What should we make of the Packers' pre-draft visits?

The Packers' list of official pre-draft visits doesn't always reveal who they'll select, but it does provide some insight into the overall direction they intend to go.

The Green Bay Packers don't always host their eventual draft picks for official visits. Last year's first-rounder, Arizona offensive lineman Jordan Morgan, never took a trip to Green Bay prior to his selection. The same situation played out in 2023 when the team took Iowa pass rusher Lukas Van Ness, another non-visitor. Other eventual Day 1 picks like Utah State quarterback Jordan Love and Georgia defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt did make the trip (even if only virtually due to the pandemic), but it doesn't always happen with top selections.

However, under general manager Brian Gutekunst, the Packers' pre-draft visit list does reveal some valuable directional information. Take 2024 for instance. They officially hosted six offensive linemen. Not only did Green Bay end up taking one in the first round (the aforementioned Morgan), but the team ultimately selected three during the draft. Likewise, six safeties/nickel hybrids took meetings that year. Gutekunst went on to draft three.

And 2024 doesn't appear to be a one-off. The previous year, the Packers hosted five tight ends and four wide receivers and then drafted two and three, respectively, at each position. This dynamic works the other way too. Green Bay only met with three offensive linemen in 2023, the lowest such figure for the team this decade outside of the pandemic-limited 2020 cycle. That would prove to be the only draft in which Gutekunst didn't select a single O-lineman.

So, while one shouldn't conclude that a prospect who took a pre-draft visit to Green Bay will eventually land there or that one who hasn't spoken with the team won't garner serious consideration, the Packers generally invest that much time and effort scouting a particular position group because they plan to add players from it.

With that in mind, the Packers' visit list ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft can provide a window into their decision-makers' plans.