A few weeks ago, the Green Bay Packers lost an underrated contributor to their 2024 defense and special teams units when linebacker Eric Wilson returned to his first NFL home with the rival Minnesota Vikings. That departure left the Packers with another hole to fill for their 2025 roster.
Enter an old friend: Kristian Welch.
The former Iowa Hawkeye spent the 2023 season and 2024 training camp with the Packers before they released him at final cutdowns. It was a surprising move at the time. He had performed his duties well during the 2023 season and was one of the more impressive linebackers and special teamers the previous summer.
The Wisconsin native returned to Green Bay on a one-year deal last offseason and put together an impressive preseason, featuring two interceptions and a fumble recovery. According to Pro Football Focus, Welch was the team’s highest-graded defensive player during the preseason.
His 2024 release had more to do with the Packers moving to a 4-3 base defense, making the idea of keeping six linebackers seem excessive. Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie, Wilson, and rookies Edgerrin Cooper and Ty’Ron Hopper were ahead of Welch on the depth chart. Wilson likely earned his roster spot due to his experience wearing the green dot and being able to call the defense when needed.
Count Matt LaFleur among those who didn’t want to see Welch go. “It was tough,” LaFleur said last summer about releasing him. “He did everything he could have possibly done. He was making plays. It showed up in every game, and I thought he got better throughout the course, going into OTAs – from where he started to where he is now, he is a much better football player.”
With his main competition now wearing purple, Welch is returning to his role as special teams stalwart. During his lone full season in Green Bay, he played 49% of the special teams snaps, which was good for fourth on the team. Welch was a regular presence on all four units. He finished third on the team in special teams tackles and was Pro Football Focus’s 39th-ranked special teamer out of 188 qualifying players.
In 2023, he didn’t make much of an impact on Green Bay’s defense – in fact, none at all. He logged only three defensive snaps throughout the season, all coming during the Week 12 game against the Detroit Lions. But just because he didn’t contribute much as a linebacker two years ago doesn’t mean he can’t step in for Wilson in 2025.
After Green Bay released him, Welch split the 2024 season between the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens. Appearing in six games for Denver and nine for Baltimore, he racked up seven total tackles over 15 games between the two teams. In those six games with the Broncos, Welch had 36 snaps on defense and 97 on special teams. However, in Baltimore, he only had 17 defensive snaps and 188 on special teams. His best defensive season was in 2021 with the Ravens, when he appeared in all 16 games and recorded 13 tackles and one tackle for loss.
Wilson made a much bigger defensive impact last season, finishing with 38 tackles, two sacks, a fumble recovery, and an interception. He had that insane game against the Indianapolis Colts, where, in just eight snaps, he recorded a tackle for loss, an interception, and a forced fumble.
Under first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Wilson had an uptick in defensive snaps, playing 51% compared to just 10% the previous year under Joe Barry. While Wilson’s play improved, that increase was likely due to Edgerrin Cooper missing time early in the season, Quay Walker missing a chunk later on, and the inexperience of third-round pick Ty’Ron Hopper more than it was a sign the team wanted Wilson to play more.
With two weeks to go before the draft, the linebacker room is starting to take shape. Walker and Cooper are the preferred starters. Hopper enters Year 2 with hopes of a developmental jump, giving the Packers a promising young trio to build around.
The Packers re-signed McDuffie on a two-year deal, and he likely serves as the top veteran backup due to his deep knowledge of Hafley’s system. As it stands, Welch slots in as the fifth linebacker on the depth chart. However, as we saw last year, injuries can change things, and depth can be tested early and often.
Welch makes his biggest impact on special teams. In a perfect world, the Packers won’t need him on defense as much as they needed Wilson last season. But if they do, let’s hope he can recreate some of the magic from last preseason, when he stood out with two interceptions and a pass breakup in three games before being shown the door.
Depth helps win championships, and the under-the-radar addition of a six-year veteran with 72 career games under his belt is exactly the kind of move these young Packers need to round out the roster. With Wilson gone, expect Welch to fill his role admirably.
