DETROIT, MI (WTAQ) – The 89th NFL Draft, conducted in Detroit, drew an estimated record crowd of more than 700,000 fans this weekend. It was an amazing sight in the middle of the Motor City.
For Green Bay Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst, it was the seventh draft he’s overseen as the man in charge, hoping to continue a rapid re-build from the Aaron Rodgers led Packers of the last 18 years, to team now directed by second year starter Jordan Love. The emergence of his wide receiver corps, all in their first or second year, convinced Gutekunst to build around Love in other places, most notably in front of him, along with infusing what will be a brand new defensive scheme with talented youngsters who can run.
The GM had 11 picks going into the draft, and even after a couple of board changing trades, down in the second and up in the fifth and sixth rounds, had 11 players coming out. Here’s a rundown of the Class of ’24 with thoughts on the pick and their place on the team.
Round 1 (25th overall) Jordan Morgan OL Arizona
The 6-5, 311 pound Wildcat became the first offensive lineman taken in the opening round since Ted Thompson selected Derrick Sherrod in 2011. Gutekunst is hoping for a little better return with this one. Morgan has the frame, more importantly the feet, to hold up as an NFL left tackle protecting Love’s blind side. Some consider him more suited to eventually moving inside to guard because of less than ideal arm length (talk to Bryan Bulaga about such nonsense). Morgan rebounded from an ACL tear late in 2022 to start 12 games for Arizona last year. The Packers plugged last year’s seventh round pick Rasheed Walker in at left tackle but they may not be sold he’s the long term successor to a certain Packer Hall of Famer in David Bakhtiari. Morgan has every opportunity to become that successor.
Round 2 (45) Edgerrin Cooper LB Texas A&M
The Packers traded off the 41st pick, giving it to New Orleans while dropping only four spots in round two. They had to feel good this player was still there. Really like this pick, a 6-2, 230 pound tackling machine with the Aggies. I even suggested him for the first rounder if too many offensive tackles fell because he may have a job waiting for him upon his arrival. The Covington, Louisiana native has premier speed and a very physical finish to his game. While Isaiah McDuffie put up a yeoman’s effort at inside linebacker when De’Vondre Campbell was hurt, and now gone, Cooper has far more sideline to sideline range and blitzing capability. He and Quay Walker will form an interesting tandem in Jeff Hafley’s new defensive scheme.
Round 2 (58) Javon Bullard S Georgia
The Packers cut loose three safeties from a year ago, Darnell Savage, Rudy Ford and Jonathan Owens. They were replaced by three draft picks at the position and the Georgia Bulldog heads the list. The second safety chosen overall, Bullard flashed his big play potential at the back of a defense with two interceptions against TCU in the 2022 National Championship Game. He also gets downhill quickly at and even behind the line of scrimmage. Bullard was the Defensive MVP of not only Georgia’s semifinal victory over Ohio State in 2022, but the title game as well. Bullard may get first dibs at working alongside veteran free agent Xavier McKinney at the back end.
Round 3 (88) MarShawn Lloyd RB USC
Fresh legs for the backfield with a player well versed in NFL offensive schemes playing for Lincoln Riley and the Trojans. Josh Jacobs and A.J. Dillon aren’t long term solutions in the backfield and in every season, end of the depth chart backs like a Patrick Taylor or Emmanuel Wilson are going to have to take some carries because of injury attrition. Lloyd is just 5-8, but a solid 220 pounds. While gaining over 800 yards last season as the top back behind the NFL’s top draft pick Caleb Williams now of the Bears, Lloyd averaged 7 yards a carry and one out of five totes last season went for 10 or more yards. How he handles the passing game, from the obvious of catching the ball to the more refined pass protection will determine if he can slip into the Jacobs-Dillon rotation early.
Round 3 (91) Ty’Ron Hopper LB Missouri
Here’s another rangy, fast linebacker who was among the best players on an underappreciated but solid defense at Missouri. He was named second team All SEC. 6-2 and 201 pounds sounds small for an off-ball linebacker but scouts say his quickness and attitude makes up for the short stature. Hopper began his career playing at the University of Florida.
Round 4 (111) Evan Williams S Oregon
Gutekunst didn’t want this kid to get away. In his second and final trade of the weekend, Gutekunst moved up an impressive 15 spots with the New York Jets to take him. The 5-11, 200 pound safety showed prowess deep and even more production closer to the line of scrimmage. He spent his first three years at Fresno State where he was named All Mountain West. Williams transferred to Oregon for a step up in competition and to challenge himself for a year in a new environment. It didn’t slow him down, piling up 82 tackles and what may impressed Packer scouts even more was the four and a half sacks. There may well be a spot for him early this year in perhaps a dime package.
Round 5 (163) Jacob Monk OL Duke
Another quick climb trade with Buffalo had the Packers move from 168 to 163 to select one of the most durable and versatile linemen in the draft. Monk played five years in Durham, starting 58 of 59 games played. His size, 6-3, 308, allowed him to float from right guard, where he started 34 times, to right tackle for a dozen games and last year, 12 more as the Blue Devils Center. He played as a graduate student last year, earning his degree in May of 2023, his father Stanley was a standout running back at Duke and he acquired a rare allergy before his very first start, hopping into a cold tub and breaking out in hives, allergic to cold water. His selection may pour cold water on spell the end for Royce Newman because that versatility is coveted by Packer scouts.
Round 5 (169) Kitan Oladapo S Oregon State
From a college walk on to an NFL Draft pick, Oladapo is the biggest of the three safeties drafted this weekend at 6-2 and 216 pounds. But just like the other two, loved entering the box. He played twice as many snaps at the nickel position or elsewhere in the box than he did at deep safety where he still picked off two passes and broke up 8 more. It’ll be interesting to see if the three young safeties push each other as hard as the young wide receivers have on the roster the past couple of seasons.
Round 6 (202) Travis Glover OT Georgia State
A giant of a man from Georgia State, Glover is just under 6-6 and played at 332 pounds last year although he said on Saturday he’s trimmed down to around 320 now. He was the first team All Sun Belt tackle and was hard to move on the field or off, starting 57 games in his career. He dabbled a bit inside as a junior but went back to left tackle last season. Glover was impossible to miss at the Senior Bowl where the FCS level player more than held his own against Power 5 defensive linemen and edge rushers. With Yosh Nijman gone, a swing tackle door is swinging open.
Round 7 (245) Michael Pratt QB Tulane
Taking a page from Ron Wolf, Gutekunst drafted a quarterback when he didn’t need to. Having Pratt available this late offered him the chance to bring in another young arm to develop along with last year’s surprising draft choice that stuck in Sean Clifford. Those two have developed a friendship over the past two years and Pratt is eager to join the Jordan Love-led room. The 6-3, 220 pound signal caller started all four years for the Green Wave. He never threw fewer than 20 touchdowns in a season and finished with 90, topping out over 9000 passing yards.
Round 7 (255) Kalen King CB Penn State
A flyer on a defensive back who can fly. King, 5-11, 191, was a fixture on the boundary corner for Penn State and if last year’s seventh round pick, Carrington Valentine is any indication, don’t count out a kid from a major program coming in and competing for a spot but the corner group of Jaire Alexander (who by the way is getting rave reviews so far in the off-season conditioning program), a hopefully healthy Eric Stokes, Valentine, Corey Ballentine and veteran nickel Keisean Nixon, may be a tough nut to crack.
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