Grading the Packers’ 2024 NFL Draft Picks
From Round 1 through Round 7, we will grade every Green Bay Packers draft pick.
GREEN BAY, Wis. – NFL Draft grades are the equivalent of a bag of chips. Sure, they’re delicious, but they’re nothing but empty calories. So, let’s enjoy the guilty pleasure that are these greasy, salty, crunchy Green Bay Packers draft grades.
First Round – OL Jordan Morgan: C
Grading the first-round pick is especially useless because it’s merely the first piece of the larger puzzle.
Should the Packers have selected Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean with their first-round pick? Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on the cornerback the Packers will add at some point in the draft.
I pointed this out after the Bears drafted quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall and receiver Rome Odunze at No. 9 and the Vikings traded up for quarterback J.J. McCarthy at No. 10: Between the potential of Williams throwing to D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and Odunze, McCarthy throwing to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison and Jared Goff leading the explosive Lions, the NFC North passing attacks are no joke. And don’t forget the last two NFC champions, the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, have star-studded receiver corps, as well.
How are the Packers going to stop those prolific passing games? Maybe Jaire Alexander will return to All-Pro form, but Eric Stokes hasn’t broken up a pass since 2021 and Carrington Valentine’s rookie season was a wild ride of inconsistency. Doesn’t Gutekunst have to worry about matching up for those six NFC North games?
“I don’t really look at it a lot like that,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “To me, it’s just about making our team the best that we can make it. You don’t know what your needs are going to be once you get into September, October, November and down the line. There’s some good corners in this draft. We’ll see how that shakes out over the rest of the two days.”
And then there’s the question of whether Gutekunst drafted the correct lineman. It will be fascinating to watch the development of Duke’s Graham Barton, who went 26th to the Buccaneers, and Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton, who went 29th to the Cowboys. Barton has Morgan-style versatility, as well, and Guyton has elite traits to play tackle.
“If you can protect your quarterback, particularly one like we have, you have a chance to win the football game,” Gutekunst said.
We’ll know more in a couple years.
New Packers RB Marshawn Lloyd
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2024 NFL Draft
Second Round: Javon Bullard | Edgerrin Cooper
Day 2: Mock draft | National mocks | Let’s make a deal? | Best draft fits
