It has been, unsurprisingly, a rocky first week of free agency for the Green Bay Packers.
Big roster turnover is well underway. The Packers replaced Quay Walker with Zaire Franklin, Colby Wooden with Javon Hargrave, and Nate Hobbs with Benjamin St-Juste. They also signed Skyy Moore, who could take over the return duties.
Rashan Gary is gone. So, too, is Elgton Jenkins. And Malik Willis. And Romeo Doubs. The list goes on. But which departing players will the Packers truly miss, and who can they replace this offseason?
The Packers will miss WR Romeo Doubs
Romeo Doubs might never become a true superstar WR1, but his role in the Packers' offense often went overlooked. Talk about Mr. Consistent.
Doubs featured in 59 of a possible 68 games across four seasons, racking up 320 targets from Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love. He quickly became Love's go-to target on the outside. Doubs can win contested catches, has the physicality to beat defenders in the red zone, and often saves his best football for the crucial moments.
While he only has two 100-yard performances in his career, it's notable that they both came in the playoffs. Doubs stepped up when the Packers needed him most.
Green Bay's spread-the-ball-around passing game didn't allow Doubs to threaten the 1,000-yard milestone, but that could change in New England.
Christian Watson is a true game-changer, while Matthew Golden showed flashes of star potential last season. It's understandable why the Packers moved on, given Doubs' contract and the logjam they dealt with at wide receiver last season, but they will miss him. His reliability helped the offense find rhythm and consistency, and he made big-time catches in must-have moments.
The Packers will miss QB Malik Willis
Some teams can't find a capable starting quarterback. The Packers had the rare luxury of knowing their backup could win them games. That security is now gone.
Malik Willis only threw 89 passes across two seasons, but he completed an unthinkable 78.7 percent of them for 972 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions, good for an elite 134.6 passer rating. He also punished defenses on the ground, with 261 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Willis started three games, but his 2-1 record proved wins aren't a quarterback stat. He played well enough to win all three, especially in the 41-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Willis dominated in that game, completing 18 of 21 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 60 yards and two more touchdowns. It's not his fault the defense allowed 216 yards and four touchdowns to Derrick Henry. Willis also exited early with a shoulder injury.
Can Willis translate his performances in Green Bay into a successful 17-game season for the Miami Dolphins? Only time will tell. What's undeniable is how important he was to the Packers. In 2024, their two victories in Jordan Love's absence helped them avoid an 0-3 start, ultimately leading them to a playoff berth.
Now, the Packers must scramble to find another backup.
The Packers won't miss LB Quay Walker
The Packers surprised everyone by drafting Quay Walker at No. 22 overall four years ago. Not only is it rare for Green Bay to prioritize an off-ball linebacker in the first round, but the consensus board had Walker ranked 39th overall. It felt like a reach, and history proved those concerns right.
Walker made his share of big plays. He added elite athleticism and speed to the defense, which made him a useful blitzer (nine sacks in four seasons). Walker improved throughout his Packers tenure, too, particularly his tackling. He also cleaned up the penalties, having made five across his first two seasons but only two more after that.
However, Walker never became a game-changer. Not consistently, at least. He forced three fumbles as a rookie and recorded a pick-six in Year 2, but the Georgia product didn't force another turnover in his final two seasons.
His struggles in coverage became a real problem. Per Pro Football Reference, in Walker's final two seasons, he allowed quarterbacks to complete 92 of 116 passes (79.3 percent) for 776 yards and three touchdowns, good for a 103.2 rating.
It's why there were multiple calls from Packers fans to bench Walker over the past two years. The Las Vegas Raiders handed him a three-year, $40.5 million contract, one that the Packers were smart to stay away from.
The Packers won't miss LT Rasheed Walker
From a seventh-round pick to starting 48 games at left tackle, Rasheed Walker was undoubtedly a massive success story in Green Bay.
However, the Packers prepared for this moment. Two years ago, they drafted Jordan Morgan in the first round, confident he could play across the offensive line. We've seen Morgan at left guard, right guard, and right tackle, but only very briefly at left tackle, his natural position.
That changes now. Walker's departure opens the door for Morgan, who finally gets his opportunity at left tackle, where he played all 2,397 of his college snaps in Arizona. Morgan looked comfortable at right tackle late in the 2025 season while covering for Zach Tom, while Walker saved some of his worst performances for late in the year.
In the playoff loss to Chicago, Walker earned a disastrous 46.2 PFF run-blocking grade while also allowing six pressures and two quarterback hits.
Is Morgan guaranteed to succeed at left tackle? Absolutely not. But he has the athleticism and footwork to thrive in his most natural position, and his work at right tackle showed he is far more comfortable on the edge than at an interior spot.
The Packers planned for this two years ago. Morgan's time has arrived.
The Packers won't miss CB Nate Hobbs
Signing Nate Hobbs is arguably the Packers' worst move in the Brian Gutekunst era. He handed Hobbs a $48 million contract, including almost $18 million in cash in Year 1.
Injuries limited Hobbs to just 11 games, in which he made two pass defenses but allowed two touchdowns and a passer rating of 111.1, according to Pro Football Reference. His PFF coverage grade ranked 75th among 114 cornerbacks.
Green Bay released Hobbs after just one season, and he has since signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers.
The Packers still have a cornerback problem, but they learned the hard way that Hobbs isn't the inside/outside player they believed they had signed. He is a capable slot defender but looked uncomfortable whenever the Packers had him line up on the boundary. Signing the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Benjamin St-Juste will help the secondary.