Trading for Micah Parsons was a stroke of genius by the Green Bay Packers' front office. GM Brian Gutekunst and his credit deserve a ton of credit for solving the biggest weakness on their roster by adding one of the top players in the NFL.
None of that means the Packers will head into Week 1 with a flawless 53-man roster. There are still serious weaknesses that could torpedo the team's hopes of making a deep postseason run. No position on head coach Matt LaFleur's two-deep is hopeless, but there are some potential trouble spots that Green Bay fans should be aware of.
In fairness to the Packers, every NFL franchise will head into the 2025 regular season which concerns about a position group or two. Green Bay isn't alone in this regard. Fans in Wisconsin should still keep an eye on the following three spots as potential Achilles heels' for their favorite team in the coming months.
1. Rasheed Walker at a tackle
Rasheed Walker is not a bad player but he's nothing more than a decent option at the most important position on the offensive line. Protecting quarterback Jordan Love is one of the Packers' top priorities. Walker is likely going to be the tackle tasked with protecting his blind side in 2025.
Walker graded out as the 44th-highest-rated tackle in the NFL last season per PFF. He performs better as a pass blocker than a run blocker, but it's still clear Green Bay would benefit from a left tackle with more upside.
A preseason injury to Walker opened the door for former first-round pick Jordan Morgan to challenge him for the starting spot in the preseason. Walker seems to have staved Morgan off for the moment, but the Packers do appreciate competition at every spot on the offensive line. If Walker falters then LaFleur will not hesitate to give Morgan a chance to seize the spot for his own.
Uncertainty at left tackle is not an encouraging sign for a team with legitimate title aspirations. It's nice that the Packers seem to have two potential solves but that might also mean they don't have the right option on the current roster. Anything less than above-average play at left tackle might end the Packers' season earlier than expected.
2. Nate Hobbs at cornerback
Nate Hobbs was one of Green Bay's biggest free agent signings of the offseason. In theory, he will be Jaire Alexander's replacement at outside corner for coordinator Jeff Hafley's defense.
The curious thing about the Hobbs signing is that he's played mostly as a nickel corner in recent seasons. He did play outside earlier in his career but that's not where he's played his best football. Paying a premium for a player to move to a different position is typically not a recipe for success in the NFL.
The good news is that Hobbs has the talent and athleticism required to play at a high level. The aforementioned trade for Parsons also should lessen the need for the free agent to cover opposing receivers for long stretches of time.
Hobbs doesn't need to play like an All-Pro in order for the Packers to achieve their goals. Remember, part of the reason the team needed to replace Alexander was that he couldn't stay on the field. Playing 14 or 15 games as an above-average starter would be a major win for the Packers.
3.Karl Brooks at nose tackle
The Packers were right not to blanche at the idea of giving up defensive tackle Kenny Clark in the Parsons trade. Losing him does, however, leave Green Bay a little light at the nose tackle position.
Karl Brooks currently looks to be the player who will get the biggest chance to fill in for Clark. The former sixth-round pick has a big body capable of eating up blocks in the middle of the line but he does not have the pop to be a dynamic tackle who can wreck opposing offenses.
Hafley and his defensive staff are counting on Parsons, Rashan Gary and the rest of their edge-rushing options to make up for any lack of dynamism from their interior options. That is a reasonable bet but it's not entirely devoid of risk. Packers fans should not be surprised to see Gutekunst and his staff run the rule over some other nose tackle options as Week 1 draws near. Brooks has a lot of pressure to hold up his end of the bargain heading into the regular season.