The 2024 NFL Draft is history and the season can commence full speed through the rest of its offseason. The NFL schedule should come out in a little over a week (it was released on May 9 last year). We’re hopeful that the Packers will have at least one open OTA (Organized Team Activities) practice, but recent history tells us not to hope for much there. The Shareholders Meeting and the opening of Training Camp will come in the third week of July. But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves... let’s take a look at the newly drafted Green Bay Packers players.
Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona: An especially good pass blocker who was a fixture at left tackle for the Wildcats, it stands to reason he'll play the same spot for the Pack given their divorce from veteran David Bakhtiari. Two years removed from a torn ACL, Morgan should be ready to safeguard QB Jordan Love right away. — USA Today
Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M: An All-American in 2023, the do-it-all off-ball linebacker should be quite a chess piece for a new-look Green Bay defense. Cooper had eight sacks and 17 TFLs last season but is just as comfortable in coverage or stopping the run. — USA Today
Javon Bullard, S, Georgia: Picked off four passes the past two seasons but can also make a mess in the backfield. Can line up anywhere in the secondary. — USA Today
MarShawn Lloyd, RB, USC: Coming off his best college season after transferring from South Carolina. Averaged 7.1 yards per carry for Trojans in 2023, though operated against defenses focused on stopping QB Caleb Williams. Lloyd has low center of gravity (5-9, 220) and 4.4 speed, which could make him a problem for NFL defenders, especially as a change-of-pace after Josh Jacobs. — USA Today
Ty'Ron Hopper, LB, Missouri: Given the arrival of Cooper in Round 2, Hopper could be a depth and special teams player early in his career. — USA Today
Evan Williams, S, Oregon: Williams transferred to Oregon from Fresno State in 2023 and led the Ducks in tackles with 82. He shines in run support and gives new Packers coordinator Jeff Hafley another piece in the back end. Williams can line up in multiple spots or play a traditional box safety role. — USA Today
Jacob Monk, C, Duke: Monk started 58 career games across three positions at Duke (center, right guard, and right tackle). He's not an elite athlete but has great technique and foot quickness. His strength is lacking considering his size but he goes to a team that typically gets the most out of late-round offensive linemen. — USA Today
Kitan Oladapo, S, Oregon State: Oladapo's tape from Corvallis is impressive with a blend of solid athleticism at the right size for a box safety. He was one of the best run defenders in the country at the position, per Pro Football Focus. But he's the third safety Green Bay's drafted in the last three rounds. And they just signed Xavier McKinney in free agency. — USA Today
Travis Glover, OT, Georgia State: Green Bay opts for another offensive linemen in this class and Glover provides experience at guard and tackle. He likely lacks the athleticism to stick at tackle but has the power and frame to hold up if need be. He could provide depth at either guard or tackle for the future. — USA Today
Michael Pratt, QB, Tulane: Pratt was a four-year starter at Tulane and that experience shines through on tape. He's rarely panicked and knows what to do in most every situation. His delivery is quick, clean, and he produces when he's in a rhythm. At the very least, he'll be a top-level backup for the Packers going forward. — USA Today
Kalen King, CB, Penn State: King famously had a rough time against Marvin Harrison Jr. this past season after a standout year in 2022. His downfield speed and fluidity are lacking so he's better in physicality around the line of scrimmage. He may be better served at moving to safety but the Packers are more than stocked at the position. — USA Today
Views from the outside:
The Packers will be reshaping their roster with five Day 1&2 selections and 11 picks overall. Taking Arizona OT Jordan Morgan (-10) over Tyler Guyton was an interesting decision. Morgan made a miraculous recovery from a late-2022 ACL tear by posting the sixth-highest PFF pass block grade in the country (87.3) with a 0.0% blown run block rate in 311 opportunities last year. He allowed just two sacks with a 98.3% blocking efficiency rate and will help to protect QB Jordan Love. LB Cooper (+7) was worthy of being the 1st LB taken having accumulated 17.0 TFL, 56 stops (5th in P5) and 27 pressures (7th in P5) while earning First Team All-American accolades for his accomplishments. His 91st percentile PFF defensive grade was the highest mark of any linebacker in the nation. Bullard boasts an 88.9 PFF cover grade ranked fifth nationally, as Bullard allowed a microscopic .27 yards per coverage snap with a 32% forced incompletion rate. RB Lloyd provides young legs behind the newly signed RB Josh Jacobs, but Hopper (-62), Williams (-86) and Monk (-109) were all perceived to be reaches at their respective spots. Also, taking two linebackers and three safeties within their first five selections indicates a complete restructuring of the Packers’ back seven.
— NBC Sports
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Morgan's pass-protection skills give him a chance to replace three-time Pro Bowler David Bakhtiari at left tackle, or he could prove himself a nice positional blocker at guard, allowing the Packers to get their five best linemen on the field together. Cooper and Bullard were excellent picks in Round 2, with both filling needs, but I was a bit ambivalent on the team using third-round selections on a running back (albeit a good one in Lloyd) and a second linebacker.
Monk and Glover should provide depth on the offensive line, while Williams’ reliable tackling should make him a good special teams player. Trading a pick to move up for a second safety didn’t seem like the best value, though -- especially when you consider Green Bay took another safety just one round later. Oladapo is also a quality defender, but using three choices on the same position means the team must now rely on free-agent edge rushers and 3-techniques to round out the defense. Pratt was an excellent value pick late in the draft, as was King, who has more upside than his pre-draft evaluation might suggest.
— NFL.com
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The Packers made a ton of draft picks and came out looking pretty good. Their linebacker picks were questionable (although the entire linebacker class was down this year), but they found a potential franchise left tackle in Jordan Morgan at the end of the first round. They took three safeties as well and might have a tough, versatile duo now between Javon Bullard and Xavier McKinney. MarShawn Lloyd is a quality addition at running back while they test Josh Jacobs for at least a season.
Favorite pick: Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona (25th overall)
This is a good range for Morgan. He needs to add some strength for the NFL, but he’s a classic, pure pass-blocking left tackle who will always have a place in the league. He’s going to face a learning curve getting used to NFL pass rushers and the speed and strength of the game, but this is a quality bet for the Packers to take at the end of the first round.
Least favorite pick: Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M (45th overall)
Cooper being here is more of a problem with where college football is right now on defense more than anything Cooper did. He is a fast, rangy linebacker prospect who wasn’t always asked to do traditional NFL linebacker tasks — like many LBs in college. He has work to do in terms of playing downhill and sifting through traffic in the box. His speed will give him a chance to be a playmaker from the jump.
— Yahoo! Sports
