Although they are not yet finished with free agency, the Green Bay Packers have focused most of their attention on the 2025 NFL draft later this month. The Packers added former Baltimore Ravens linebacker and special teamer Kristian Welch as depth on a one-year, $1.17 million contract, according to the team’s official transaction wire, for the 2025 campaign.
Welch, who was not selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, had previously played for the Packers. He was on their active roster for much of the 2023 season, playing 14 games and recording six tackles while primarily playing special teams.
Welch played an additional 15 games last season with the Denver Broncos (six games) and Ravens (nine games), making his first two career starts and recording 13 total tackles and a fumble recovery, after missing the Packers’ initial roster cut in 2024.Welch has played 1,956 special teams snaps in his five NFL seasons. He will have to prove himself in training camp this summer, but it’s possible the Packers are considering Welch as a replacement for veteran linebacker Eric Wilson, a key member of their special teams who signed elsewhere in free agency.
About two weeks before the draft begins, the Packers have a comparatively strong linebacker position. In addition to getting back former first-round pick Quay Walker and 2024 rookie sensation Edgerrin Cooper as their main starters, they also inked a two-year, $8 million contract extension with Isaiah McDuffie, a key rotational linebacker.
Welch might find it challenging to make the 53-man roster if Ty’Ron Hopper, a 2024 third-round pick, takes a step forward after spending the majority of his rookie season in the background. This is especially true if the Packers select another rookie linebacker during or after the draft.
The Packers must choose whether to pick up Walker’s fifth-year option for 2026 by the league deadline on May 2nd, even though they probably feel confident about their linebacker position for 2025. Even with Cooper and McDuffie in place, the squad will quickly find themselves in need of another starting “backer” if they do not activate his option.
The Packers may postpone making any significant linebacker acquisitions until the 2026 offseason, giving them a another year to assess Cooper’s development and Walker’s potential for an extension. Nevertheless, the team can have some insurance no matter how things turn out if they choose a linebacker in 2025, especially if they do so on Day 3.
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