In the 12th of a 32-part series, we are featuring all National Football League teams with a prediction of where each team will finish within their division, key off-season acquisitions and their top fantasy stars. Here are the Green Bay Packers.
Key Off-Season Acquisitions
The Packers invested in one offensive player and one defensive player in free agency. Both players signed four year contracts. The Packers signed guard Aaron Banks of Alameda, California to a four-year deal worth $77 million, and cornerback Nate Hobbs of Louisville, Kentucky to a four-year deal worth $48 million.
Banks, who is 6’5″, 325 pounds, spent the last four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. This past season, Banks had a fumble recovery, which came in a 30-24 San Francisco win over Dallas on October 27.
Hobbs spent the last four seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. In 2024, Hobbs had 49 combined tackles (33 solo tackles and 16 assisted tackles), one interception for 35 yards, five pass deflections, two tackles for a loss, and one quarterback hit.
Fantasy Stars
Josh Jacobs of Tulsa, Oklahoma is ranked fifth among running backs. Last year in his first season with the Packers after five seasons with the Raiders, he had 301 rushes for 1329 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, along with 36 catches for 342 receiving yards, and his first career touchdown catch. The touchdown catch was for eight yards from quarterback Jordan Love and came in a 24-22 Packers win over the Houston Texans on October 20.
Tucker Kraft of Timber Lake, South Dakota is ranked seventh among tight ends. Last season, he had 50 catches for 707 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
The Packers defense is ranked third in the NFL behind Denver and Minnesota. Last season, the Packers were third in the NFL with 17 interceptions, and third in the NFL with 14 fumble recoveries. Packers Pro Bowl safety Xavier McKinney of Roswell, Georgia was second in the NFL this past season with eight interceptions.
Projected Finish
The Packers made the playoffs last season at 11-6 and were third in the NFC North. I like their chances of passing Minnesota and moving into second place in the division in 2025. The reason is because quarterback J.J. McCarthy will need time to get settled in the Vikings offense, while Love has significant more experience in the Packers offense. Green Bay also has an elite running back in Jacobs, who had a career-high 16 touchdowns in 2024.
