How the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl affect the Packers' draft plans
The Packers have found many of their draft gems from the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl.
Good morning!
The Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine Bowl have come and gone, the first major markers of draft season in the NFL. The Green Bay Packers famously love prospects from those games, especially the Senior Bowl which featured seven of the 11 players in the team's 2024 draft class.
Today's edition of The Leap looks at how the practices for those two showcase events have altered our understanding of the incoming draft class and which prospects have pushed themselves onto (or off of) the Packers' radar in the process.
Thank you for reading and supporting our coverage. You can also support our work by following us on social media:
Jason B. Hirschhorn: @by_JBH on Twitter / @byjbh@bsky.social on Bluesky / @by_jbh on Threads
Peter Bukowski: @Peter_Bukowski on Twitter / @peterbukowski@bsky.social on Bluesky / @peter_bukowski on Threads
The Leap: @TheLeapGB on Twitter / @theleap.bsky.social on Bluesky / The Leap's YouTube channel
If you appreciate thoughtful, independent coverage of the Packers and NFL, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support allows us to serve this community with the stories and reporting it deserves.
As always, thanks for making The Leap a part of your day.
Packers-related Senior Bowl takeaways
Jason B. Hirschhorn: For many of you, the wide receivers took center stage in Mobile this week. The Packers will almost certainly bolster the receiving corps this offseason, and the front office usually prefers to draft its pass catchers over acquiring them on the veteran market.
Peter wrote extensively about the wideouts who both fit Green Bay's standards for the position and stood out during the Senior Bowl practices. Anyone looking for an early preview of the team's options in the rookie class should start there. I'll just add this addendum: The Packers would either need to view Jalen Royals as a bona fide boundary wideout (possible despite him measuring at a hair under 6-foot) or feel comfortable playing Jayden Reed outside more often in order to get the most out of both players.
The Senior Bowl provided some clarity for the incoming pass rushers. Already considered a decent class, several jumped out at Mobile that look like Packers types. Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart has the size that general manager Brian Gutekunst covets (6-foot-5, 83.5-inch wingspan, 281 pounds) and the apparent movement skills to get around offensive linemen. Towering Arkansas D-lineman Landon Jackson (6-foot-6, 273 pounds) also flashed high-end physical traits and has more college production on his résumé. Also of note, Marshall's Mike Green delivered some of the hardest hits of anyone during the practices, though at 6-foot-3 and 251 pounds, he lacks the size Green Bay prefers for the position.
Conversely, few of the cornerbacks in attendance made an overwhelming case to move up the draft board. In particular, Florida State's Azareye'h Thomas struggled at times despite his length advantages (6-foot-2), allowing smaller receivers to physically bully him in close quarters. Thomas did practice better later in the week, however. Louisville's Quincy Riley also delivered a mixed bag, and at 5-foot-10, he might not fit the Packers' makeup for a corner regardless.
While the lack of apparent high-end quarterbacks in the 2025 rookie class has once again become a league-wide narrative, the discourse has overshadowed some positive developments among the signal-callers likely to go after the early rounds. Memphis' Seth Henigan and Notre Dame's Riley Leonard each had some strong moments after early struggles. Both of them look to have decent shots at making this year's Day 3 Packers quarterback watch list. And yes, the team will likely draft another QB this year considering Malik Willis enters the final season of his contract and Sean Clifford has yet to look like a capable No. 2.
Shrine Bowl takeaways
JBH: While the Shrine Bowl doesn't receive as much attention as the Senior Bowl, the talent gap between the two games has narrowed significantly in recent years. That progress emboldened the Shrine Bowl to schedule its practices and games alongside those of the Senior Bowl, effectively forcing prospects to make a choice between the two games.
The Packers might not draft a Shrine player on Day 1, but they could easily mine the game's talent in the middle rounds. Cal corner Nohl Williams stood out for his sticky coverage and has the size and physically to work in coordinator Jeff Hafley's defense. Williams drew praise for his pass breakup when manned up against Kaden Prather, a draftable wideout from Maryland.
Speaking of Maryland, defensive tackle Jordan Phillips also stood out during Shrine Bowl week. He measured in line a stubbier version of the Packers' T.J. Slaton. Phillips will have to flash the measurable traits the team covets during the pre-draft process, but he looks like the kind of player Green Bay could add on Day 3 to replace Slaton should he depart in free agency.
As with the Senior Bowl, the quarterbacks at the Shrine offer some intrigue as potential Day 3 targets. Kyle McCord in particular had a largely successful week and could work his way into that discussion.