Truly nobody has been off-limits from the Green Bay Packers’ purge of older players in recent years. From franchise legends Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams to David Bakhtiari, nobody has been immune to the “Grim Reaper” that GM Brian Gutekunst has been for players beyond the age of 30. And that’s the business of the NFL.
The Packers want to draft and develop young players, and they’ve certainly done a good job of that in recent years (with exceptions, of course), and that’s going to have to continue in 2025 as the Packers now have a bit of a hole off the edge where Preston Smith used to be.
Smith was traded just before the 2024 NFL trade deadline to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Packers basically just gave him away. This was a move to get Kingsley Enagbare and Lukas Van Ness even more snaps as well as set the table for the future financially.
What edge players could the Packers look at early in the 2025 NFL Draft to replace Smith?
1. Mykel Williams, Georgia
There are a couple of things we know Packers GM Brian Gutekunst really values more than others, and they are athleticism and versatility. The Packers have an athletic threshold they will very rarely compromise, and luckily for them, Mykel Williams should test exceptionally well when it comes to the NFL Scouting Combine and/or his Pro Day.
What else does Gutekunst love? Georgia Bulldogs. He spent premium picks on Eric Stokes, Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt, and Javon Bullard.
RELATED: Preston Smith’s reason for trade request may explain Packers’ pass-rush problem
Williams is a versatile threat on the defensive front who can disrupt from a number of different alignments, and he’s proven as much over the course of his time at Georgia. Although his numbers aren’t going to jump off the page, there are a lot of NFL folks who really like Williams’s projection to the next level.
He’s been working his way back from an ankle injury this season and has started to heat up as of late.
2. Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
Physically and stylistically, Nic Scourton is a pretty similar prospect to Preston Smith when Smith was coming out of Mississippi State back in the day. He’s bigger for an edge guy, but he’s got a variety of pass-rush moves and good length off the edge.
Scourton was a highly productive player at Purdue before transferring to Texas A&M this year, where he has proven himself to be one of the best transfer players in the entire country. There are some who believe Scourton is the best edge player in this draft right now, and for good reason. He lives behind the line of scrimmage.
The only thing we don’t quite know right now is whether Scourton is going to test overwhelmingly well athletically, which makes him an interesting potential option for the Packers. Would they overlook workout numbers in his case?
3. James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
James Pearce Jr. has gone from a guy who was projected to go first overall by some outlets in the offseason to being considered a middle-of-the-pack first-round player. There are a lot of rumors out there right now that there aren’t going to be as many true first-round talents in this draft class, but Pearce is undoubtedly one of them.
The Packers might have to move up to get him.
Pearce has been putting heat on opposing quarterbacks all year long and might have been one of the best in the country last year as well. He has been racking up pressures all season, and the sack numbers have finally started to catch up lately.
What’s interesting about Pearce is that he’s a little on the lighter side (listed at 242 pounds), but he is strong with his power moves and has tremendous bend and change of direction. He could be one of the best “gets” for any team looking for pass rush help in the 2025 NFL Draft.
