Over the past three years, the Packers have plucked a starting left tackle in Rasheed Walker and reliable cornerback in Carrington Valentine from the seventh round.
On Saturday, General Manager Brian Gutekunst furthered his search for even more last-round gold with the selection of Tulane cornerback Micah Robinson (No. 237 overall) and Cincinnati tackle John Williams (250th) to complete Green Bay’s eight-man 2025 NFL Draft class.
Both prospects came to Green Bay on pre-draft visits, with Gutekunst enthusiastically wanting to dig a little deeper into each player’s unique traits.
While Robinson played primarily against the Football Championship Subdivision during his four years at Furman, he can run (4.38 time in the 40) and showed elite ball skills with seven college interceptions.
Williams started the past two years at left tackle for the Bearcats but has the size (nearly 35-inch arms) and smarts (aerospace engineering major) to play on the interior in Gutekunst’s assessment. As the draft wears on, it becomes increasingly rare to find guys who can handle playing four or five positions.
“He’s got the versatility to play left tackle and guard. He probably could play center because he’s smart enough to,” Gutekunst said. “He’s one of the few guys who can really play with full extension with his hands and is moving his feet at the same time.”
Robinson received neither an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine nor another “top 30” visit besides Green Bay despite doing everything he could to get the league’s attention.
The 5-11, 185-pound cornerback enjoyed a productive four-year FCS run at Furman, registering 103 tackles, 21 passes defensed and five interceptions in 42 games for the Paladins.
After graduating with a degree in communications, Robinson wanted to test himself in the Football Bowl Subdivision and produced 33 tackles with two INTs, including one returned for a touchdown.
The Packers see a cornerback with great feet who can play off-man coverage and possesses the speed to match NFL receivers. He played in various spots at Furman before concentrating on the perimeter for the Green Wave.
“I’ll always say when I have a good eye on the quarterback, good eye on the receiver and I see the ball in the air, usually, respectfully, that ball is mine,” Robinson said. “I’m a ball hawk and I like to go up and get it whenever I see it.”
A former three-start recruit, Williams has flown somewhat under the radar despite a productive and reliable run at Cincinnati, but he’s aware of the Packers’ track record for developing Day 3 offensive linemen into NFL starters.
Former All-Pros David Bakhtiari and Corey Linsley were drafted on Day 3 in 2013 and 2014, respectively. During the same draft that Green Bay drafted Walker 249th in 2022, Gutekunst also unearthed right tackle Zach Tom in the fourth round.
Keeping his expectations modest, Williams was thrilled when he finally received the call from the Packers.
“Obviously it’s always an achievement to get drafted into the NFL. Not many people get to say that they were able to do that,” Williams said. “But the chip on the shoulder is kind of automatic for me. It’s not something I think about; it’s just who I am. Under the radar, I go out there, I work, and I do my job no matter what.”
Both players appreciated Green Bay bringing them in as part of the pre-draft process. All told, five of the eight players the Packers selected over the past three days took official visits.
For Robinson, Green Bay was the only NFL team to bring him in. He had good conversations with defensive quality control coach Jamael Lett and position coach Derrick Ansley.
Now, Robinson hopes to reciprocate and follow in the footsteps of Valentine, the 232nd pick in the 2023 draft who has played more than 1,200 regular-season snaps over 32 games (19 starts) the past two seasons.
After a long wait on Saturday, Robinson is confident he’s in the right place.
“I already knew I had to do what I had to do on the field this past year. Honestly, my faith in God brought that call to me and now I’m here,” Robinson said. “At the end of the day, you gotta love who loves you, so I love Green Bay.”