total pressures in 2024 Rookie to watch: ED Barryn Sorrell, Texas Sorrell is a versatile defensive lineman capable of aligning anywhere from a 4i to a wide-7 technique. While he doesn't project as a high-end athlete at the next level, his active hands and solid play strength provide a strong foundation for a rotational role in Green Bay’s front, which should be looking to upgrade from former first-rounder Lukas Van Ness Position/role battle to watch: WR Savion Williams — Kick Returner With the change in kickoff rules — touchbacks now coming out to the 35-yard line — the need for dynamic threats in the return game will be at a premium While the Packers already carry a solid returner in Keisean Nixon Williams' ability as a return threat should not be neglected as he averaged 20.9 yards per return on kickoffs in his college career.   Draft grade: B- PFF's Big Board for the 2026 NFL Draft offers three-year player grades, combine measurables, position rankings, and in-depth player analysis for all of the top draft prospects. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NCAA player performance data. Mecole Hardman must've wondered what he was watching a team that famously hadn't drafted a first-round wide receiver in over two decades snapped that streak and followed it with another versatile pass-catcher in the third round The Packers' decision to draft Matthew Golden and Savion Williams puts Hardman's roster spot in serious jeopardy Hardman joined an already-crowded wide receiver room The three-time Super Bowl champion boasts a Pro Bowl selection as a return specialist on his resume and his ability to play the versatile Tyler Ervin role in Matt LaFleur's offense added to his roster chances Then, the draft happened. The Packers landed two receivers with return experience, but it's Williams' arrival that specifically hurts Hardman. The TCU product has drawn comparisons to Cordarrelle Patterson — a multi-time All-Pro returner — and has almost unlimited upside as a do-it-all receiver time is on their side to find order in a chaotic wide receiver room It promises to become one of the biggest positional battles awaiting in the months ahead Green Bay's offseason workout program is underway training camp and the preseason will arrive but the Packers' heavy lifting is complete With free agency and the draft in the books it's time for our early 53-man roster predictions and unless they find an upgrade for Sean Clifford it will be Jordan Love and Malik Willis leading the way again in 2025 Don't count out undrafted free agent Amar Johnson, who got his wish by landing with the Packers after the draft Green Bay became a run-first offense last season and will need good depth at the position Johnson will push Chris Brooks for the final spot Christian Watson likely won't be ready for Week 1 and may begin the season on the PUP list These five receivers are the only roster locks (outside of Watson) Veterans Bo Melton and Malik Heath miss out The former Chiefs and Jets receiver offers value on special teams Tucker Kraft became the Packers' clear No Green Bay will hope to get more from Luke Musgrave in Year 3 — he has shown game-changing potential but has missed 16 games in his first two seasons Jordan Morgan's role is a story to watch throughout the summer. LaFleur said Morgan will compete with Rasheed Walker for the left tackle job Morgan looked on track to beat Sean Rhyan for the job before a shoulder injury halted his momentum There are questions at the back end of the roster who offers some positional versatility and played well last summer just securing the final spot ahead of Donovan Jennings and Jacob Monk but the Packers have added two run-stopping Georgia Bulldogs to the defensive line in Warren Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse They should help fill the void left by Slaton even if they play most of their snaps on first and second down a defensive line coaching change will help Kenny Clark recapture his Pro Bowl best The Packers rolled the dice by ignoring the pass rush in free agency and early in the draft The good news is that Barryn Sorrell is a possible Day 3 steal and could quickly make an impact PFF credited him with an impressive 49 pressures last season Sorrell knows how to make life miserable for quarterbacks For this group to succeed, it will require a collective effort from a group that significantly underperformed last season. The pressure on former first-rounder Lukas Van Ness is rapidly increasing Edgerrin Cooper showed star potential as a rookie and his second act in the NFL could elevate the entire defense The Packers brought in former first-rounder Isaiah Simmons Ty'Ron Hopper needs to make a jump in his second season after Green Bay selected him in the third round a year ago Rumors have heated up that Jaire Alexander could stay in Green Bay who would desperately need more cornerback depth if Alexander departs Nate Hobbs' inside/outside versatility makes him a valuable addition to the defense while seventh-rounder Micah Robinson hopes to follow in Carrington Valentine's footsteps by becoming an instant contributor The Packers transformed their safety room a year ago and this group has the potential to become even better in 2025 Xavier McKinney is coming off a first-team All-Pro season Brandon McManus solved the Packers' kicking woes while Daniel Whelan has provided stability in the punting game where Green Bay could add competition for Matt Orzech ","https://fansided.com/",{"alt":"7e","src":"7f","url":"7g"},{"type":"7d","value":"7h"},"link","Minute Media","https://www.minutemedia.com/",{"text":"7k","url":"7l"},{"type":"7j","value":"7m"},"All Rights Reserved Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands He has written over 5,000 stories on the Packers and has previously covered the NFL for FanSided.com and NFL Spin Zone he was named the FanSided NFL Editor of the Year Freddie has also covered Tottenham Hotspur for Hotspur HQ and the WWE for Daily DDT Besides reminiscing about Jordy Nelson's greatest touchdown catches The Packers' decision to draft Matthew Golden and Savion Williams puts Hardman's roster spot in serious jeopardy Then, the draft happened. The Packers landed two receivers with return experience, but it's Williams' arrival that specifically hurts Hardman. The TCU product has drawn comparisons to Cordarrelle Patterson — a multi-time All-Pro returner — and has almost unlimited upside as a do-it-all receiver Don't count out undrafted free agent Amar Johnson, who got his wish by landing with the Packers after the draft Jordan Morgan's role is a story to watch throughout the summer. LaFleur said Morgan will compete with Rasheed Walker for the left tackle job The Packers rolled the dice by ignoring the pass rush in free agency and early in the draft For this group to succeed, it will require a collective effort from a group that significantly underperformed last season. The pressure on former first-rounder Lukas Van Ness is rapidly increasing Rumors have heated up that Jaire Alexander could stay in Green Bay Minnesota lost Cam Bynum and Stephon Gilmore to free agency The Vikings have addressed this with the signings of Theo Jackson and Jeff Okudah to potentially fill in those starting spots Some within the organization have spoken out to support their signings of Rodgers and Okudah including head coach Kevin O’Connell There is still a chance the team looks in free agency for one more addition and there might be a former division rival who could help with that Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores PFF’s Ryan Smith looked at the most logical landing spots for the best remaining free agents in the market. Smith feels the Vikings and cornerback Rasul Douglas make the best pairing despite struggles last season with the Buffalo Bills “Douglas is coming off a disappointing season in which he ranked 102nd out of 116 qualifying cornerbacks with a 53.9 PFF overall grade earning a career-best 81.0 PFF overall grade in 2023.” “The Vikings will need to replace Stephon Gilmore and Douglas is a natural fit in defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ aggressive Minnesota had just five draft picks in the draft suggesting the team was confident it could address its cornerback depth through free agency.” Douglas played with the Bills for the last two and a half seasons, when he was a starter. Before that, he made life miserable with the Green Bay Packers for two and a half seasons three interceptions returned for touchdowns needs a second corner to work alongside him and Douglas is a perfect candidate for it based on his experience Despite the praise that Okudah and Rodgers have received in the offseason Douglas has been the more proven guy in his career This would solve the Vikings’ issues in the secondary for at least the 2025 season They will have to address it next year with younger talent The Oklahoma State Cowboy turned Green Bay Packer signed a four-year deal worth $4.6 million, according to Adam Schefter The Packers took Oliver in the fifth round of last week’s NFL Draft with the 159th overall pick It also came out this week that Oliver is set to wear No “I would say he’s a little bit more of a DPR (designated pass rusher) at this standpoint,” said Packers coach Matt LaFleur after the draft “But one thing that I think was pretty evident throughout the course of the season is we needed a little bit more speed and a speed rusher on the edge But he’s another guy that has versatility in terms of we feel he can play as an off-the-ball linebacker Oliver played 43 games at OSU across four seasons He finished his Cowboy career with 134 total tackles He finished fifth on OSU’s all-time sack list a list he might have climbed to the top of had he not suffered a season-ending injury just two games into the Cowboys’ 2024 campaign He got to OSU as a four-star prospect out of Edmond Santa Fe High School picking the in-state Pokes over offers from Arkansas Oliver made an immediate impact with the Cowboys recording 11.5 sacks as a true freshman in the Cowboys’ Fiesta Bowl-winning 2021 season It was the most sacks any freshman has had at OSU Oliver was viewed as a bit of a defensive end-linebacker tweener He made the move to linebacker going into the 2023 season and made a career-high 73 total tackles and matched the 16 tackles for loss that he had as a freshman Oliver received that invite to the combine and ran a 4.56 40-yard dash while recording a 39-inch vertical and a 10-foot “We talked a lot about just having guys like that that can chase the quarterback down,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said “There’s not a lot of guys in our league that win with pure speed on the edge but there are some guys that have some really good get-offs and quickness One thing that I’m always concerned about with guys if all they can do is rush the passer and they’re that size when you have injuries and they gotta play more on first and second down he can actually stand up and play some linebacker I think that versatility made us comfortable with it.” Two Oklahoma State Basketball Assistants Reportedly Hired Away Former BYU Linebacker Carson Suesue Transferring to OSU to Play Tight End 2026 Four-Star Guard Kalek House Announces OSU Offer after Strong Start in EYBL 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) 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 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 and Robert Rochelle all left in free agency and the only cornerback Green Bay added was Nate Hobbs the Packers took just one cornerback in the 2025 NFL Draft Micah Robinson from Tulane in the seventh round they also signed UNLV’s Johnathan Baldwin as an undrafted free agent 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 Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission customized to your favorite sports and teams GREEN BAY – With the No. 2 chain still hanging around his neck, Matthew Golden walked into the Lambeau Field interview on Friday morning with "22" proudly displayed across his chest It's the number the Packers' first-round pick chose as he readies to make the leap to the NFL and one that sits close to Golden's heart her favorite number was '2' growing up," said Golden "She told me she wanted me to represent that number." Despite his draft status, Golden didn't inquire about taking the No. 2 off veteran quarterback Malik Willis he opted to double it after talking with the Packers' equipment staff His selection of "22" not only pays tribute to his grandma Penny – whom Golden refers to as his "best friend" – but also acknowledges the last time Green Bay selected a receiver in the first round: 2002 191-pound wideout has never been short on motivation with his family serving as a driving force in his ascent to the game's highest level Grandma Penny's Texas home – the one Golden has vowed to buy back for his family – served as a haven for him and his mother Golden also stayed in hotels and occasionally slept in a vehicle parked at the local Walmart in Brenham it wasn't easy getting here and I know what I did the people that I had around me that helped me get to this point – now I'm here Gold was a four-star recruit out of Houston who initially committed to play at Texas Christian. In fact, Packers third-round pick Savion Williams hosted Golden on his visit to TCU Golden chose to stay close to home and played two seasons for the Cougars before transferring to Texas as a junior Despite Golden's credentials, nothing was given to the 21-year-old upon arrival. Former Longhorn defensive lineman Barryn Sorrell whom the Packers drafted in the fourth round recalls how initially Golden "wasn't a priority" in Texas' power-packed offense Golden quickly became a go-to target for quarterback Quinn Ewers He averaged 19.7 yards per catch over his last six collegiate games including a virtuoso performance (seven catches for 149 yards and a touchdown) in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Arizona State "I feel like nothing is stopping me from where I'm going It's definitely something that's keeping me motivated and keeping me grinding." Golden declared for the NFL Draft after leading Texas with nine touchdown receptions and 987 receiving yards which were just one yard shy of his two seasons combined at Houston Golden cemented himself as a first-round pick after leading all receivers at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 4.29-second time in the 40-yard dash with a 1.49 10-yard split It earned Golden an invite to attend the draft with his mother and grandmother But he wasn't the only Longhorn to make the trip to Green Bay The two reminisced about their football journeys in Sorrell's hotel room the night before the first round Sorrell stayed in the lobby of Golden's hotel until 1 a.m Green Bay would draft Sorrell less than 48 hours later Golden was one of the first to reach out and congratulate him "Everybody loves a good underdog story," said Sorrell of Golden The things that he has is what got him here Packers quarterback Jordan Love and receiver Jayden Reed immediately reached out to Golden after the draft and offered a warm welcome Golden said he's enjoyed meeting his new teammates and reconnecting with Williams The Packers conducted a light practice with their rookies inside the Hutson Center on Saturday Although the receivers didn't catch any passes the weekend did whet Golden's palette for playing at the game's highest level I've been waiting for this moment my whole life and to be here," Golden said but I'm gonna let my presence be known and I'm gonna come in here and compete." Golden acknowledges it may be time to add an extra "2" to his chain "I definitely do," said Golden with a smile 2023 first-round pick eager to get going with new position coach in Year 3 Packers tight end has made himself at home in Green Bay Deep position group buoyed Jeff Hafley's defense in Year 1 Versatile defender willing to play wherever he's needed General Manager Brian Gutekunst discusses Green Bay's quarterback depth All-Pro kick returner remains highly appreciated on special teams "Dynamic" impact could only grow with better health Former college free agent sparked Packers' pass rush in second half Packers defensive lineman overcame ankle injury to notch another season with at least five sacks Game experience in Week 18 invaluable for 2024 draft pick after difficult rookie year Rookie combined smarts with athleticism to make strong first impression "With the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft Debbie Jacques and Erin Peterson wondered what an NFL draft in their front yard would look like their wonders turned into amazement when the stage where NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will announce the first selections in the draft on Thursday night rose from the ground Jacques and Peterson have views that no one else in the world can claim across the street from each other on the corners of Lombardi Avenue and Oneida Street sit only 75 yards from the back of the draft stage They're quite literally the closest houses to an NFL draft the league never brought its second-biggest event to the NFL's smallest city: Green Bay "Watching the construction go up and taking everything in it's almost overwhelming," said Jacques as she stood in the driveway of her duplex on the northeast corner of Lombardi and Oneida while watching workers construct the stage "It has been so long since we put in the initial application to host the draft; now that it's here it's just hard to believe it's going to be here." Jacques used the word "we" when she spoke of her city's and her team's bid to host the draft When you've lived across the street from Lambeau Field for 22 years and can look out your window to see the draft stage Her neighbor on the northwest corner of the intersection used the same word when asked whether the Packers and Green Bay could pull this off "I know we can do it," said Peterson who has lived in the duplex across from Jacques for nearly 15 years "It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience," she added "I know there's some in the community that are annoyed by it -- the road closures everything that comes with this -- but living right here I haven't found it to get in the way or anything A rendering of the area around Lambeau Field during the draft reveals how the league plans to use the iconic stadium. Courtesy Green Bay PackersGreen Bay wasn't always a lock to host the draft The Packers -- along with Discover Green Bay (essentially the city's convention and visitors bureau) -- were denied several times the following steps helped boost the area's profile and sway the NFL: which will host NFL Draft Experience eventsAddition in 2021 of a new expo center which will serve as the backstage/green room for the draft adjacent to the stageOpening of several new luxury hotelsHaving the iconic Lambeau Field which-along with the stage-will bookend the crowd "We needed to find the right place and build it out where you've got the reverse shot of Lambeau," said Peter O'Reilly the NFL's executive vice president of club business and league events "But then it was important also to allow fans to go into Lambeau Lodging was foremost on the list of concerns when it came to bringing the draft to Green Bay According to Discover Green Bay president and CEO Brad Toll there are 5,000 hotel rooms in Brown County plus another 5,000 in the Fox Cities area of Appleton and Oshkosh within an hour drive will also be used with shuttle buses running between the two cities When asked how many rooms the NFL reserved before the draft was announced for Green Bay one local hotel operator said: "All of them." "But there was obviously a close working relationship with the visitor bureau and the Packers on making sure we've got the right accommodations I think a lot of people will be coming in from further afield as well." Toll said initially all hotels in the area were asked to hold 85% of their rooms for the NFL before anything went on sale to the public for draft week Not all of those ended up being used by the NFL and its partners/vendors and there were still rooms and house rentals available at the beginning of draft week "We have about two-thirds to three-quarters of the rooms committed," Toll said a week before the draft Green Bay will never host a Super Bowl for myriad reasons -- the lack of hotels and convention space for starters -- but the risk of inclement weather is chief among them "If you spend $8,000 on a Super Bowl ticket and we have a blizzard and you can't get to Green Bay what planner would ever agree to take those risks?" Toll said At Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport where three airlines provide commercial routes to Atlanta additional flights were added for draft week on those routes according to airport director Marty Piette he said the most planes that he has ever seen land in Green Bay for a single event was about 150 -- many of them private -- for a playoff game against the Cowboys in January 2017 He expects this to rival -- or exceed -- that the draft was more of a made-for-TV event and less of a spectator attraction It was held in New York (first in a conference room and later at Radio City Music Hall) from 1965 to 2014 The last time the event was held in Wisconsin was the 1940 draft in Milwaukee Kansas City and Detroit before coming to Green Bay "Does it stretch us a little bit?" Toll said We've never told residents we're shutting down the main artery in that area for two weeks Residents are curious about how this is going to go "It puts us on a world stage for three days I can't imagine anything bigger than this." 👀 pic.twitter.com/xMMoUnn3rg It's so big that two area school districts canceled classes during the draft because of concerns over traffic flow and safety in an emergency situation Students and teachers in the Green Bay Area Public School District will be off beginning Wednesday School superintendent Vicki Bayer said she consulted the Detroit school district to see how they handled it last year and was told their schools were "so far away that they knew it wouldn't impact traffic at all." "If you drew like a 10-mile radius around the stadium," she said The Ashwaubenon School District buildings are even closer Valley View Elementary is seven-tenths of a mile from Lambeau Field while its middle school and high school are barely more than a mile away Classes in the village of Ashwaubenon were canceled for Thursday and Friday where [the draft was] in a downtown metropolitan area," Ashwaubenon school superintendent Kurt Weyers said Adjusting to the NFL schedule is nothing new in Ashwaubenon During regular-season games on Monday or Thursday nights Ashwaubenon schools will sell parking for the draft at $60 a spot Debbie Jacques stands in her front yard with the NFL draft stage and Lambeau Field in the background. Rob DemovskyInside the Lambeau Field Atrium the Packers started a countdown-to-the-draft clock "It is a daily reminder how fast it's coming up," Murphy said recently Yet not once did anyone connected to the draft doubt they could pull it off and then quickly you have to realize we are doing this "Early on we were talking with one of the vendors with the NFL it will happen in Green Bay.' There was kind of a reality check that it's going to actually happen I know we can do this and we will do this." The boon for the local economy is expected to be massive Toll and Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy have consistently estimated a local economic impact of $20 million and a statewide impact of $94 million thanks to an influx of more than 250,000 visitors expected over the three days of the draft Peterson has cashed in on that to the tune of $32,000 She rented the other half of her duplex for four nights at $8,000 per to a law firm that plans to use it for clients and advertising She normally parks between 17 and 22 cars in her yard for Packers games at $50 a spot but she's not doing it for the draft because "I want to experience it all," she said the other half of Jacques' duplex was still available for $3,000 a night it's bigger than anything we've ever had in Green Bay," Jacques said "People should embrace it and be proud that we're having the NFL draft right here in our backyard." ESPN and The Walt Disney Company will present the entire 2025 NFL Draft ESPN Deportes and ESPN’s social media platforms as the NFL takes their marquee offseason event to the iconic Lambeau Field in Green Bay providing 14 hours and 257 NFL Draft picks as prospects become  professionals Comprehensive coverage of each pick will be complemented across ESPN’s platforms including onsite studio programming with extended versions of NFL Live SportsCenter and live hits from ABC’s Good Morning America and more throughout the three days of the NFL Draft highlighting and underscoring the network’s commitment to delivering fans the most exciting off-the-field event of the League’s calendar year ESPN and ABC will provide fans two uniquely different presentations ESPN’s presentation will focus on the specific NFL team and the draftee’s on-field performance highlighting their athletic accolades and impact on the field ABC’s presentation will emphasize storytelling and the draftee’s road to the NFL Draft Adding to the all-encompassing first round coverage building on the success of the 2024 inaugural on-location edition Friday’s coverage of rounds two and three on ESPN2 and ABC will follow the same format as Thursday’s presentation On the third and final day of the NFL Draft ESPN’s nearly seven-hour-presentation of rounds 4-7 will be simulcast on ABC The entire 2025 NFL Draft will also be televised on NFL Network and streamed live via NFL digital properties this release was updated to reflect Friday’s ESPN presentation of the NFL Draft now airing on ESPN2 following the release of the NBA playoff schedule ESPN’s set will be inside the NFL Draft theater in the shadows of the iconic Lambeau Field with ABC’s set and The Pat McAfee Show set located just off the Atrium of Lambeau Field Adam Schefter will bring ESPN viewers all the latest news and information while ESPN college football reporter Molly McGrath will interview prospects from the main NFL Draft stage following their selection alongside 2025 Sports Emmy-nominees Kirk Herbstreit and Nick Saban and 1992 NFL draftee Desmond Howard NFL Draft analyst Field Yates will join college football and NFL reporter and host Laura Rutledge in the green room throughout round one bringing ABC viewers prospect family interviews as college football insider Pete Thamel contributes the latest news and information will make his ESPN NFL Draft debut on Saturday’s presentation joining Schefter in presenting news and information NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller and Davis will be on the air all Saturday afternoon analyzing every pick until the NFL Draft concludes the following reporters will cover the clubs with five out of the top nine picks: will bring The Spectacular to Green Bay where they will be joined by notable personalities as each pick is analyzed and discussed in McAfee’s signature style Additional guests will be announced in the coming days Additional ways to consume each pick of the NFL Draft: Need Photos? Click the logo and sign up for access to the ESPN Images Library NEW YORK -- The NFL announced today the Legends and active players representing all 32 clubs currently scheduled to make selections in Rounds 2 and 3 of this year's NFL Draft in Green Bay hosted in the state of Wisconsin for the first time since the 1940 NFL Draft in Milwaukee begins with the first round on Thursday night Clay Matthews and Jordy Nelson will be on-site to help Commissioner Roger Goodell to officially open the 2025 NFL Draft Additionally, 2024 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year presented by Nationwide Arik Armstead will join Commissioner Goodell live onstage at the NFL Draft to announce the Jacksonville Jaguars first-round pick Armstead has emerged as a leader in the Northeast Florida community building on the philanthropic impact he's made throughout his 10-year career to improve the educational outcomes of youth across the country Among the NFL Legends scheduled to be on-site four have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Jerry Kramer (Green Bay Packers Class of 2001) and Joe Thomas (Cleveland Browns Thirteen day-two announcers attended the University of Wisconsin including the school's all-time leader in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns Lee Evans (representing the Buffalo Bills) as well as four of the school's top six all-time leading rushers -- Taylor (Indianapolis Colts) Melvin Gordon (Los Angeles Chargers) and James White (New England Patriots) Seven of the presenters were born in the state of Wisconsin Thomas (Brookfield) and Stu Voigt (Madison) seven Legends from the 2000 Draft Class will be on-site to celebrate the 25th anniversary and announce their clubs' selections: John Abraham (New York Jets) Slaughter (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Dez White (Chicago Bears) Below is a list of players and legends currently scheduled to make selections in Rounds 2 and 3: Chad Reuter identifies 16 rookies picked during Rounds 4-7 of the 2025 NFL Draft who could be in line for starter snaps in Year 1 Which first-year pros will take advantage of potential opportunities for playing time Did the Raiders knock the 2025 NFL Draft out of the park with a class led by Ashton Jeanty How good can Colston Loveland be in Ben Johnson's offense in Chicago Bucky Brooks identifies 10 perfect player-team fits coming out of the 2025 NFL Draft Will fifth-rounder Jaydon Blue prove the Cowboys were smart to wait on an RB Can seventh-rounder Quinn Ewers help Miami -- on the field or as a potential trade asset Chad Reuter lists his favorite picks from each round of the 2025 NFL Draft Eric Edholm runs through the entire league in a fresh batch of Power Rankings Chad Reuter reveals his final snap grades for all 32 teams based on their decisions from each day of the 2025 NFL Draft Colorado safety Shilo Sanders did not have to wait long to sign with an NFL team following the end of the 2025 NFL Draft Sanders is signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported on Saturday Memphis defensive back Kobee Minor is officially the Mr The New England Patriots selected Minor with the No 257 overall pick to wrap up the three-day event How will the Browns conduct their QB competition Can Liam Coen and Travis Hunter elevate Trevor Lawrence Might Ben Johnson's Bears finally live up to the hype Judy Battista compiles post-draft to-do lists for all 32 teams ahead of the 2025 NFL season Chad Reuter ranks the best undrafted rookie free agents by position The Baltimore Ravens drafted a potential kicker of the future on Saturday selecting Arizona's Tyler Loop with the No The Philadelphia Eagles drafted quarterback Kyle McCord with the No People listen to Elon Musk during a town hall Sunday Elon Musk presents a check for $1 million dollars to a man during a town hall Sunday Protesters shout at a Tesla Cybertruck before a town hall with Elon Musk Protesters shout at a Tesla Cybertruck as people begin to arrive for a town hall with Elon Musk Protesters hold signs as people arrive for a town hall with Elon Musk Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel talks to the media after a rally Saturday 2025 on a campaign stop at the American Serb Memorial Hall in Milwaukee Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford addresses a crowd Saturday 2025 at a campaign stop at a field office for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin canvassers are expected to have reached hundreds of thousands of potential Schimel voters based on the more than $4.3 million alone that spending records a week before the election showed America PAC had poured into this labor-intensive aspect of the campaign I’ve been hearing from quite a few folks who say they’ve got America PAC knocks at their doors,” said Brian Schimming Though the group has been aggressive in GOP-heavy Waukesha County in suburban Milwaukee Schimming and others report hearing that America PAC canvassers have appeared in Racine County a blue-collar area south of Milwaukee and areas such as Sauk County northwest of Madison “They have been on this more than anybody,” Schimming said “Everybody’s going to mobilize everywhere like crazy for the next 48 hours,” he said “And I think this will be important for the future of civilization He encouraged attendees to sign up at America PAC’s website to be a “block captain,” for which they could earn $20 for knocking on doors in their neighborhoods and uploading a photo as proof thumbs up and hold a picture of Judge Schimel America PAC representatives were working the crowd Friday at a Schimel rally in Beaver Dam They were seeking petition signatures to oppose “activist judges.” The political action committee promised $100 for each Wisconsin voter who signed the petition and another $100 for each signer they referred Musk has become a Democratic target and the center of the party’s messaging against Schimel who is backed by liberal billionaires including George Soros and Illinois Gov referred to her opponent in their debate as “Elon Schimel.” Many standing nearby waved signs in protest to Musk “Musk Hates Judges Who Do Their Job!,” said one man’s cardboard sign The man next to him held one that simply said “NO DOGE,” referring to the Department of Government Efficiency Musk drew widespread attention with the Sunday rally in Green Bay and his $1 million giveaways to people who sign the petition decrying judicial activism Groups linked to Musk have spent more than $17 million to support Schimel in what’s become the most expensive judicial race in American history A significant portion of that money is going into the tedious but critical work of voter turnout America PAC had spent $4.3 million on canvassing alone according to figures compiled by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign nonpartisan organization that advocates for transparency in campaign spending a group founded by anti-tax billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch is also canvassing in the supreme court race and also was active in Wisconsin during the 2024 campaign But the group also was a distant second in the Supreme Court race having spent only about a sixth of America PAC — $712,000 — on canvassing according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign While the millions America PAC has spent on canvassing are far beyond what other groups have committed America PAC also had spent as of last week at least another $4 million on mail The group was canvassing this month in Sauk County where the presidential candidate who took the state has won in five straight elections Trump last year won Sauk — split between Democratic-leaning areas closer to Madison and a more conservative rural northwest — by 626 votes after Democrat Joe Biden won the county by 615 votes in 2020 America PAC canvassers were in Sauk County knocking on doors last fall trying to reach voters who had voted Republican in the past but had not been reliably active “America PAC is in our neck of the woods,” said Jerry Helmer “They were up knocking on doors in the Wisconsin Dells this month America PAC has been doing a really good job in our area Nicholas Jacobs, a student at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, is listed as the chairman of Wisconsin's College Republicans chapter. He has made his account private on X the social media platform formerly known as Twitter that Musk owns More: All our reporting on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race between Susan Crawford, Brad Schimel which began as a youth-focused group active on college campuses but has expanded its voter outreach operations More: Behind the scenes of the Supreme Court race, a 'turf war' simmers between Wisconsin GOP and Turning Point The connection was pointed out on X by Niall Stanage The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Green Bay Press-Gazette have attempted to reach Jacobs and the other recipient She does not appear to have worked in politics Jacobs and Diestler recorded testimonial videos posted on America PAC's X account has spent at least $11.5 million on digital advertising field operations and voter turnout in Wisconsin's Supreme Court race "I was in the audience, and my name was called as the recipient of a check for $1 million, and I didn't believe it. I was nervous, I was shaking," Jacobs said in his video "(Musk) is motivating people to go out and vote in a way that hasn't been done before." In her video which represents "a big step into the future A lot of opportunities will open up for me to be on my own and live my life." Musk said residents receiving the $1 million checks would serve as spokespeople for his "Petition In Opposition To Activist Judges." Musk initially said he would hand out the checks "in appreciation for you taking the time to vote," but reframed the giveaway to focus on the petition after election experts and Democrats questioned whether the offer violated the state's election bribery laws He also announced what he termed a "block captain" program in which Wisconsinites could earn $20 for each neighbor they recruit to pose for a photo while holding a specific picture of Schimel and giving a thumbs-up sign GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Bringing the NFL draft to the league's smallest market was supposed to mean a smaller crowd. Green Bay Packers fans had other ideas Packers president/CEO Mark Murphy said last week the forecast was for a total attendance of 250,000 for all three days NFL officials announced Saturday that the total attendance ended up at 600,000 "Green Bay is kind of that destination where everybody wants to come and see Lambeau Field," Steven Chowanec of Osseo said Saturday as he waited for the final four rounds to begin The total attendance is measured by adding the crowd sizes for each of the draft's three days so a person who attended all three days would be counted three separate times Green Bay couldn't match the record announced attendance of over 775,000 for last year's draft in Detroit but it matched the second-highest total since the NFL moved the draft out of New York and started sending it to various locations in 2015 also had a reported total attendance of 600,000 The first round of the draft on Thursday drew a reported 205,000 League officials said another 175,000 fans came Friday night for the second and third rounds even though it had rained for much of the afternoon The estimated crowd was 220,000 for the final four rounds on a picture-perfect Saturday many of them staying all the way until the end and then sticking around for a Brad Paisley concert That three-day total is particularly notable considering Green Bay's size though the entire metro area includes about 320,000 people "I'm happy Green Bay turned out," said Paul Cegelski who lives in Green Bay and is a Packers season-ticket holder and shareholder for the NFL's only publicly owned franchise Although Packers fans made up a large contingent of the crowd the fans of other teams who made the trip to Green Bay offered rave reviews who won a league-sponsored contest to determine the Texans' 2024 fan of the year said she already had attended a handful of previous NFL drafts before making the trip to Green Bay this week She marveled at how this relatively small community handled all the logistical challenges that come from hosting such a major event "We were a little fearful because it's a smaller venue "The Packers fans are always so welcoming and great playSee for yourself why Jaxson Dart is a top NFL prospect (1:41)Check out highlights from Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart ahead of the 2025 NFL draft Quarterback Jaxson Dart has apparently changed his mind and will not be in Green Bay for the 2025 NFL draft No reason has been given for Dart's change of plans Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston was added to the list of attendees on Friday ESPN's ranking of the top 300 prospects in the 2025 NFL draft lists Dart as the No. 28 overall prospect The draft begins with the first round April 24 (8 p.m followed by the second and third rounds on April 25 (7 p.m and Rounds 4 through 7 on April 26 (noon ET) Field Level Media and The Associated Press contributed to this report Former Brown County executive and sheriff Tom Hinz died May 3 after more than 50 years of public service that included time as a police officer an elected official and a volunteer in roles supporting local veterans A May 5 obituary indicates Hinz passed away following a brief battle with ALS will miss his calm presence and wise counsel but I’m deeply grateful to him and to his wife Ursula for the years he offered to Green Bay and Brown County and know that his legacy will live on for years to come," Genrich said in the statement Hinz helped lead the charge to create specialty treatment courts in Brown County and would stay closely involved after he left office Brown County Circuit Court Judge Beau Liegeois the Brown County Veterans Treatment Court presiding judge called Hinz a pillar of the veterans treatment court whose death is a "huge loss to the community." "Participants I worked with literally said (Hinz) saved their lives with his mentoring," Liegeois said "He was a veteran himself and just deeply cared about veteran issues in the community." the family has requested you make donations to one of the many nonprofits Tom Hinz supported Hinz was born in Merrill in 1942 to Gerhard and Verna Hinz He graduated from Merrill High School and served in the U.S Army from 1960 to 1963; he would spend about 18 months in Vietnam and Thailand He returned home from the service and settled in Green Bay where he found work as an usher for Green Bay Packers games, according to his obituary A Green Bay Police officer he befriended at Packers games encouraged him to pursue a job in public safety and he would join the Green Bay Police Department in 1966 He was named deputy chief in charge of the department's detectives division in 1988 and become assistant chief in 1991 a role he would hold until he retired in 1997 Hinz received several awards and recognitions for his public safety work with the Green Bay Police including the department's medal of valor in 1984 and the Attorney General's Law enforcement of the Year Award in 1989 Hinz's bid to become Brown County sheriff started with a write-in candidacyHinz's time in elected office began in 1996 when he entered the Republican primary for the Brown County sheriff race as a write-in candidate but changed his mind weeks before the fall primary in the wake of mismanagement at the county jail that resulted in several inmates escaping He would win the GOP primary with more than 10,500 votes and in the November 1996 general election defeated Sheriff Mike Donart in a landslide He ran uncontested in 2000 to win a second term before he announced in May 2002 that he would retire from the job in January 2003 deciding to run in the spring 2004 election for the Brown County Board seat representing District 24 held at the time by then County Board Chair Ken Simons Hinz would narrowly defeat Simons 897-873 to win the seat and serve one two-year term representing parts of western Brown County After County Executive Carol Kelso decided not to run for reelection in 2007 Hinz entered what would become a three-way race to succeed her Hinz would win the primary handily and in the April 3 spring election received 58% of the vote to defeat Alan Lasee four-year term focused on funding a new mental health center a new communications center at the Brown County Jail and runway repairs at Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport He also helped advocate for establishing a drug treatment court in Brown County Current Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach who succeeded Hinz in the county's top job in 2011 commended Hinz's multifaceted dedication and advocacy for the community "Tom Hinz dedicated his life to protecting and serving and the numerous hours of volunteer and community work The countless lives he positively influenced are lengthy and his work on behalf of veterans and others in need was unparalleled and his impact on this community will be felt for generations," Streckenbach said in a May 5 statement Hinz supported several local nonprofits as he sought to give back to the community He served on the Golden House board of directors for 23 years and helped found the Crime Prevention Foundation of Brown County He also served on several other nonprofit and community boards Hinz told the Press-Gazette how his thoughts on treatment courts evolved over his decades in law enforcement 'Lock 'em up and throw away the key,' but that's the easy answer," Hinz said in 2012 "What can we do to help them turn their lives around Liegeois said Hinz coordinated the mentors who volunteered to support veterans as they went through the treatment court but also served as a personal mentor to dozens of veterans over the program's 13-year history The role involved a one-hour meeting each week appearing in court and offer the veterans support in times of crisis Liegeois said Hinz continued mentoring veterans into 2025 and his work with veterans produced better outcomes from the treatment court "He was a pillar for our veterans treatment court program," Liegeois said "He had a unique ability to relate with people and actually demonstrate he cared about you as an individual." Liegeois said the veterans treatment court plans to honor Hinz for his contributions to the program at a time and date still to be determined OCONTO - Oconto County Circuit Court Judge Michael Judge described the sentencing of former Lakewood Fire Chief Christopher Thomson, who was convicted of stealing nearly $100,000 from the nonprofit he served as treasurer for A prison sentence would better fit Thomson's crimes but would prevent Thomson from beginning to pay back the $128,339.49 he was ordered to pay in restitution to the Lakewood Fire Department Association a nonprofit that raises funds primarily for the Lakewood Fire Department to probation with one year of conditional jail time "This man should go to prison," Judge said there's no acceptance of accountability or responsibility to at least begin some payments to the association this court will find that probation would not depreciate the offenses that occurred over hundreds of times." Three counts of identity theft to obtain money or credit.One count of theft in a business setting between $10,000 and $100,000.Two counts of uttering forgery.One count of fraud against a financial institution with value exceeding $500 but not exceeding $10,000.At his May 5 sentencing which he said was used to pay bills and support his family He apologized directly to the Lakewood Fire Department the court and the Oconto County Sheriff's Department as they "gave me a lot of trust "I wish I would have just asked my family for help instead," Thomson said Current Lakewood Fire Chief Eric Johnson addressed the court before Thomson's sentencing Thomson's actions have affected the entire community and he believes Thomson could have stolen even more than he was convicted of "I worked right alongside him to raise money and what he reported as being actual is far less than what was raised," Johnson said "Allegedly probably took funds straight off the coffers." Trust between fire departments and their communities is vital because fire departments are mostly volunteer They rely on fundraisers and donations from the community to financially support themselves "(Thomson) damaged the name of the Lakewood (Fire Department) Association and Lakewood Fire Department in that community and beyond," Johnson said "The trust in the community to the Lakewood (Fire Department) Association has been damaged severely by this individual and it's going to take a long time to recover that." Oconto County District Attorney Hannah Schuchart and defense attorney Nicole Morley presented Judge with a joint sentencing recommendation of six years' probation which would include one year in jail as a condition The recommendation asked for a stayed and imposed sentence of four years of initial confinement and six years of extended supervision if Thomson's probation is revoked Thomson also must pay $128,339.49 in restitution to the association Probation addresses Thomson's rehabilitative need his punishment and works to make the victims whole again by starting restitution payments sooner Rebuilding the trust Thomson's actions broke within the community and returning the stolen funds to the association are a top priority in this case "It wasn't something that was a single transaction and obviously this kind of coming out to the community it is a violation of trust," Schuchart said "And it's a violation of the faith that the members of the community placed in the department to make good use of their contributions." Thomson's victims are plentiful as he not only hurt the association but "so many different individuals," Judge said The primary factors Judge said he was looking at were restoration and justice for the fire department association which played a large factor in his decision not to send Thomson to prison "I wish I could do more for the town of Lakewood," Judge said other than what has been recommended to me by the state of Wisconsin and by the defense." The gravity of Thomson's offenses grew because they occurred over multiple occasions "Every time you looked at that checkbook that doesn't belong to you and the monies that don't belong to you but I'm going to take it anyway,'" Judge said "This wasn't a one-time taking of a purse or a charge card Judge sentenced Thomson to six years' probation with one year of conditional jail time Judge also sentenced Thomson to required monthly payments toward restitution Within the first two months of his release from jail Thomson will have to pay at least $100 per month to the association The monthly payment will increase to $250 after six months and $500 after one year Vivian Barrett is the public safety reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette You can reach her at vmbarrett@greenbay.gannett.com or (920) 431-8314 Take a closer look at the 2025 NFL Draft held in Green Bay Take a closer cinematic look at the Green Bay Packers 34-0 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football Take a closer look at how the Green Bay Packers beat the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football Take a closer look at the Packers' victory over the Dolphins on Thursday night Take a closer cinematic look at the Green Bay Packers' victory over the San Francisco 49ers Take a closer cinematic look at how the Green Bay Packers came away from Week 11 with a thrilling victory over the Chicago Bears Take a closer cinematic look at how the Green Bay Packers overcame adversity in their thrilling walk-off 30-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8 Take a closer cinematic look at how the Green Bay Packers accomplished a dramatic walk-off 24-22 win over the Houston Texans in Week 7 Take a closer cinematic look at how the Green Bay Packers came away from Week 6 with a 34-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals Green Bay Packers WR Matthew Golden spoke to the media on Friday as the team kicked off rookie minicamp Green Bay Packers DL Barryn Sorrell spoke with the media on Friday about his emotional draft day experience at Lambeau Field New Green Bay Packers DL Collin Oliver spoke with the media after being drafted by the team in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft Green Bay Packers OL John Williams spoke to the media on Friday about his unique skillset playing multiple positions on the O-line Green Bay Packers T Anthony Belton spoke with the media as the second-round pick prepares for rookie minicamp Green Bay Packers WR Savion Williams spoke to the media on Friday about how he has acclimated to the area and his excitement for the Packers' offensive scheme Green Bay Packers CB Micah Robinson spoke with the media on Friday about his collegiate journey and his familial connection with the Packers Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur spoke to the media on Friday about the goals for rookie minicamp and first impressions for the new members of the team the Packers added three players to the defensive line Mike Spofford breaks it down in this edition of Packers Daily Mike Spofford recounts the 2025 NFL Draft experience as a whole including the in-person moments with Matthew Golden and Barryn Sorrell in this edition of Packers Daily – The Green Bay Packers didn’t draft a linebacker last week With the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals coach Matt LaFleur said at rookie camp on Friday “I think he’s a very talented player and he’s played a lot of ball in this league and just try(ing) to get him acclimated with our system,” LaFleur said “The thing that you love about him is he’s got a lot of versatility to do a lot of different things.” Simmons didn’t have much of a role under first-year coordinator Shane Bowen he played 86 as a slot corner and 73 as an in-the-box linebacker In 2023 under venerable coordinator Wink Martindale 137 on the defensive line and 65 in the slot The eighth pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2020 Simmons in 2021 started all 17 games and set career highs with 105 tackles seven passes defensed and four forced fumbles 233 on the defensive line and 161 in the slot Simmons started 13 of 17 appearances and had 99 tackles and career highs of five tackles for losses and two interceptions 110 on the defensive line and 53 at free safety “I know in New York, just when we went against him a couple years ago, specifically situationally, he was all over the place,” LaFleur continued. “So, I think that just tells you his mental capacity, in order to be able to understand defensive schemes. And we had a lot of great conversations with him leading up to him signing with us and we’ll just watch and see how that progresses over time.” when he was with the Cardinals in 2021 and the Giants in 2023 Simmons earned a key endorsement from All-Pro Packers safety Xavier McKinney and X gave it two thumbs up,” LaFleur said 37 came with the Cardinals but only five in two seasons in New York The Packers are strong at linebacker with Quay Walker Ty’Ron Hopper and the return of veteran Kristian Welch with McKinney joined by talented second-year players Javon Bullard because he’s got the size of a linebacker but the speed to match almost any player on the field He ran his 40 in 4.39 seconds and had a 39-inch vertical jump At Clemson in 2019, Simmons won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker. “I would do everything in college,” he said at the 2020 Combine. “Just kind of like a Swiss Army knife, move me around because then I’m able to show what I can really do. I wouldn’t say I’m really tied down to one position. (Defensive coordinator Brent) Venables really used me in a really special way that most people aren’t able to be used.” The Green Bay Packers signed six draft picks and 10 rookie free agents The moves were announced Friday by General Manager Brian Gutekunst Baldwin was at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) for four seasons (2021-24) and played in 44 games he earned second-team All-Mountain West honors after setting career highs for interceptions (three) Banks began his career at the University of Nebraska (2019-22) before finishing at Rice University (2023-24) He saw action in 26 games with one start for the Cornhuskers and started all 25 games he played in for the Owls Banks started all 12 games at right tackle while in 2023 he started all 13 games at left guard and earned fourth-team All-AAC honors from Phil Steele's College Football (kah-ZEER) Brown spent three seasons at the University of Maine (2021-23) and one season at Florida Atlantic University (2024) Brown played in 12 games in his one season with the Owls Cooper played for the University of Minnesota from 2019-24 appearing in 28 games with 21 starts for the Gophers He started all 21 games he played in over his final two seasons at left guard and was named All-Big Ten honorable mention after last season he blocked for an offense that averaged 26.15 points per game rushed for 115.6 yards per contest and threw for 222.2 yards per game Herring began his career at Dartmouth College (2019-22) before finishing at the University of Delaware (2023-24) He was named fourth-team All-Ivy League in 2022 honorable mention All-CAA in 2023 and second-team All-CAA in 2024 Herring played in 17 games in three seasons for the Big Green (2019 a tackle for a loss and four passes defensed Amar Johnson played four seasons (2021-24) for South Dakota State and was an All-Missouri Valley Football Conference first-team selection each of the last two years amassing 3,196 rushing yards on 537 carries (6.0 avg.) with 28 touchdowns and 518 receiving yards on 57 receptions (9.1 avg.) with two TDs Johnson also returned 21 kickoffs for 440 yards (21.0 avg.) (jah-MON) Jamon Johnson played three seasons at the University of Georgia (2021-23) and one season at the University of Kentucky (2024) he earned third-team All-SEC honors from Phil Steele's College Football and in 2022 earned first-team All-America honors from Sporting News and ESPN and second-team All-America honors from The Associated Press He was also named second-team All-SEC by the AP in 2022 Johnson played in 49 career games with 35 starts (LIP-ee) Lippe played in 52 games with 47 starts for Northern Illinois (2020-24) and saw time at every position on the offensive line He earned first-team All-MAC honors from the league's coaches and Phil Steele's College Football in 2024 and was a third-team All-MAC selection by Phil Steele's College Football in 2023 Lippe started at left guard in 25 of 26 games over the last two seasons (nah-ZEER) Stackhouse played in 59 games with 42 starts for the University of Georgia (2020-24) including starting 42 of his final 43 contests three passes defensed and a blocked field goal Stackhouse earned second-team All-SEC honors from the coaches and The Associated Press He was a part of back-to-back national championship teams in 2021-22 White played in 59 games with 33 starts for Georgia Southern (2020-24) with all of the starts coming in his final three seasons He posted 3,016 rushing yards on 573 carries (5.3 avg.) with 36 touchdowns while hauling in 60 passes for 365 yards (6.1 avg.) and two TDs White earned All-Sun Belt Conference honorable mention in 2024 (College Football Network) third- (College Football Network) and fourth-team (Phil Steele's College Football) All-Sun Belt Conference honors in 2023 and second- (Pro Football Network) and third-team (Phil Steele Pro Football Focus) All-Sun Belt honors in 2022 Mississippi State receiver had signed with Green Bay in January Former top 10 draft pick has played five years for Cardinals and Giants First-year player signed with Green Bay on Jan The free event will take place from 3 to 10 p.m. with outdoor activities for all ages offered throughout the day Drone Restrictions in Effect; Unauthorized Drone Activity Will Be Reported to Law Enforcement Free virtual event to celebrate the 2025 NFL Draft will feature Packers players and will be live streamed online Event to feature Green Bay culture and Wisconsin favorites; Day 3 starts with Bike Parade and ends with Brad Paisley concert; fans reminded to register for free entry on OnePass app Organization will oversee men's and women's national teams for Olympics in LA Fan voting will take place now through May 1 to select the winner Parking available in Brookwood Drive or Lombardi Time Square Lot; Additional road closures and detours now in effect – There were 38 players participating at the Green Bay Packers’ rookie minicamp practice on Saturday None of them were coached more than Taylor Elgersma a Canadian-born quarterback who went undrafted and unsigned last week The practice ran a little longer than 1 hour and was focused solely on individual drills who won the Canadian equivalent of the Heisman Trophy at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2024 Every throw was watched and critiqued by new quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion passing-game specialist Connor Lewis and senior assistant Luke Getsy who was the team’s quarterbacks coach from 2019 through 2021 who had more than a dozen rookie-camp invites threw a lot of passes – none of them to Matthew Golden he threw the ball to trainers and coaches and into nets He’s got a “live arm,” as coach Matt LaFleur said on Friday and showed the ability to throw on the move and from various arm angles “He obviously played at the Senior Bowl and [passing-game coordinator Jason] Vrable got to see him there,” as well as the College Gridiron Showcase and Tropical Bowl “I watched the stuff from the Senior Bowl and then, obviously, talked to Vrable about that,” LaFleur continued. “We had him in on a 30 visit so we got an opportunity to sit down with him and then just watching him throw an hour ago though there would be a few more hoops to jump through to bring the native of London LaFleur at the time was noncommittal about the team adding a fourth quarterback to the returning trio of Jordan Love Willis saved the season last year when he won two starts after Love sustained a knee injury in Week 1 and won another game in relief after Love sustained a groin injury at Jacksonville Willis will be a free agent next offseason and could be a man in demand Clifford’s mistake-filled training camp and preseason probably didn’t inspire much belief that he could replace Love and win a game Elgersma would be a player worth grooming with an eye on having him be the No That he was surrounded by coaches throughout Saturday’s practice would seem to signal the team likes his talent It was almost as if he were getting a crash course in the Packers’ drills so he could be ready to jump right into things when OTAs begin in a few weeks he started playing football in 10th grade and quickly fell in love with the sport he completed 73.5 percent of his passes for 4,011 yards with 34 touchdowns vs which include a longer and wider field and 12 players on each side of the ball former Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy said being a late addition to the Senior Bowl roster – the first Canadian-born quarterback to be selected – was a big deal to showcase his ability against better players Taylor Elgersma of Laurier (18) throws the ball during Senior Bowl practice. / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images“I know he’s got the right physical stuff,” Nagy said before Senior Bowl week “He’s got all the size and arm length and hand size – the stuff NFL quarterbacks tend to have – and the mobility What’s it going to look like when there’s 21 other moving parts on the field There’s no way to know that until you get them down here.” 227-pounder would be a great fit in Green Bay He called football his “life’s passion.” He’s hockey-tough having never missed a practice or game in four seasons of college “I fell in love with the schematic part of the game. I fell in love with leading the guys in the huddle and having the ball in my hands every single play and being able to make decisions, and so it was pretty easy to fall in love with it.” Finding players who “love” football was a priority for the Packers during the draft. That’s all well and good, but there obviously has to be some level of skill – especially at quarterback. Elgersma has talent that’s worth developing. “I think you’re just looking for traits at that point,” LaFleur said. “Certainly, I think just coming from where he’s coming from to this level, I think there’s going to be a big learning curve. But if there’s anybody that will attack it head on, Taylor will. That was so evident when he was here on the 30 visit just, and I know he’s been working really hard at it. Even just talking to Vrable, the strides he’s probably made from the Senior Bowl to now has been significant.” Not a betting man but my money is on Jacobs v What are the next main schedule/agenda things for the offseason and when are they and I've got a few Brewers games to catch before then in your own opinion did you get more of a boost from the lead up to the draft the "get it done 10 minutes ago" deadlines the satisfaction of a job well done by all or the first chance you had to reflect and decompress with the family I definitely felt more energized for Day 1 with the draft being right outside the office windows. Then the way everything fell into place with Barryn Sorrell in Saturday's opening round carried me to the finish line From a fan and community level the Green Bay draft was undoubtedly considered a success (attendance but how do you think the NFL brass felt about the overall experience Would it have been favorable enough to consider a future return The league will keep moving the draft around but nothing happened to damage any chances of it being brought back after other cities have had their opportunity a quick clarification on my Wednesday comment about only Green Bay incorporating the stadium in its draft Dallas obviously held the 2018 draft inside AT&T Stadium I was referring to Green Bay using its stadium grounds for the draft with the stadium itself as part of the scenery/backdrop I attended the Super Bowl parade in KC where bullets flew into a massive crowd and an innocent person was killed I have not attended a big outdoors event since then Green Bay had over 600,000 people attend the draft and it was safe and fun what happened in KC was tragic and disturbing but a Super Bowl parade can't and won't have the security measures in place that there were for the draft I had a special pass to park in Lambeau's underground lot for those three days (we don't otherwise park there ever) and my car was sniffed by dogs every day before I drove in The security operation was incredibly thorough and unfortunately that's necessary these days used to say that a lot back in the day when announcing college football games Now that you (and John from Waupaca) mention him I almost certainly heard the term from him first He was my favorite college football announcer Here are a bunch of lines Sullivan (talking about Anthony Belton) and Hendrickson (Sorrell, Collin Oliver) dropped on us in the media auditorium: Big doesn't get small ability to anchor and just play big-man football With the durability issues with Christian Watson would the Packers consider sitting him out for all of the upcoming season Gents, it seems ever since the Packers have drafted and played Sean Rhyan they are trying to replace him Am I missing something or is his play substandard he seems to play well and warrants the starting spot and he's a player still coming into his own His career started slowly but he's put that behind him and has looked only forward a personnel department's job is to try to find upgrades drafted in 1985 and a defensive mainstay for most of a decade has famously told the story of his first meeting with new GM Ron Wolf in 1991 you are here only until I can replace you.'" I took the draft pick player selections as a bit of a vote of confidence in the DC special teams players rated the same on the board But seeing any coach's vision and ability coming forth on the field allows you to be less cautious and swing for a home run A top 10 or so defense is plenty good to win it all with a couple offensive weapons especially the way it was playing toward the end of the season and they're excited for Hafley's second year as well as counting on a new defensive line coach to get more consistency from the pass rush without sacrificing stout run defense Adding Hobbs in free agency amidst the Alexander uncertainty allowed Gutey to go into the draft not feeling he had to chase any particular position or addition I don't really analyze it much beyond that Players from the Packers 2025 draft class arrived at Lambeau Field for rookie minicamp on Thursday Check out photos of the Green Bay Packers' 2025 rookie class arriving at Lambeau Field on May 1 Is Collin Oliver likely to be playing DE or OLB I ask because he seems to be getting a lot of criticism for being undersized at 6-2 when Isaiah Simmons was drafted eighth overall at 6-4 The Packers have moved guys between those positions in the past The Packers view Oliver as a potential pass-rush specialist in certain packages/situations who can also play off-ball linebacker if needed With Collin Oliver's ability to "stand up" and play linebacker, and the pass-rushing ability of Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper how difficult would it be for offensive lines to figure out where the pass rush is coming from if GB plays a stack defense on occasional passing downs as mentioned in one of the press conferences after the draft That's essentially what the defense evolved into last year when the straight four-man rush wasn't effective enough in certain games They tried to keep offenses guessing who would be rushing and from where with simulated blitzes and the like I suspect they're looking to expand those capabilities this year while also working to get more from the straight four (besides letting the cleaning crew in?) Is it used for some other purpose Is the next draft board starting to be assembled especially around cut-down day just before the season starts Good morning, Mike. Last August the Packers traded for Malik Willis and sent a seventh-round draft choice to the Titans Do you know what eventually became of that pick on Saturday That pick was No. 239, two slots after the Packers took Tulane CB Micah Robinson with the pick acquired from Pittsburgh for Preston Smith and the Cowboys used it to select Clemson RB Phil Mafah What does it mean to run sloppy versus crisp routes Does it just mean being where you're supposed to be at a certain time after the snap I've never heard this discussed for us non-pro fans Running the route to the exact distance specified Put the foot in the ground and make the cut or on the skinny post the aiming point is exactly halfway between the hash marks and the middle it's making the start of every route look the same The speed and movement on releases and stems are identical so the defender can't get a read on whether it's a stop or a go or an in-breaker or whatever IL: I think a closer comparison to Golden is Greg Jennings from a size and skillset view While Jennings is a little bit thicker (197 to Golden's 191) and Golden is faster (4.29 to Jennings' 4.46) both played bigger than their 5-11 frame on tape and were crafty route runners I'm very curious to see Matthew Golden I doubt I'll find Jennings as an appropriate comp because Jennings had a smoothness to his routes movements and hands right from the jump as a rookie in '06 that belied his youth It's something I've yet to see right away from any other young receiver brought through here and there have been plenty of darn good ones All the football games I have ever watched – and we are talking pee-wee Color me bummed as well with the trend for more domes it can be said it levels the playing field but for me playing indoors fundamentally changes the game by taking out an important element (pun intended) After the draft the entire NFC North seems very strong Do you think the Packers could win the division this year I always thought it would fitting for the team with the first pick to host the draft After seeing the work it took the organization and coordination with the NFL is three months enough time to pull that off has the organization set a date yet for the shareholders meeting Last year it was announced within the first couple days of June but I think the debate between "love" and "need," generally speaking I interpreted LaFleur's point as being that for some guys football is a part of who they are (the "lovers") the winner is usually the guy who needs – not loves – it more I don't think the discussion is within the context of winning one-on-ones but more so what's the reaction to being on the wrong end to getting knocked down and sometimes knocked down hard Some guys love the game because they've always dominated it and only the Hall of Famers continue to dominate at this level can we please stop using the words "generational" and "transformational" before a guy ever plays an NFL game I heard them used a number of times during the draft but I remember when Trevor Lawrence was all that as well Mahomes is a generational player because he is the best QB of his generation Tom Brady won seven titles but I don't think he "transformed" the league how about "irrational," "exaggerational" or "irresponsibational" it's time the Packers host a Week 1 opener at Lambeau Field again Green Bay Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy went 1-on-1 with Larry McCarren during the NFL Annual Meeting to discuss the upcoming rule changes and the draft coming to Green Bay Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur sat down with Larry McCarren during the NFL Annual Meeting to discuss the priorities this offseason and preparation of key players going into the 2025 season Packers analyst Larry McCarren goes 1-on-1 with General Manager Brian Gutekunst at the NFL Annual Meeting in Palm Beach Green Bay Packers CB Nate Hobbs spoke with the media for the first time following his arrival as a free agent Green Bay Packers S Evan Williams spoke with the media Monday about his rookie season his development and what he's carrying into next year Green Bay Packers TE Tucker Kraft spoke to the media Monday reflecting on the 2024 season as a whole and where the team can grow next season Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur went one-on-one with Larry McCarren following the 22-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card playoff Green Bay Packers S Xavier McKinney spoke with the media following the 22-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card playoff Green Bay Packers DL Rashan Gary spoke with the media following the 22-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card playoff Green Bay Packers DL Kenny Clark spoke with the media following the 22-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card playoff Green Bay Packers DL Kingsley Enagbare spoke to the media Friday about the team chemistry that has been growing all season Green Bay Packers DL Rashan Gary spoke to the media Friday about his excitement for the playoff environment in Philadelphia Slaton and Head Coach Matt LaFleur are featured in this edition of Best of the Locker Room prior to the NFC Wild Card matchup against the Eagles Green Bay Packers S Xavier McKinney spoke to the media Thursday about his familiarity playing on the road in Philadelphia and the matchup against their wideouts Packers DL Kenny Clark spoke with the media on Thursday previewing the team's upcoming playoff matchup with the Eagles Packers safety Evan Williams spoke with the media on Thursday looking ahead to the team's playoff matchup with the Eagles Green Bay Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper spoke to the media Wednesday about the previous matchup against the Eagles and what's to come against them in the playoffs – With the addition of eight draft picks and 10 undrafted free agents the Green Bay Packers have a 90-man roster set to compete when organized team activities begin on May 27 Here are the strengths and weaknesses of each position group Note: The offseason roster limit is 90 players Because Australian-born kicker Alex Hale has an international-player exemption Strength: How many teams have a backup as competent as Willis who started and won games against the Titans and Colts came off the bench to beat the Jaguars and came off the bench to put the Packers ahead against the Bears Weakness: This isn’t a weakness as much as it’s a question. Is Love the quarterback who took the league by storm during the second half of 2023? Or the quarterback who is seventh in the NFL in interceptions during his two seasons as a starter? After a rocky second training camp and preseason, Sean Clifford could face a challenger Strength: The power running of Jacobs became the signature of the team last season Among all running backs with at least 150 carries Jacobs ranked fifth in the NFL in yards after contact per carry his ability to turn something into something more kept the Packers in good down-and-distance situations which is what we said about the receiver corps at this time last year Reed and Wicks looked like one of the best young receiver corps in the NFL With the selection of Golden in the first round and Williams in the third round Golden will help offset the loss of Watson and Williams will inspire some creativity for Matt LaFleur and the offensive staff Weakness: Golden and Williams have to do it While a rookie receiver in 2025 is much better prepared than a receiver drafted in 2005 or even 2015 84 receivers were targeted at least 50 times Wicks had the second-highest drop percentage (17.0 percent) Reed the third-highest (15.4 percent) and Doubs the 19th-highest (9.8 percent) He dropped 13.3 percent of passes at Houston in 2023 but was more solid in 2024 at 6.5 percent Williams’ career drop rate was 10.4 percent It was just 4.7 percent in 2023 but back up to 11.8 percent in 2024 Strength: Tucker Kraft isn’t one of the best young tight ends in the NFL fourth in touchdowns (seven) and first in yards after the catch (9.3 per catch) It will be up to the coaches to unleash him even further Weakness: The depth could be if Luke Musgrave doesn’t recapture his rookie-year form and Musgrave spent most of their rookie seasons as the clear-cut No 1 tight end until he sustained a lacerated kidney Musgrave was such a nonfactor during training camp that he played only 17 snaps in Week 1 Strength: The line was a strength last year and should be even better in 2025. Did the Packers overpay Aaron Banks? You can make that argument Jenkins and Rhyan should be better than last year’s Jenkins-Josh Myers-Rhyan Who knows if Morgan will unseat Walker at left tackle or second-round rookie Belton will knock off Rhyan but the competition will be good and the depth will be improved Weakness: Aaron Rodgers liked to say that being the backup center meant a guaranteed spot on the roster This will be a huge offseason and training camp for Jacob Monk who essentially redshirted after being a fifth-round pick last year Strength: The sack numbers weren’t good enough but the returning group as a whole wasn’t exactly a weakness last season They were a major reason why Green Bay’s run defense ascended into being one of the best in the NFL He had more sacks (four) in seven games than Van Ness (three) had in 17 games 80 edge defenders had at least 240 pass-rushing opportunities PFF’s pass-rushing productivity measures sacks Enagbare ranked 59th and Van Ness ranked 64th Can Cox replicate his production for 17 games Strength: There’s a lot of experience from the returning group of Clark Clark has played a lot of tremendous football and Wyatt rather quietly ranks 19th among interior defensive linemen in sacks the past two seasons Weakness: This might be the weakest position group on the team who went from 7.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits in 2023 to one sack and five quarterback hits in 2024 who has never played even 50 percent of the snaps in a season Brooks and Wooden played 676 mostly anonymous sacks in 2024 who signed with the Bengals in free agency was the fulcrum of Green Bay’s run defense The Packers lost a valuable backup, Eric Wilson, in free agency and responded by signing Welch and Simmons. Weakness: The underneath coverage was a real problem last season. Perhaps that’s the next step in Year 2 under Jeff Hafley. Veterans: Jaire Alexander, Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, Nate Hobbs, Isaiah Dunn. Rookies/first year: Kamal Hadden, Kalen King, Kaleb Hayes, Micah Robinson, Tyron Herring, Johnathan Baldwin. Strength: As the roster stands, a top four of Alexander, Nixon, Valentine and Hobbs would be strong. Plus, Javon Bullard manned the slot for most of his rookie season and Simmons has a lot of slot experience, too. Weakness: Of course, Alexander’s future remains in limbo. Just like general manager Brian Gutekunst after the draft, LaFleur had no update at rookie camp on Friday. If the Packers and Alexander go their separate ways, they’d lack a stopper against the league’s premier receivers and the depth would be perilous after adding only Robinson in the seventh round of the draft. It’s not as if Hobbs, who missed a total of 16 games the past three seasons, has been the picture of durability. Veterans: Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, Javon Bullard, Zayne Anderson, Kitan Oladapo. Rookies/first-year: Omar Brown, Kahzir Brown. Strength: Gutekunst’s sweeping revamp of the position last offseason was a home run, with McKinney earning All-Pro, Williams earning All-Rookie, Bullard showing versatility in 11 starts and Anderson and Oladapo making their mark when asked. This position is so strong that the Packers practically ignored it this offseason. At rookie camp, Ryan Downard coached only one player, Brown, an undrafted free agent. Weakness: So long as Bullard and Williams take the cliched second-year jump, this could be the best safety group in the NFL. Veterans: K Brandon McManus, P Daniel Whelan, LS Matt Orzech. Strength: McManus was second in the NFL in field-goal percentage and Whelan’s net average, even though it was torpedoed by the Bears’ trick-play touchdown in Week 18, was the third-best in franchise history. Weakness: Orzech isn’t a bad long snapper. But he’s not a great one, either. The Packers didn’t sign Central Florida’s Gage King following rookie camp. So, Orzech will be flying solo for the start of OTAs at the end of month. After winning 11 games and clinching a wild card postseason berth a season ago, the Packers – led by seventh-year head man Matt LaFleur – will once again be a threat to the Lions atop the NFC North Additionally, as long as Jordan Love stays healthy under center and defensive playmakers Rashan Gary and Xavier McKinney do so as well there’s a high probability Green Bay will punch its ticket to the playoffs for a third consecutive season Without further ado, here's a look at where the Packers stand going into 2025 2024 record: 11-6 (third in NFC North; lost in wild card round to Eagles In the first matchup between the two teams, the Lions went into Lambeau Field and dominated the second quarter They scored 17 unanswered points in the quarter and led They also never trailed a single second in the second half All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph returned an interception for touchdown in the final seconds of the opening half Meanwhile, in the second matchup between the divisional foes, Detroit emerged victorious on a 35-yard field goal from Jake Bates as the game clock hit triple zero Lions signal-caller Jared Goff threw for three touchdowns and 283 yards in the winning effort Head coach: Matt LaFleur (Seventh season: 67-33) Hobbs appears to be the most impactful acquisition of the Packers’ free-agent haul this offseason The fifth-year pro has battled the injury bug in recent memory and only suited up for 11 games a season ago Hobbs allowed a catch rate of just 42 percent last season ranking fifth-best in the league among cornerbacks who started at least seven games If healthy, Hobbs could be a decent replacement for Pro Bowl corner Jaire Alexander who is presently being shopped around by Green Bay Meyers is the most notable loss of the above departures it’s expected that Elgton Jenkins will slide over from left guard to fill the void Aaron Banks is projected to replace Jenkins as the team’s starter at left guard Pick 237 (from Pittsburgh) - Micah Robinson an impact pass-catcher who should help take the Packers’ passing game to the next level I don’t believe the rest of the Packers’ 2025 draft haul was super impressive. However, they didn't need to do a lot in the draft to keep themselves in the hunt for the NFC North division crown With a variety of high-impact players on both sides of the ball Green Bay is in prime position to make the playoffs for a third straight season And if the Packers remain relatively healthy and catch enough breaks this upcoming season, they will have a legitimate shot to dethrone the Lions as NFC North division champs. by Cody Krupp GREEN BAY (WLUK) -- All eight of the Green Bay Packers' 2025 draft selections have touched down in Titletown There's a lot to take in for these rookies who are now transitioning from college to professional football Friday kicked off the Packers' two-day rookie minicamp -- just a light walk-through for the players to give them a taste of what Saturday's practice will look like The start of minicamp is much like the first day of a semester as a student taking a look at the schedule ahead and soaking in all sorts of new information it means a "get to know you" type of interview session -- and for fans "Malik Willis [Packers back-up quarterback] is actually my cousin I actually just saw him before I walked in here Blessed to be on this team but also crazy I am on the same team as him," said 7th rounder Micah Robinson Never before in franchise history has a draft pick already had their in-person introduction before the start of rookie camp -- let alone two in one class But such is the case for first and fourth rounders Matthew Gooden and Barryn Sorrell who were teammates with the Texas Longhorns "Literally riding to practice together everyday [at Texas] we was looking outside at the city from where his room was just talking about football," added Golden "For us to get drafted on the same team "Just joking about it because we are at walk through and both taking the field It's just kind of weird because obviously last time we were practicing we were in burnt orange It's a blessing we are both going through this critical time in our lives together," Sorrell said 3rd round wide receiver Savion Williams seems like he's going to fit right in 'If there is one team you could play for who would you want to get picked by?' I told them it would be [Green Bay] Williams said he is buying his own cheesehead before he leaves town after minicamp 6th rounder Warren Brinson got a piece of German chocolate He said it's the best chocolate in Germany I can't read [the packaging] so I am going to Google Translate this all after this but this is awesome," Brinson said of his gift The defensive tackle out of Georgia was sure not camera shy which was evident right away at the podium the players are going to hit the practice field One of those rookies is from Whitefish Bay He was a little star struck the moment when he walked in the Packers' facility Get myself down from Cloud Nine and just be ready to roll," said J.J including the in-person moments with Matthew Golden and Barryn Sorrell in this edition of Packers Daily.