Assessing the Draft Class (2024)

[Dantés]

With the draft in the books, what do you think about the class as a whole? What do you like? What don't you like? What do you see as the most/least likely outcomes? Post your overall assessment.

 

[Dantés]

I started writing a really length player-by-player breakdown of the class, but it's too tedious. Here are my jumbled thoughts:

-I wasn't expecting the Jordan Morgan pick because I understood him to be a guard prospect, but the Packers totally deserve the benefit of the doubt on OL. They have made it work with shorter armed tackles before. Morgan clearly has tackle athleticism. He's been described as the quintessential "dancing bear" and I think that fits. I would guess he's their new starting left tackle.

-I think the moves at safety forecast a desire to use a lot of big nickel, with Bullard majoring as a slot defender. Prior to the draft, I had read/heard that many think that's his best position. The Packers drafting him and then taking two more safeties who project mainly as SS types would hint that they agree. Williams is probably competing for a really big role, while Oladapo can be a gameplan/situation specific box safety. If I'm right about Bullard, it would explain the lack of emphasis at cornerback. The Packers have some options on the outside, but outside of Nixon (who I hope is primarily a ST guy), they didn't have much on the inside.

-Edgerrin Cooper is simultaneously my favorite pick in the draft and the one I'm most worried about. He has the athleticism and size to be an elite off-ball linebacker. Fred Warner is within his range of outcomes in terms of raw ability. However, linebacker is (in my opinion) the hardest position in the NFL to play at a high level. Modern offenses put these guys in a blender and so much of their success is about instincts and mastering the mental side of the game.

-I know nothing about Jacob Monk, but he seems like he projects primarily at center. If they do end up moving Tom to the pivot, I am beginning to question whether Myers makes the roster this season. He should still be considered more likely than not to make it, but if guys like Dillard, Glover, and Jennings make a strong case for the 53 it could push him out. It's funny-- for most teams, an OL drafted at #163 overall is probably never going to amount to anything. In Green Bay, he's got a good shot at being a plus starter.

-I had not hardly heard of Travis Glover until they drafted him, but I saw a surprising amount of love for him online after the pick. Baldinger had a breakdown that was quite favorable and Jim Nagy was a big fan. 6th rounders are never roster locks, but I would fully expect him to make it.

-Michael Pratt was getting some top 100 buzz before the draft. Obviously falling to the 7th round suggests that the NFL doesn't feel that way about him. However, he has some plus traits and he's only 22. If the Packers can develop him, he could be a valuable trade chip in the future and/or allow for Clifford to be one.

-I think Kalen King was a smart flier in round 7. He showed in 2022 that he has potential to play at a much higher level than what he just showed. He's also a better athlete than given credit for. If one corrects his 10 yd split on his RAS, his a 7.65 guy.

-Donovan Jennings is a really intriguing UDFA. His experience is almost entirely at LT, but he has the build of a guard and elite athleticism relative to that position. I won't be the least bit surprised if he makes the roster.

 

[scheeler]

Overall I think it is a solid class and really attacked the needs aggressively. They probably got three instant starters and a bunch of guys who could be starters 2-3 years from now. My main concern is lack of positional value - is Morgan ends up at guard, only the last two picks play premium positions. I can understand it given the quality and depth at those positions already on the roster, but I would have much preferred a swing at a DE or CB before doubling down on box safeties.

 

[OldSchool101]

Hey Dantes.

I thought the start to our Day 1 draft was a slight reach, but also understanding that LT are highly sought after. So I’m ok ish there but as far as risk assess he’s a top 40 area player at a premium position locked up in our house B-.

Safety and LB were our biggest need. We basically attained arguably 1 of the 2 best Safeties in this class. A-

How we were able to pull off a risky trade back and still land Edgerrin Cooper? might just be grace from above. Yea he’s slightly undersized but that’s what modern players at his position look like in ‘24 and beyond. Not all Wills are 255lb. He wins by early disruption and not letting the play come to him. A-

Lloyd is arguably one of the top 5 RB’s in this class. I still gave Brooks #1 but he wasn’t an option. After that there are several graded very close in that top 100 area. We got one that fit us. Without the loose hands he’s a top #75 selection. He’s a little risky but if he can mitigate those fumbles he’s worth a Later RD3 easy. I think he’ll be better than Dillon was as a 2nd rounder. B+

Ty Ron Hopper was rated by CBS at #95 overall and they’ve been surprisingly accurate at a number of players across the years. I picked him in the Rd 4 span to adjust his 5th rd consensus. We took him later rd3 in Jordan Morgan style, but we got OUR fit. 2 very good LB’s.
B grade

Bryan reached slightly on players that he felt strongly fit our purpose. This is an outlier draft for him, but it’s a draft that screams WIN NOW. He’s not waiting for player development he wants early results. Any of those positions of guys can play Week 1 IMO because they are all very determined style players. These are NOT the Ted types of “I play 4 sports” and an a good athlete. If you put Hopper in there Week 1 he’s an average LB now. If you hand the ball to Lloyd he’ll go rogue off assignment and still carry 4.5 per not knowing design. He’s just that good.

That concept of plugging needs with immediate results and then drafting ultra experienced players in Day 3 spells we expect to rely on on the job training and get more immediate production. Similar to Reed at WR or Brooks at DT.

I thought it interesting that we literally completely bypassed altogether
TE,
DT,
DE
WR
And almost CB! (I see Kalen King as a poor man’s Brian Branch).

We are primarily set with multiple picks at Safety, LB and OL our 3 biggest needs


Day1 B+
Day2 A-
Day3 B

 

[milani]

With the draft in the books, what do you think about the class as a whole? What do you like? What don't you like? What do you see as the most/least likely outcomes? Post your overall assessment.

When you have 11 picks that tells you that turnover is coming. Unlike other sports you cannot assign players you sign to the minor league. I believe Gute is pushing for a continued young team in the hope that we could be a contender for 5-6 seasons. The 2025 draft will be considerably different.

 

[DoURant]

I thought I would share this. Before the Draft, I reached out to Luke Easterling, as I have a couple times in the past, and he always has responded and answered my question. He's a draft guy, working for Athlon Sports, some of you guys I'm sure have heard of him. I asked him about Donovan Jennings, and this is what he replied. It isn't in depth, just to the point.

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[Thirteen Below]

I started writing a really length player-by-player breakdown of the class, but it's too tedious. Here are my jumbled thoughts:

-I wasn't expecting the Jordan Morgan pick because I understood him to be a guard prospect, but the Packers totally deserve the benefit of the doubt on OL. They have made it work with shorter armed tackles before. Morgan clearly has tackle athleticism. He's been described as the quintessential "dancing bear" and I think that fits. I would guess he's their new starting left tackle.

Bulaga, Walker, and Tom all have/had arms 33 1/4 or shorter. And even though Tom has 1/2 inch longer arms, Morgan has a full inch on Tom in wingspan because of his larger frame - 81 3/8 as opposed to 80 3/8. Gutekunst sounds very confident that Morgan's arms are long enough to do the job; and like a lot of us longtime Cheeseheads, I've leraned to trust Green Bay's approach to OL more than conventional wisdom.

The proof's been in the pudding for 30 years or more, and especially since Ted Thompson developed his quintessential model for selecting and developing linemen in the early 2000s. Gutekunst still credits Ted for the Packers' success with offensive linemen, saying that Ted laid down a template for drafting and devlolping OL and it still seems to work just fine. I'm sure Gute has tweaked it a time or two, and deviated from it somewhat on at least a few occasions on a case by case basis, but like with Colonel Sanders, the original recipe is still the baseline.

-I know nothing about Jacob Monk, but he seems like he projects primarily at center. If they do end up moving Tom to the pivot, I am beginning to question whether Myers makes the roster this season. He should still be considered more likely than not to make it, but if guys like Dillard, Glover, and Jennings make a strong case for the 53 it could push him out. It's funny-- for most teams, an OL drafted at #163 overall is probably never going to amount to anything. In Green Bay, he's got a good shot at being a plus starter.

It's hard to think off the top of my head of more than a couple of teams in the league that'd be a better landing spot for an OL who needs some development work. I'll bet there are a lot of college OL who sit there watching the draft, and when Green Bay's turn comes cross their fingers and say "oh please oh please oh please..."

-Michael Pratt was getting some top 100 buzz before the draft. Obviously falling to the 7th round suggests that the NFL doesn't feel that way about him. However, he has some plus traits and he's only 22. If the Packers can develop him, he could be a valuable trade chip in the future and/or allow for Clifford to be one.

This is a tremendous investment, perfect pick at that spot for Green Bay. And the best break that kid ever got in his life; probably the one team in the NFL with the greatest likelihood of developing him at his own pace into a legtit starter or even franchise QB.

-Donovan Jennings is a really intriguing UDFA. His experience is almost entirely at LT, but he has the build of a guard and elite athleticism relative to that position. I won't be the least bit surprised if he makes the roster.

Green Bay obviously liked something about him early on; they reportedly met with him at thhe combine, visited South Florida's pro day, and of course had him up early on for a Top 30 visit. Sounds like they think there's really something there they can work with and develop.

 

[Thirteen Below]

Here is exclusive footage of Jeff Hafley waking up this morning and assessing the 2024 draft class.....

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">via GIPHY</a></p>

 

[AKCheese]

Succinctly- I’m excited

 

[tynimiller]

I don't have a ton of time to provide massive summary but hope to sometime but some quick thoughts:

- I still view Morgan as our starting RG, but LOVE they're going to let him rock at tackle. His movement skills and ability to mirror any rusher makes one realize all the other hand technique and such is the only thing keeping him from being the next LT version of Bulaga which has been shared by Dantes.

- I had Donavan Jennings (UDFA signing of guaranteed $100,000) rated higher than Monk...but folks there is a LOT to love about Monk. Them announcing him as center has me excited and makes me very much thinking 2025 our center with be Tom or Monk...if not this year if they feel Tom there gives them the best 5.

- The ST surge of bodies is insane. Truly wasn't a pick outside of Pratt that isn't going to be on teams with a few likely that being where they provide their greatest contributions in 2025.

- We just drafted a guy with one of the biggest chips on his shoulder in Kalen King....I feel like we are about to watch a player just spiral into a mental abyss or become one of the absolute biggest steals in this draft class. I don't think people realize how good his film was in 2022...now if Hafley can get that player, this is going to be special.

- Pratt IMO was a fourth round justified pick by us...I could have understood but not liked picking him in the third.....the value of him where we got him is INSANE.

 

[PackerDNA]

The Packers prize athleticism, versatility, intelligence and character. I see a lot of that in this draft.
What will happen with Morgan right away is intriguing. Does he spend his first year as a backup swing tackle and guard? Does he start at left tackle? Does he start at left tackle, Walker moves the right tackle and Tom the center? Or does he start at left tackle? Plenty of options and potential along the o line.

 

[PikeBadger]

As usual, I trust this management team in totality. They continue imo, to bring in high caliber NFL level talent, high character and motivated young men for the coaches to work with. It's all on the coaching staff to get the best out of these guys.

 

[Krabs]

Big draft for the defense. Overall, I'm extremely happy with this draft. The only thing that I would have liked to see would have been DL being addressed. Looks like they will have to sign some guys there or bring in undrafted free agents.

1. OL Jordan Morgan: I didn't know much about him. Looks like they expect him to be a starter. I did think they would go OT first. Just thought it would be a different dude. Fills that need on the OL. I'll just trust Gutey on this one.
2. LB Edgerrin Cooper: I absolutely love this pick. I think this dude is a day one starter. They tend to ignore ILB and with Quay on the other side this could be scary. It should shore up that porous run defense too.
3. S Javon Bullard: Another great pick here. I bet this guy ends up being in the slot as opposed to safety. I think that is why they took Evan Williams in the 4th round. Bullard is an excellent athlete and I think a day 1 starter.
4. RB MarShawn Lloyd: Another pick that I love. At his size and speed he should be hard to tackle. Personally, I think he will be getting more carries than Dillon by the end of the year. At the very least, this guy will be a contributor all season.
5. LB Ty'Ron Hopper: Looks like a special teamer to me. I think they drafted him due to his run stopping ability. However, I would have liked DL here. I don't see this guy contributing and it wouldn't surprise me if he doesn't even make the team. Although, they like to hold onto their guys they drafted. This one is the weird pick to me.
6. S Evan Williams: I like this pick too. As mentioned before, I think this guy fits the more classic safety role. I would have loved to see McCormick here, but they addressed the inside OL with Monk, which is another pick I love. They moved up to get this guy, so hope this works out.
7. Jacob Monk: Love this pick as well. Three time All ACC, team captain, a ton of experience. Not much more to say. Fills a need and deepens the depth on the OL.
8. S Kitan Oladapo: I'm not sure about this one. Another safety seems odd. Maybe they are just trying to throw them against the wall and hoping one sticks. Again, ignored DL here. I'd have rather seen that. What I've read is that he was just too good at this spot to pass up. I guess we went from a weak safety room to a packed one.
9. OT Travis Glover: Big dude at 6'6" and 317 lbs. I don't know much, but what I've read was there were better tackles available and this dude isn't very athletic. I guess, who knows?
10. QB Micael Pratt: I love this pick. This guy was ranked the 8th QB in this draft. Frame of reference, Penix was ranked 6th. I heard the Packers were surprised he was still available. While we do have Clifford, I read that Pratt could realistically beat him out for the #2 spot. I forget where I read it, but I've heard rumblings that the Packers are happy with Clifford. Could be rumor mill but this gives them the ability to cut him loose if that is the case.
11. CB Kalen King: Apparently, this dude was talked about as a 1st rounder last season. Just for that I think it was worth the flyer in the 7th round. Insert shoulder shrug here. Why not?

Not that draft grades matter at all, but I'm seeing the grade of B floating around. That kind of surprises me because I thought it was a homerun. I'm wondering if it is because they didn't take any DL and waiting till the 7th to address CB. I think Bullard will actually be a corner. Regardless, I'm really happy with this draft.

 

[Thirteen Below]

- We just drafted a guy with one of the biggest chips on his shoulder in Kalen King....I feel like we are about to watch a player just spiral into a mental abyss or become one of the absolute biggest steals in this draft class. I don't think people realize how good his film was in 2022...now if Hafley can get that player, this is going to be special.

I haven't seen him play at all, so I have no way of knowing if there's any truth to this, but I've read the opinions of some people who watch Penn State who say that the reason his play dropped off so sharply in 23 was because Joey Porter was drafted. They feel that sharing the backfield with Porter made him look better in 22 than he actually was. Do you feel there is any truth in that?

 

[Schultz]

My thought was Porter covered the other teams #1 WR and King excelled against #2s. In 2023 when King had to cover the #1s he was exposed. IMO.

 

[tynimiller]

I haven't seen him play at all, so I have no way of knowing if there's any truth to this, but I've read the opinions of some people who watch Penn State who say that the reason his play dropped off so sharply in 23 was because Joey Porter was drafted. They feel that sharing the backfield with Porter made him look better in 22 than he actually was. Do you feel there is any truth in that?

Hogwash. Targets thrown his way was a LOT in 2022 with Porter there. That is folks just fishing for something to say, the pass reps he had in 2022 were literally elite prospect level. This year, borderline undraftable at times.

Coaches figure out how to have the 2022 King and not the 2023 King, we will be saying Valentine was nothing as a rookie in comparison.

 

[Schultz]

Hogwash. Targets thrown his way was a LOT in 2022 with Porter gone. That is folks just fishing for something to say, the pass reps he had in 2022 were literally elite prospect level. This year, borderline undraftable at times.

Coaches figure out how to have the 2022 King and not the 2023 King, we will be saying Valentine was nothing as a rookie in comparison.

Did you make a typo? Otherwise, you completely lost me.

 

[tynimiller]

Did you make a typo? Otherwise, you completely lost me.

Just the word gone should have been there.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

I think this was a great needs-based draft in which Gute grabbed the BPA for the position groups he was most concerned with. I think Morgan will get a season to continue recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in November, 2022. Remember how rusty Jenkins looked when he came back from his torn ACL that first season? Last season was that knock-off-the-rust season for Morgan so I think the Packers got a great olineman with that pick who can back up four positions on the oline this season or (fingers crossed) be good enough at right tackle to allow the team to move Zach Tom to center.

Cooper will be a great addition to a linebacker group that needed more bodies and I think he's good insurance if Walker doesn't show improvement this season; as of now, if he doesn't improve, I don't think the Packers will pick up Walker's 5th year option and Cooper will be his replacement.

Bullard will be a great slot corner in the NFL, I don't think the Packers drafted him to be the starter next to Xavier; Bullard was an elite slot corner in 2022 but only an above-average safety in 2023 (above-average for college players). Put him in the slot with Alexander and Stokes on the outside and I think the cornerback group will be excellent.

Lloyd worries me. He was electric at USC but it's concerning that his best play came when USC was running man/gap concepts vs zone concepts. In man/gap blocking schemes he averaged 7.1 YPC while he only averaged 4.1 YPC in zone schemes (worst in the draft class in zone runs). Guess which scheme Green Bay uses the majority of the time? His ability to break the long run is exciting but he might not be a great fit for the Packers' run scheme. We probably won't know that for a couple of seasons because he's awful at pass pro and I doubt Gutey puts him in the game very much until he figures out that part of his role.

Hopper is a Bisaccia guy. With the new return rules, kickoff coverage is going to be a much more important part of the game and I think this pick was about helping to shore up a bad special teams group (does anyone remember when Thompson had awful special teams and it was because the team was so young that Ted finally started keeping some vets for special teams?).

The rest I'm not sure sure of, other than Monk will be a classic late-round, great oline guy the Packers coaches develop and Oladapo will earn the starting safety spot next to McKinney. Oh, and King will either earn the starting spot from Stokes or get cut after training camp; most boom or bust pick in the draft.

Overall I thought it was a very good draft that shored up the primary weaknesses on the team and I expect big things next season. Go Pack!

 

[Thirteen Below]

As usual, I trust this management team in totality. They continue imo, to bring in high caliber NFL level talent, high character and motivated young men for the coaches to work with.

Same here. I admit sometimes my eyes may pop out and I'll think, "what the heck is he thinking??", but then I quickly catch myself and remember that far more often than not, he is right. I think we have one of the best manegement teams in the NFL, and I think we're looking ahead at a series of very good seasons.

It's all on the coaching staff to get the best out of these guys.

And I don't know how many years it's been since I had more faith and confidence in our caching staff, either. Especially with then housecleaning on the defensive side these last few months. On offense, we have what I believe is one of the better-kept secrets in the NFL in Jason Vrable, wide rceiver coach/passing game coordinator and basically partners with Tom Clements. I attribute our passing game's 180 degree turnaround halfway through 2023 largely to his coaching, and I'm extremely pumped about Sean Mannion being brought in to work hand in hand with Vrable and Clements, spend a year under their tutelage, and probably taking Cements' role after 24.

These were excellent moves by LaFleur, and I'm really excited to see how good he seems to have become at selecting coaches. We should probably appreciate Vrable while we have him, because he may start getting OC interviews as soon as 25.

 

[Packer Fan in SD]

It does seem to me that our GM and Coach both have a very good handle on their duties right now. Last year was as fun to watch as any since maybe 2014ish. And he is clearly being given what he needs in players (our GM). The have synchronicity it would seem.

 

[AmishMafia]

Not overwhelmed, not underwhelmed. I am ‘appropriately whelmed’. I thought we should spend 2 picks on the OLine in the first 3 rounds. Deep draft for OL and we needed an infusion of talent. These ratings are looking at the pick, and not the player. That is, I think King was a very good pick doesn’t mean I think he will have a career on par with Cooper. I think that in the 7th round you take some swings at the plate for a homer, and he has a chance to be an impact player.

Great
Javon Bullard S – Thought he might be the best safety to fit our system. I think Cooper DeJean would have been a great pick because he more prototypical size and is more athletic. But Bullard has the attitude/intstincts and more than adequate physical skills. Gute stated after the draft that they didn’t miss out on anyone. That he was thinking he might need to trade up, but staff told him to wait it out and it worked out just how they anticipated. This meant that DeJean was not a target and the plan was to get Bullard all along. I believe him.

Jacob Monk C – Another player I knew nothing about. Unanimous ‘want’ by the FO. Subsequent reading and watching he looks like a great pick. I wanted the packers to spend higher draft capital on another OL, maybe Monk measures up to some of those guys drafted higher. Great job by the scouts finding this guy when nobody was talking about.

Very Good

Edgerrin Cooper LB – Love this pick. LB is a difficult position to learn, coverage reads, blocking reads, formations, . . . a LB has to know a lot about what is going on. So, I don’t expect an immediate impact, but then again, Hafley’s scheme is known to be easy to understand so maybe . . .
We should have some very active/fast attacking LBs that should be ranging sideline to sideline.

Jordan Morgan OT - Such a Packer pick. Wanted to get OL early. My guy, Guyton, was available and Packers preferred Morgan. So be it. Read Morgan was the only other OT than Alt to be ready to go as a starter. Not sure where he plays. I really like Walker at LT and the job he did. I like Tom at RT, but wouldn’t be opposed to moving him to Center or RG. I don’t know where anyone is going to play actually. But it’s a great problem to have with so many great options.

Kalen King CB - Love this pick. How did he go from a possible first round (first CB) to an almost undraftable player? Not sure what happened, but clearly he has it in him to be a great player. Do the Packers know what caused the change in performance and they feel they can correct it? No. Or they would have taken him much sooner. But this is a great upside pick and I am sure the Packers have some ideas on what maybe the issue. So whatever the reason is, maybe the draft slight will help get him rededicated to changing things and getting back to form.

Good

Marshawn Lloyd RB – I have some reservations on this pick. He has a problem fumbling. If not for that, I think he would have gone much sooner, and may have been the first RB picked. 10 fumbles on 291 attempts. Turning the ball over once every 29 touches is concerning. Hope they have a plan in place – finger exercises, holding ball differently, stickier gloves, etc. Anyway, the running is very exciting to watch. Decisive and explosive, great vision and patience, should result in an effective run game. But I would have gone with Wright.

Evan Williams S – first pick I never heard of or considered. The first player they thought highly enough that they felt they needed to trade up for. Great explosion measureables but lacking in the speed department. Very instinctive and physical. Seems like there is a role for him and develop as a more complete player.

Tyron Hopper LB – Packers had a higher grade than most. Plays more athletic than his combine numbers showed. Not sure he will take any snaps away from McDuffie. But we certainly needed some quality depth.

Kitan Oladapo S – popular in many mocks. A box safety at this point and should be a very good special teamer with his aggressive tough style of play

Micheal Pratt QB - Gute said he’d do it and he did. Clifford surprised me last season and was happy how he looked from the limited glimpses. Pratt has some skills and maybe needs to sit and learn to develop more. The best we can hope for is good backup till developed then trade bait

meh

Travis Glover OT – Knew nothing about him. Know very little now. Seems limited athletically but some folks have been ‘hidden gem’ ing him.

 

[PikeBadger]

Same here. I admit sometimes my eyes may pop out and I'll think, "what the heck is he thinking??", but then I quickly catch myself and remember that far more often than not, he is right. I think we have one of the best manegement teams in the NFL, and I think we're looking ahead at a series of very good seasons.



And I don't know how many years it's been since I had more faith and confidence in our caching staff, either. Especially with then housecleaning on the defensive side these last few months. On offense, we have what I believe is one of the better-kept secrets in the NFL in Jason Vrable, wide rceiver coach/passing game coordinator and basically partners with Tom Clements. I attribute our passing game's 180 degree turnaround halfway through 2023 largely to his coaching, and I'm extremely pumped about Sean Mannion being brought in to work hand in hand with Vrable and Clements, spend a year under their tutelage, and probably taking Cements' role after 24.

These were excellent moves by LaFleur, and I'm really excited to see how good he seems to have become at selecting coaches. We should probably appreciate Vrable while we have him, because he may start getting OC interviews as soon as 25.

Yes, there will be that winners penalty to pay where we will lose players,coaches and personnel directors to promotions elsewhere. Smh, it's tough when you win all the time. Everyone on your doorstep trying to tear your hour house down.

 

[Krabs]

I think this was a great needs-based draft in which Gute grabbed the BPA for the position groups he was most concerned with. I think Morgan will get a season to continue recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in November, 2022. Remember how rusty Jenkins looked when he came back from his torn ACL that first season? Last season was that knock-off-the-rust season for Morgan so I think the Packers got a great olineman with that pick who can back up four positions on the oline this season or (fingers crossed) be good enough at right tackle to allow the team to move Zach Tom to center.

I think he is a day 1 starter.

Cooper will be a great addition to a linebacker group that needed more bodies and I think he's good insurance if Walker doesn't show improvement this season; as of now, if he doesn't improve, I don't think the Packers will pick up Walker's 5th year option and Cooper will be his replacement.

They will play side by side. I like the pick and I think it will only help free up Walker.

Bullard will be a great slot corner in the NFL, I don't think the Packers drafted him to be the starter next to Xavier; Bullard was an elite slot corner in 2022 but only an above-average safety in 2023 (above-average for college players). Put him in the slot with Alexander and Stokes on the outside and I think the cornerback group will be excellent.

I love this pick and agree he will move to corner. Williams will be the other starting safety next to McKinney. Our secondary should be legit.

Lloyd worries me. He was electric at USC but it's concerning that his best play came when USC was running man/gap concepts vs zone concepts. In man/gap blocking schemes he averaged 7.1 YPC while he only averaged 4.1 YPC in zone schemes (worst in the draft class in zone runs). Guess which scheme Green Bay uses the majority of the time? His ability to break the long run is exciting but he might not be a great fit for the Packers' run scheme. We probably won't know that for a couple of seasons because he's awful at pass pro and I doubt Gutey puts him in the game very much until he figures out that part of his role.

We took Lloyd basically where he was projected to go. I expect by the end of the season he will have passed up Dillon. I like it. Reminds me of Jones-Drew.

Hopper is a Bisaccia guy. With the new return rules, kickoff coverage is going to be a much more important part of the game and I think this pick was about helping to shore up a bad special teams group (does anyone remember when Thompson had awful special teams and it was because the team was so young that Ted finally started keeping some vets for special teams?).

Agreed, I didn't like this pick. I think they should have gone DL here.

The rest I'm not sure sure of, other than Monk will be a classic late-round, great oline guy the Packers coaches develop and Oladapo will earn the starting safety spot next to McKinney. Oh, and King will either earn the starting spot from Stokes or get cut after training camp; most boom or bust pick in the draft.

Monk was an excellent pick. I expect King to be a cut. Stokes is recovered and has looked really good in mini camp.

Overall I thought it was a very good draft that shored up the primary weaknesses on the team and I expect big things next season. Go Pack!

GPG!

 

[OldSchool101]

5. LB Ty'Ron Hopper: Looks like a special teamer to me. I think they drafted him due to his run stopping ability. However, I would have liked DL here. I don't see this guy contributing and it wouldn't surprise me if he doesn't even make the team. Although, they like to hold onto their guys they drafted. This one is the weird pick to me.

I actually agree with much of your post. That said on this part.. I think you are underestimating Hopper. No way in heck does Brian spend a Top 90 selection. for a LB to play ST only. He’s fully 100% saying he believes he’s a starter capable player.
Don’t listen to the draft pundits. Like Kalen King he’s going to have a specific role. The only reason you’ll see him on ST is like most players they have to earn their stripes.

Without knowing the draft placing or anything at all. Does the following sound like a ST player?

Hopper finished the 2022 season with 77 tackles with 13.5 being for a loss, 2.5 sacks, four pass deflections, an interception, and a forced fumble.[15] For his performance, Hopper was named second team All-SEC by the Associated Press.[16] Hopper was named preseason second-team all-SEC ahead of the 2023 season.[17] Hopper was also named a preseason third-team All-American by Athlon Sports.[18] Hopper was also named to the Butkus Award watch list, which is awarded to the nation's best linebacker.[19]

This is a TWO time 2nd-Team All SEC 2022,2023 athlete. That’s 17.5% TFL rate or 1 in every 6 tackles for a loss and all around disruptive Off the Ball LB