2024 NFL Draft Review: Green Bay Packers

Previously we reviewed the Detroit Lions draft selections, now it’s time to take a look at how the Green Bay Packers drafted and grade the picks. Which player was the best value and earned the team choice award, and who did the team sign during the undrafted free-agent period? Let’s break it all down.

1 (25): T Jordan Morgan, Arizona

The Packers lost major pieces of their offensive line with David Bakhtiari and Jon Runyan Jr. That made the offensive line a huge need for Green Bay and as expected they addressed that position early. The offensive linemen went in high demand in the first round so Green Bay had to pull the trigger and select one on Day 1, but they selected a player with injury concerns.

Morgan had a breakout season in 2022 but tore his ACL late in the season and just made it for the season opener in 2023. He was effective in 2023 allowing only two sacks and 13 pressures off 477 pass sets. This pick gets downgraded purely on the fact Morgan has durability concerns and was a projected second-round prospect. 

Grade: B-

2 (45): LB Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M

The Packers take the best off-ball linebacker prospect in this year’s draft. Cooper had a very productive season in 2023 and was a big difference-maker on the Aggies' defense. The 2023 All-America linebacker made 84 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss (most in the SEC), eight sacks, and two forced fumbles. He also led the Aggies last year in defensive stops (56) and was second in pressures (27). What’s most amazing about all of that production? Zero penalties in 2023.

Grade: A

(Team Choice Award)

2 (58): S Javon Bullard, Georgia

You have to tip your hat to the Packers one-two-three draft picks in terms of filling need. Safety was a need for the team in terms of depth and they got to organizing that on Day 2. Bullard fits the team excellently in terms of his style of play and being more the hybrid type of safety who lines up either in the slot or down in the box. His high-level instincts are what make him so attractive. 

Grade: B

3 (88): RB MarShawn Lloyd, USC

Lloyd is more of the change-of-pace back in the NFL. That’s great news for a team that just signed Josh Jacobs and still has AJ Dillon on the roster. This allows Lloyd to develop and let the coaches see if he has more to offer. His short, squatty size gives him a good low center of gravity which makes him tricky to bring down and he has great speed, running a 4.46s at the combine. Both helped him average 7.1 yards-per-carry which ranked fourth nationally and achieve a breakaway percentage of 57 % which ranked third nationally (minimum 100 rush attempts). A solid pick that is aimed toward both the present and the future. 

Grade: A-

3 (91): LB Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri

It’s back to linebacker and filling the needs of box defenders here. Green Bay has really aimed to get defenders with high tackle-for-loss numbers as Hopper had 16 of them last year, which was second-most in the SEC only behind Cooper. But here’s the problem with Hopper and this pick, he was taken way too early and was expected to go near the end of the fifth-round. Why? He missed 18 tackles last year and the year before he missed 16 tackles. That’s an insanely high rate. In fact, his missed tackle rate of 22.7% was the fourth-highest last year among Power Five teams. With better linebackers on the board, this one was a little confusing. 

Grade: C

4 (111): S Evan Williams, Oregon

A double-dip at linebacker followed by a double-dip at safety. Williams is a good and reliable box safety who is best at stopping the run. He does lack athleticism, however. His 4.61s in the 40 is a testament to that and this is seen on the field when he’s chasing ball carriers down or trying to make a play in the open field. Williams was a player expected to go in the seventh-round making this another big reach. 

Grade: C

5 (163): OT Jacob Monk, Duke

Whenever you look at potential offensive linemen for Green Bay you want to check how versatile they are. Monk is as versatile as they come and played a number of snaps from center all the way through to right tackle. Most of his shortcomings are in technique, mostly with his hands. So, his negatives are less concerning than most taken this far in the draft. With 334 passing blocks and only one sack and 14 pressures allowed this year, it’s fair to say there’s a lot of optimism with this pick. 

Grade: B+

5 (169): S Kitan Oladapo, Oregon State

It’s another safety! Yep, Green Bay really went out to solidify the safety depth. The irony here is if they took Oladapo where they drafted Evan Williams, and then drafted Williams here at pick 169, the optics would be slightly different. Here’s a solid strong safety with plenty of tackling fuel. He’s going to affect the run game massively on defense and his coverage is not bad either. Not great, but not bad. His passer rating allowed was only 61.3 last year and even caught two interceptions. All we can say here is why not make this pick at 111 and not have three safeties drafted when other needs could have been addressed? 

Grade: B-

6 (202): OT Travis Glover, Georgia State

Glover was a Senior Bowl standout this year. He’s been at Georgia State since 2018 and has started in 57 games. In that time he’s only allowed 11 sacks. On top of that, Glover played both right and left tackle as well as guard so he offers a good level of versatility. He gives the team good depth and with the chance of being a swing option this year. 

Grade: B-

7 (245): QB Michael Pratt, Tulane

Obviously, this is a pick for the backup role behind Jordan Love and Pratt has a lot of upside. His presnap reads and throws with anticipation need work. But look at the production in his four years as a starter at Tulane. He has a 61% completion rate with 90 touchdowns, 26 interceptions, and 479 first downs. For a seventh-round selection that’s extremely good value with plenty of room to grow. The Packers have made a very clever pick for backup here and he can spend time developing, allowing Pratt to grow over the next few years. 

Grade: A-

7 (255): CB Kalen King, Penn State

It took longer than expected (and needed) but the Packers took a cornerback in this year’s draft. Just a shame it took until their last pick. King is a totally fine upside pick this late in the draft, but taking a player who declined heavily from one year to the last is not a good strategy. From 2022 to 2023, King’s passer rating allowed, completion rate allowed, missed tackle rate, and penalties all went up. On top of that, he looked out of sync with the rest of the defense last year and he forgot some very basic fundamentals. He fills a need but has a long way to go to be reliable and give confidence to fans and the team when he’s on the field. 

Grade: C+

UDFA Signings- 

RB Jarveon Howard, Alcorn State

TE Messiah Swinson, Arizona State

OL Trente Jones, Michigan

OT Donovan Jennings, South Florida

DL James Ester, Northern Illinois

DL Rodney Matthews, Ohio

LS Peter Bowden, Wisconsin

Overall Grade: B-