The Green Bay Packers did not improve in the win column or go further in the postseason compared to 2024, but several important players did enjoy meaningful and important leaps in performance during the 2025 season.
Topping the list was Lukas Van Ness, Jordan Love and Daniel Whelan — providing the Packers’ improvement champion for each phase.
As one would expect, the starting quarterback enjoyed a big jump and vaulted into elite territory because he stayed healthy and several of his receivers played at a much higher level. Also, you won’t find a single member of the offensive line on this list after a massively disappointing season up front for the Packers offense. Concerningly, the arrival of Micah Parsons (who actually improved slightly in 2025) did not create massive improvements from the most important players around him.
Several standout players from the 2024 season weren’t able to reach the same heights, but the regression post is coming later.
First, here’s a closer look at the Packers’ most improved players from the 2025 season, using individual overall grades from Pro Football Focus as our guide:
DE Lukas Van Ness
Van Ness drastically increased his run defense grade (from 44.8 to 68.2) and created 27 pressures on only 178 pass-rushing snaps. He massively improved his pass-rush win percentage overall (16.1, ranking 19th among edge rushers) and on true pass sets, and he also missed only one tackle and committed just one penalty. The problem was he played only 310 snaps. A true, undeniable breakout season is possible (maybe even likely) in 2026 if Van Ness can stay healthy as a full-time player opposite Micah Parsons.
QB Jordan Love
Love improved his completion percentage, big-time throw percentage, turnover worthy play percentage, average depth of target, adjusted completion percentage and passer rating during a mostly healthy season. He finished 2025 ranked third in overall passing grade at PFF. After an injury-plagued 2024 season, Love played like an elite quarterback in 2025.
P Daniel Whelan
His steady development landed him in elite territory in 2025. Whelan led all punters in overall grade and gross punting average, and he finished fourth in net punting and average hangtime.
WR Christian Watson
After returning in Week 8, Watson averaged 17.5 yards per catch, produced seven touchdowns, caught 11 contested targets and produced a 120.8 passer rating for quarterbacks targeting him. His 2.28 yards per route run set a new career high and ranked in the top 10 among receivers over the second half of 2025. Healthy again, Watson’s arrow is pointed straight up entering 2026.
TE Tucker Kraft
His season ended in Week 9, but Kraft was arguably the best and most impactful tight end in football during the first eight weeks. He ranked third among tight ends in receiving yards (469), second in touchdowns (6), first in yards per catch (15.6), first in yards after catch (339), second in yards per route run (2.46) and first in passer rating when targeted (158.3). Kraft expects to be healthy come Week 1. If he is, he’ll have a chance to be one of the NFL’s best in 2026.
LB Isaiah McDuffie
McDuffie missed only five tackle attempts (5.2 percent), created a career-high 30 stops and nine pressures and allowed only one touchdown pass into his coverage after giving up five scores in 2024. He was on the field less as a coverage linebacker in 2025, which helped. His run defense and tackling grades both improved over last season.
DB Javon Bullard
After a shaky rookie season that saw him play both in the slot and at safety, Bullard settled into the role as the preferred slot corner and thrived. His coverage grade improved from 49.0 in 2024 to 66.3 in 2025, and he allowed only 340 receiving yards into his coverage despite covering on 502 snaps. While he never feared the dirty work, Bullard did miss more tackles and his run defense grade dipped, likely as a result of playing so close to the line of scrimmage on most plays.
TE Luke Musgrave
His improvement was mostly a reflection of his terrible 2024 season. There were some explosive plays sprinkled in, but Musgrave averaged 1.06 yards per route run (not good) and caught only 1-of-5 contested catch opportunities, and he added nothing after the catch. He must take a big step in a contract year in 2026.
WR Dontayvion Wicks
Wicks caught 68.2 percent of his targets, up from 51.3 percent in 2024. Why? His drops went from nine in 2024 to only two in 2025, and he caught 63.6 percent of his contested catch opportunities (7-of-11) after hauling in only 4-of-16 last season. Due to injuries and the depth of the receiver room, Wicks saw his target load drop from 80 in 2024 to only 44 in 2025.
WR Romeo Doubs
Doubs averaged 1.86 yards per route run, a career high. He also dropped only four passes and improved both his catch percentage and average per catch. His 77.3 receiving grade was a career high. Counting the playoffs, Doubs caught 63 passes for 848 yards and seven touchdowns — a respectable line for a receiver sharing the spotlight in a contract year.
DE Kingsley Enagbare
He produced 25 pressures on 273 pass-rushing snaps and created a career best 23 stops, or a tackle creating an offensive failure. Enagbare didn’t win in the passing game at a high rate, but he was solid against the run.
RB Chris Brooks
Brooks caried only 28 times but still forced six missed tackles and created four runs of at least 10 yards. His 14 catches were a career high. His improvement came as a blocker, where he was a trustworthy player in both the run and pass game.
CB Keisean Nixon
He improved slightly as a run defender, missed only four tackles (missed 10 in 2024) and broke up a career-high 13 passes, helping explain the grade improvement. But Nixon also gave up seven touchdown passes, allowed 11.3 yards per catch (his highest since joining the Packers) and committed a career high 13 penalties.
Others
QB Malik Willis (+22.0): He played only 97 snaps as the backup quarterback, but he was brilliant when needed, producing an elite 90.8 passing grade. Willis was the PFF’s highest-graded quarterback in Week 17, when he started against the Ravens and produced over 300 yards of total offense.
OL Jordan Morgan (+2.8): Going from 59.2 to 62.0 probably wasn’t the jump the Packers expected, but Morgan played well at tackle, his more natural position, down the stretch — creating real hope for improvement in 2026.
LB Ty’Ron Hopper (+3.2): He was effective during a three-game stretch while Quay Walker was out, struggled in his start in the regular season finale and made a huge play (interception on fourth down) in the postseason.
TE John FitzPatrick (+1.2): He played five times more snaps in 2025, and his run blocking jumped to 66.0.
Newcomers
DE Micah Parsons (+2.0): He went from elite during his final season in Dallas to even more elite during Year 1 in Green Bay. Parsons was better against the run, created more pressures and missed fewer tackles compared to 2024.
OL Darian Kinnard (+4.3): The former Eagle earned a 72.1 run blocking grade while operating as both a right tackle (213 snaps) and inline tight end (68 snaps).
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: 13 most improved Packers players from the 2025 season
Reporting by Zach Kruse, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
