Green Bay Packers (Last Year: 9-8)
NFL Draft Team Grade:
C+ GradeGoals Entering the 2024 NFL Draft: The Packers have a young offense that will continue to grow as the players gel. The defense, on the other hand, needs some upgrades. The secondary and the defensive line, in particular, must be bolstered. With extra picks, the Packers can move up for a stud defensive back.
2024 NFL Draft Accomplishments: Green Bay didn’t use its first-round pick on defense after all, opting instead to draft an offensive lineman. Jordan Morgan is an athletic blocker, but has some strength issues. He was a fine selection, but he wasn’t the safest or best choice that could have been made at No. 25.
The Packers focused on the defensive side of the ball after the opening round, spending four of their next five choices on the stop unit. None of the picks stood out as being great, however. Edgerrin Cooper is a talented linebacker, but has off-the-field problems. Ty’Ron Hopper could fill a need at linebacker, but he was a reach in the third round. Javon Bullard and Evan Williams were fine selections to potentially help the secondary, but they were the best of the two picks despite earning “B” grades.
“B” grades actually were quite good for the Packers, who failed to earn anything better than that with the nine selections they made prior to the seventh round. There was one especially bad choice, which occurred when the Packers traded up for Jacob Monk, who was considered a UDFA-caliber prospect. This was not a very good draft class for Green Bay, but there were some positive aspects to it.
NFL Draft Individual Grades:
25. Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona – B Grade
I’m a bit surprised that the Packers are drafting Jordan Morgan over Tyler Guyton when Guyton was such a better fit. There’s some questions with Morgan’s toughness, which would worry me. However, he has big upside, and Green Bay is smart to do something to protect “No Cookie” Jordan Love, so this seems like a solid choice.
45. Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M – C Grade
If Edgerrin Cooper had no issues, he would have been in first-round consideration. He’s a talented and instinctive linebacker. However, he comes with some off-the-field concerns that really bothered some teams. Cooper comes with added risk, and I’m not sure the upside dwarfs the downside at this stage.
58. Javon Bullard, CB/S, Packers – B Grade
The Packers have to regret trading Rasul Douglas, who could have helped the Packers against the 49ers in the playoffs. Javon Bullard will help ease the pain. Bullard is a useful defensive back who can play numerous positions. He fits the range here in the second round.
88. Marshawn Lloyd, RB, USC – B Grade
It’s unclear why the Packers retained A.J. Dillon. I suspect Marshawn Lloyd will take his job as Josh Jacobs’ direct backup. Marshawn Lloyd is a tough, downhill runner who was expected to be chosen in this area, so this pick makes sense.
91. Ty’Ron Hopper, LB, Missouri – C Grade
We had Ty’Ron Hopper going early during the third day, so while this is a reach, it’s not too bad of a reach. Hopper is a bit of a tweener though, which is the real problem with this pick. He may be a career special-teamer for that reason.
111. Evan Williams, S, Oregon – B Grade
The Packers needed to add a safety even after signing Xavier McKinney. Evan Williams is a fourth-round prospect, so the range makes sense for Evan Williams, who can start on special teams.
163. Jacob Monk, G/C, Duke – D Grade
We’ll have to investigate why the Packers traded up for Jacob Monk because he was considered as a late-round prospect or a UDFA player. Jacob Monk can play center or guard, but he looks like a backup at best in the NFL.
169. Kitan Oladapo, S, Oregon State – B Grade
Addressing the secondary is essential for the Packers, so I like the decision to draft someone like Kitan Oladapo late in the fifth round. Oladapo was pegged as a fifth-round prospect, so he’s a logical fit in this range as a current backup and special-teamer.
202. Travis Glover, OT, Georgia State – B Grade
Protecting “No Cookie” Jordan Love is obviously very important, so drafting a tackle with this pick makes sense. Travis Glover was seen as a sixth-round prospect, so he was expected to go here, making this a logical choice.
245. Michael Pratt, QB, Tulane – A Grade
The Packers obviously didn’t need a quarterback, but they’re getting a steal with Michael Pratt. Perhaps they’ll be able to develop him into a tradeable asset or a long-term backup for “No Cookie” Jordan Love.
255. Kalen King, CB, Penn State – A- Grade
Wow. Kalen King was projected as a first-round pick a year ago. Now, he’s the antepenultimate pick in the draft. He had an abysmal 2023 season at Penn State and then struggled at the Senior Bowl. On top of that, his combine time was slow. I don’t know what happened to him, but there’s always a chance that he rebounds and is able to perform like he did prior to 2023.
Season Summary:
The Packers had a roller coaster season. They began hot, but lost a bunch of games in October. They caught fire again around Thanksgiving, but then lost to the Giants and Buccaneers. However, they once again went on a tear to close out the season, which includes a playoff win at Dallas. They went toe-to-toe with San Francisco in the divisional round.
Offseason Moves:
Team Needs:
- Two Safeties: The Packers have some liabilities in their secondary. They’ll need two safeties if Darnell Savage leaves via free agency. Signed Xavier McKinney
- Cornerback: Rasul Douglas was traded, which seemed like a huge mistake. There’s a big hole at cornerback now across from Jaire Alexander.
- Defensive Tackle: Green Bay has been weak to the run for years. The Packers should add a defensive lineman to help fix this.
- Two Interior Offensive Linemen: The Packers can stand to upgrade their interior offensive line. Josh Myers has been one of the weaker centers in the NFL, while Jon Runyan is due to enter free agency.
- Linebacker: Some linebacker depth would help, as there isn’t much behind D’Vondre Campbell and Quay Walker.
- Running Back: A.J. Dillon was a huge disappointment as Aaron Jones’ backup. He’s due to hit free agency anyway. Signed Josh Jacobs
- Kicker: Anders Carlson missed one too many kicks last year. Signed Greg Joseph
- Punter: Daniel Whelan was a bottom-five punter this past season.
Follow me @walterfootball for updates.
2024 NFL Free Agent Signings:
Green Bay Packers Free Agents:
Salary Cap: TBA.
NFL Free Agent Tracker:
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