Jordan Morgan’s ‘Heart Stopped’ Upon Being Drafted by Packers
The Green Bay Packers used their first-round pick on Arizona left tackle Jordan Morgan, who was first-team all-conference in 2023 after suffering a torn ACL in 2022.
GREEN BAY, Wis. – In a first-round surprise, the Green Bay Packers selected Arizona offensive lineman Jordan Morgan with the 25th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night.
“My heart stopped,” Morgan said of the moment he was drafted. “Everything froze (when) I got that call.”
The Packers could have selected Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean. Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton and Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton were on the board, as well. But general manager Brian Gutekunst opted for Morgan, a three-year starting left tackle.
While there were offers to move back, Gutekunst said picking Morgan was an “easy” decision because of his talent, athleticism and character.
Morgan suffered a torn ACL in 2022 and has 32 7/8-inch arms – well short of the 34-inch threshold that teams prefer but not all that much shorter than the team’s current starting tackles, Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom, who check in at 33 1/4 inches.
The Packers historically have loved selecting offensive tackles and finding their best spot upon reaching the NFL. And that could ultimately be Morgan’s fate, though former Patriots coach Bill Belichick called him a "left tackle all the way" while on Pat McAfee's draft show.
“The best five” will start, Gutekunst said. “We’ll wait until the coaches get their hands on him and see that. I think he can play all four spots. We’re fortunate enough that we’ve got a lot of guys in our group right now that can do that, and so I think we’ll kind of let the best five battle it out and see where that ends up.”
To challenge Sean Rhyan at right guard as a rookie, he’ll not only have to learn a new position but new footwork with the left-side to right-side transition.
Morgan gave up one sack in 10 games in 2022, when he missed the final two games with a torn ACL. Impressively, he earned first-team all-Pac-12 honors in 2023, when Pro Football Focus charged him with two sacks and 14 total pressures.
Of 96 FBS-level tackles in this draft class who played at least 650 offensive snaps, he ranked 14th in pass-blocking efficiency, a Pro Football Focus metric that measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-protecting snap. He was penalized four times.
Every snap of his collegiate career came at left tackle, so the versatility will have to be taught on the fly by offensive line coach Luke Butkus.
“I’ll play anywhere that they put me,” Morgan said. “I’m good at adapting to anything. Put me at guard, playing tackle, it wouldn't matter. Just want to play and win for the team.”
Morgan said he talked to the Packers a few times during the predraft process. Among the offensive linemen he liked to watch was former Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari.
“He’s great with his feet. He’s a very balanced player,” Morgan said. “I take that away from him. The way he moves, he’s very balanced and he has a good strike. He has a really good strike in the pass game, really strong arms, really strong upper body and he can really lock people up, which is where I get my game from. I like to lock people up and stalemate. He’s just a dog.”
With the Packers, Morgan will join a surging offense led by quarterback Jordan Love.
“It’s such an honor,” he said. “I cannot wait to get out there and protect for him. That’s what offensive linemen are supposed to do – protect the quarterback, open holes for the running back, and that’s what I’m here to do.”
