The Green Bay Packers have moved their focus to the 2025 NFL draft later this month, but they aren’t finished with free agency yet.
According to the team’s official transaction wire, the Packers have signed former Baltimore Ravens linebacker and special-teamer Kristian Welch for the 2025 season, adding him as depth to a one-year, $1.17 million contract listed by Over the Cap.
Welch, who went undrafted in 2020, had previously played for the Packers. He was on the active roster for the bulk of the 2023 season, appearing in 14 games and earning six tackles while primarily playing on special teams.
While Welch did not make the Packers’ initial roster cut in 2024, he did play an additional 15 games last season with the Denver Broncos (six games) and Ravens (nine games), making his first two career starts and totaling 13 tackles and fumble recovery.
Welch will need to earn his roster position with the Packers at training camp this summer, but it is plausible that the team is looking him as a replacement for veteran linebacker Eric Wilson—a vital special teams player for them who signed elsewhere in free agency.
While Welch did not make the Packers’ initial roster cut in 2024, he did play an additional 15 games last season with the Denver Broncos (six games) and Ravens (nine games), making his first two career starts and accumulating 13 tackles and one fumble recovery.
Welch will need to win a roster spot with the Packers at training camp this summer, but it is possible that the team is aiming for him to replace veteran linebacker Eric Wilson, a key special teams player who left in free agency.
Additionally, the Packers’ 2024 third-round pick Ty’Ron Hopper is eager to take on a larger role with the team after spending the majority of his first season in the background. Welch may have a difficult time making the 53-man roster, especially if the Packers sign another rookie linebacker during or after the draft.
Packers Could Add More LB Talent in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Packers will have more pressing priorities than their linebacker corps when they enter the draft in approximately two weeks, but a linebacker selection is not out of the question.
While the Packers are likely satisfied with their linebacker position for 2025, they must still decide whether to exercise Walker’s fifth-year option for 2026 by the league deadline on May 2.
The Packers might postpone any major linebacker acquisitions until the 2026 offseason, giving them another year to thoroughly analyze Cooper’s development and Walker as a potential extension contender. Even so, picking a linebacker in 2025, even if just on Day 3, can provide some insurance for the squad regardless of how things turn out.
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