ASHWAUBENON ― Fans of the NFL’s 32 teams descended on the league’s 2025 draft campus shared between Green Bay and Ashwaubenon on April 24, the first of a three-day player selection process.
The Press-Gazette talked to five out-of-state fans from New Jersey to Oregon about their experience at the draft and in Green Bay. Here’s what they had to say.
2025 NFL Draft is the 10th for Illinois-based Cowboys fan
Francisco Acosta, left, and Rebecca Sherer of Rockford, Illinois, attend the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay on April 24.
Francisco Acosta and Rebecca Sherer of Rockford, Illinois, made a day trip out of the 2025 NFL Draft, driving up to Green Bay in the morning and planning to leave the same night. It was their first time in Green Bay, but not Acosta’s first time attending an NFL draft.
“I’ve been to all the drafts since 2016,” Acosta said. “When they announced the draft was here, I had to come. Even though it’s not a game in Lambeau Field, it’s still the experience.”
Now that Acosta has gotten a taste of the Lambeau experience, he said he needs to come back for a game. It’s a place you have to visit, he said.
Best friends and rival fans root for Jacksonville Jaguars to keep the peace
Kevin Dewey, left, of Minneapolis and Rob Weinstein of Milwaukee attend the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay on April 24.
When best friends Rob Weinstein of Milwaukee and Kevin Dewey of Minneapolis used to get together for football, they would be head-to-head as a Green Bay Packers fan versus a Minnesota Vikings fan.
To stop “beating each other up” every time football came into the picture, the pair decided to choose a third-party team to root for together: the Jacksonville Jaguars. That’s who they showed up to support at the 2025 NFL Draft.
Weinstein and Dewey laughed when a Packers fan passed them, booing the Jaguars, because “we’re from this area.”
Brian Auman, from left, Greg Auman, Jason Auman and Rachael Stormoen attend the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay on April 24.
New York family now spread across the country return to Buffalo Bills roots for NFL draft
The Auman family grew up in New York but are now spread across the country, with Brian Auman in Texas, Greg Auman in Oklahoma and Jason Auman and Rachael Stormeon in Wisconsin. The Aumans reconnected at the NFL draft in Green Bay as a proud Buffalo Bills family.
Lambeau Field is a familiar place for Greg Auman, who used to be a teacher in Nekoosa. Since he didn’t drink alcohol, he said he often got free Packers tickets from other teachers in exchange for driving everyone.
“This is the history of football, right here,” Greg Auman said.
First NFL draft for family on two coasts
Joseph Gutierrez, from left, Joe Gutierrez and Josh Gutierrez attend the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay on April 24.
It was the first NFL draft ever for Joseph, Joe and Josh Gutierrez decked out in the teal and white of the Miami Dolphins together, but they couldn’t help it.
It’d been hard to get the father-son trio together to attend an NFL draft ever since Joseph had moved to Portland, Oregon.
“Our schedules just finally aligned this year,” said Joseph, who found getting to Green Bay from Chicago, “not too bad.” And their first NFL draft being at Lambeau Field was “awesome,” Josh said.
They don’t share the same football team, but they’re still family from New Jersey
Kyle Cintron, far left; Deon Henry Sr., middle in Dallas Cowboys jersey; Anthony Lewis in Washington Commanders jersey; Deon Henry Jr. with Philadelphia Eagles jersey; and Stephen Holt on far right in Dallas Cowboys jersey attend the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay on April 24.
Deon Henry Sr. was a Dallas Cowboys fan while his son, Deon Henry Jr., was proudly dressed in green for the Philadelphia Eagles. Anthony Lewis donned the maroon of the Washington Commanders, for which Kyle Cintron teased him about. “We’re repping totally different teams, but we’re still family.”
They’ve tried to make it to every NFL draft since it was held in Nashville in 2019 but missed going to Detroit in 2024.
It was too soon to say how Green Bay’s draft compared to the others, but, “The walk from the bus was a little bit far, that was a bit different,” said Stephen Holt in a Dallas Cowboy’s jersey. “But other than that, it’s been cool.”
Jesse Lin is a reporter covering the community of Green Bay and its surroundings, as well as politics in northeastern Wisconsin. Contact him at 920-834-4250 or [email protected].
Vivian Barrett is the public safety reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. You can reach her at [email protected] or (920) 431-8314. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @vivianbarrett_.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: 2025 NFL Draft attendees from New Jersey, Oregon, Illinois and more
