Three’s Company And Other Packers Draft Takeaways

From three safeties and three linebackers to a new quarterback, here is a look at an eventful NFL Draft for the Green Bay Packers.

Michael Pratt / James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL Draft has reached its conclusion. The Green Bay Packers entered the weekend armed with 11 picks and ready to make additions to a team that was just minutes away from playing for the NFC Championship.

Nonetheless, the Packers came in with a few significant holes on the roster. One of those was in the defensive backfield, with a consensus solution to that problem being Iowa’s Cooper DeJean.

Instead, with the Packers on the clock at No. 25 of the first round, Gutekunst selected Arizona offensive lineman Jordan Morgan. The Packers say Morgan can play offensive tackle, despite shorter-than-prototypical arms of 32 7/8 inches.

On Saturday evening, coach Matt LaFleur said Morgan would start his career at left tackle.

Cue the talk of getting the best five offensive linemen on the field. If Morgan is a tackle, he could start and push Rasheed Walker to the bench. Or Morgan could push Walker to right tackle, and Zach Tom could move to center and push Josh Myers to the bench.

The options are there.

The second day of the draft was largely about improving the spine of the defense.

Edgerrin Cooper was the first of two linebackers taken on the second day along with Missouri’s Ty’Ron Hopper.

Javon Bullard was the first of three safeties selected overall.

All in all, with a few trades, the Packers ended up with 11 picks.

Here are some thoughts, from Morgan all the way down to Kalen King.

Safety Triple Dip

Gutekunst has a pretty clear strategy for how he wants to fill his team’s weaknesses. He attacks them with volume. That usually includes a free agent signing and a draft choice or two.

The most famous example came in 2019, when he signed Za’Darius and Preston Smith before drafting Rashan Gary to help fix the team’s edge rusher position.

This year, Gutekunst attacked the Packers’ barren safety room.

That started, of course, with the high-dollar free agent signing of Xavier McKinney. McKinney should help stabilize a position that was in flux most of last season following the departure of Adrian Amos via free agency.

McKinney has a couple new candidates for running-mates.

The first is Bullard, who let’s just say is excited to be a Green Bay Packer.

The Packers select safety Javon Bullard at No. 58

“I’m going to tip my cap right now to GM Brian Gutekunst. Jordan Morgan, Edgerrin Cooper, and now Javon Bullard to be paired up with Xavier McKinney. An absolute heat seeking missile”

- @LRiddickESPN pic.twitter.com/owI7kpk5NR

— Hogg (@HoggNFL) April 27, 2024

He has the versatility to play safety and in the slot, which he did at Georgia.

Gutekunst moved up in the fourth round to strike again at safety with Oregon’s Evan Williams. Not to be confused with the bourbon, Williams had some positive highlights at Oregon, including a sack of top overall pick Caleb Williams.

There could be some thought to having Williams start alongside McKinney, with Bullard pushing Keisean Nixon as the team’s nickel defender.

Kitan Oladapo was the third safety but someone that felt destined to end up in Green Bay. He’s a physical presence that took a predraft visit with the Packers. In addition, his defensive backs coach at Oregon State, Anthony Perkins, is in Green Bay as a quality control assistant on defense.

Oladapo will compete at the back of the safety room and likely contribute on special teams as he looks to carve out a role on the roster.

Quarterback Factory

Gutekunst said earlier this offseason he wanted to return to the roots of Ron Wolf and make a habit of drafting quarterbacks. The Packers had a lot of success with that during Wolf’s tenure, and Gutekunst went back to the well in the seventh round.

Tulane’s Michael Pratt, who was ranked in the top-150 on The Athletic’s big board, will have an opportunity to earn a spot on the roster as one of the backups behind Jordan Love.

The question for another day is whether the Packers will keep a third quarterback on the roster. They did not a season ago but did in 2020, when Aaron Rodgers was the starter, Tim Boyle the backup and Love the rookie.

Regardless, Gutekunst added another talented arm in hopes of developing him as a backup or potential trade piece down the road.

Build The Wall

For the fourth time as general manager, Gutekunst drafted three offensive linemen.

Morgan was the team’s first offensive lineman drafted in the first round since Derek Sherrod was the 32nd pick in 2011. A three-year starting left tackle at Arizona, that’s where he’ll take his first reps in Green Bay.

“Yeah, I think that’s naturally where you’d look. That’s what he’s played his whole career,” LaFleur said. “I think there’s some cross-training that goes on along the way but, ultimately, we’ve just got to get the best five that give us a chance to move the football.”

Gutekunst added two more linemen on Saturday.

Jacob Monk, a two-time captain at Duke, was picked in the fifth round. He started games at right tackle, right guard and center, so will add some competition to the interior of the offensive line, where the first one off the bench might be Royce Newman. Looking down the road, 10 of Monk’s 58 career starts came at center. If he develops, he could replace Myers in 2025.

Travis Glover was the first player taken out of Georgia State by the Packers. He will be a project at tackle with a chance to develop before being put into live action.

Pony Package

Despite signing Josh Jacobs and re-signing AJ Dillon, the Packers added USC’s MarShawn Lloyd with the first of their third-round picks.

If Jacobs and Dillon are more power backs, Lloyd brings an element of speed that is missing from the backfield with a 4.46 40-yard dash. If Lloyd is ready as a rookie, the Packers could do some interesting combinations with Jacobs or Dillon on the field at the same time as Lloyd.

When the Packers last had three capable backs of handling the ball was 2020, when Dillon was a rookie along with Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams.

LaFleur used two of those backs on the field at the same time frequently in a playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams were the top run defense in the NFL, but the Packers gashed them for more than 200 yards en route to a 32-18 victory to earn a spot in the NFC Championship Game. LaFleur used Dillon and Jacobs in tandem frequently in 2022.

The Packers have a chance to replicate that with Lloyd, who NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah – and Lloyd himself – referred to as the best running back in the draft.

Diamond in the Rough 

In the Disney movie Aladdin, villain Jafar is looking for a diamond in the rough, while Aladdin is attempting to find a way to become a prince to woo princess Jasmine.

While Gutekunst did not find a prince, he did take a late-round shot at a diamond in the rough with Penn State cornerback Kalen King.

King returned to Penn State after a strong junior season in an effort to try to bring a Big Ten Championship back to Happy Valley. Instead, King had a disappointing season, much like the Nittany Lions, and fell out of the top cornerback conversation all the way to within three picks of being undrafted altogether.

That being said, King has some big-time traits and is talented enough to potentially crack Green Bay’s cornerback room.

Despite outside concerns about the team’s cornerback room, Gutekunst only took one true cornerback in this year’s draft: King.

One of Green Bay’s best picks last season was a cornerback taken in the seventh round: Kentucky’s Carrington Valentine.

Perhaps Gutekunst could strike gold again.

The 2024 NFL Draft is complete. / Mandi Wright / USA TODAY NETWORK

Packers at the 2024 NFL Draft

Our Day 3 draft grades

Day 3: Live Updates | Evan Williams | Jacob Monk and Travis Glover

Day 2: Javon Bullard | Edgerrin Cooper | Marshawn Lloyd | Ty’Ron Hopper

Our Day 2 draft grades | National Day 2 draft grades | National Day 1 grades

First Round: Jordan Morgan | Short arms | Our grade