Packer Central’s Official First-Round NFL Draft Predictions
Who will the Green Bay Packers select in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft tonight? Here are our predictions.
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The pick is in for the Green Bay Packers. At least the pick is in for Packer Central’s staff. Here is who we think the Packers will select in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night.
Bill Huber: Oklahoma OT Tyler Guyton
Two players stand out to me: Guyton and Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean. Which, of course, means neither will be the pick.
Seriously, though, I’m not sure that DeJean falls to the Packers’ spot at No. 25. Maybe he will because of the number of linemen, quarterbacks and receivers expected to fill the top half of the draft, but one source put it at “less than” 50 percent that DeJean will make it to Green Bay’s spot.
If I’m general manager Brian Gutekunst, I love the offense I’ve built. But I’d be scared to death of the depth on the offensive line. If something were to happen to left tackle Rasheed Walker or right tackle Zach Tom, the season could be sunk. Maybe offensive line coach Luke Butkus is a miracle worker and can resurrect the career of Andre Dillard. Maybe Caleb Jones is ready for primetime.
Or maybe not.
Guyton was a standout right tackle at Oklahoma with the size, length and athleticism to flip to left tackle. He wouldn’t have to start Week 1 or even Week 11. As a rookie, he just has to be ready to step in if emergency strikes.
I don’t see the fit as much with Duke’s Graham Barton and Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson because they don’t solve the dilemma at tackle. Tom could move from tackle to guard or center if needed and the offense wouldn’t skip a beat. There is no guard or center ready to jump out to tackle; based on last year, the days of Elgton Jenkins being that man on the move are over.
So, the pick will be Guyton, an offensive tackle who really solves the depth at every position, and the stage will be set for a defense-focused Day 2.
Jacob Westendorf: Texas A&M LB Edgerrin Cooper
The Packers will never take an off-the-ball linebacker in the first round, right?
That was proven incorrect when Quay Walker was the team’s No. 1 pick two years ago.
Tonight, it will be proven wrong again when the Packers take a player named Cooper. Not the defensive back from Iowa but the athletic linebacker from Texas A&M.
The Packers need a linebacker with De’Vondre Campbell being shown the door this offseason. Couple that with the fact they are switching to a base 4–3 defense, the need for another linebacker is clear.
Walker hasn’t quite developed as they had hoped, so Cooper would give them some insurance if he does not take the next step. Or, from a more positive viewpoint, Walker and Cooper would form an ultra-athletic, potentially dominant pairing.
Cooper has been compared to Walker, so it’s easy to see how general manager Brian Gutekunst could fall in love with his skill-set. Cooper had a predraft visit, so the interest is legit.
The guess here is Gutekunst fell in love again and the Packers take a linebacker in the first round for the second time in three years.
Joey Van Zummeren: Duke OL Graham Barton
Barton checks many of the boxes that the Packers look for in offensive linemen.
He’ll only be turning 22 in June, has experience at the exterior and interior of the line, and has incredible athleticism at 313 pounds; his Relative Athletic Score when run at center is a perfect 10.0. He started 34 games at left tackle the last three seasons and five at center as a freshman. Many experts project him to be better suited at guard or center due to his shorter arms (32 7/8 inches).
The Packers need more options at arguably every position along the line. It’s difficult to predict where exactly they’ll need help at for this season (they could be relying on young starters Rasheed Walker at left tackle and Sean Rhyan at right guard) or in the future (Josh Myers is on an expiring contract and Zach Tom, who started at right tackle in 2023, might slide inside to center). The recent signing of tackle Andre Dillard provides the Packers with flexibility but not a lot of security.
Barton is a safer pick for Green Bay and, like Tom, could instantly start wherever need or injury deems before finding a solidified spot for the remainder of his career.
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