Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff WriterApr 26, 2024, 11:43 PM ET
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- Rob Demovsky is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Green Bay Packers. He has covered the Packers since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2013. Demovsky is a two-time Wisconsin Sportswriter of the Year as selected by the NSSA. You can follow him on Twitter at @RobDemovsky.
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The 2024 NFL draft (ESPN, ABC, ESPN App) began Thursday night in Detroit and will wrap up on Saturday.
ESPN will provide pick-by-pick analysis of each of the Green Bay Packers' selections as they are made.
A look at each of Green Bay's scheduled selections:
Analysis of every pick | Updated depth chart
Round 1, No. 25 overall: Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona
My take: If you're going to make Jordan Love one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league, which they will soon, you better make sure you can protect him. That's why taking an offensive lineman in the first round for the first time in 13 years made so much sense -- even though Morgan was the seventh tackle to come off the board in the first 25 picks. The only real blemish on Morgan's resume was a torn ACL late in the 2022 season. He had planned to declare for the 2023 draft if not for the injury. Instead, he returned to play in every game last season
Key stats: While some project him to be a guard in the NFL, he played 98% of his college snaps at left tackle. "Really feel like he can play four positions for us," said Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst, who prefers versatile offensive linemen. "[He's] our kind of guy." He did not have a blown block in 306 run blocking plays in 2023, which was the third-most run blocking plays without a blown block by any Power 5 lineman. He allowed just two sacks in 454 pass-blocking plays last season.
Ties to the team to know: While Morgan won't get the chance to learn first hand from David Bakhtiari, that the former All-Pro left tackle was released earlier this offseason. However, Morgan considers himself something of a student of Bakhtiari's play. "I've been watching David Bakhtiari for a long time," Morgan said shortly after he was picked.
Edgerrin Cooper's NFL draft profile
Check out some of the top highlights from Texas A&M LB Edgerrin Cooper.
Round 2, No. 45 (via New Orleans): Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M
My take: This pick was tailor-made for new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, who is overseeing a switch from a 3-4 to a 4-3 base scheme. He inherited only two starting-caliber inside backers in Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie after they released former All-Pro De'Vondre Campbell this offseason. This pick came after the Packers traded back from No. 41 overall with the Saints, who gave up Nos. 45, 168 (fifth round) and 190 (sixth). This after the Eagles traded up to No. 40 to take Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean, a player once thought to be a Packers' target. The Saints then took cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry with the 41st pick.
Key stats: Opposing ballcarriers averaged just 2.5 yards when Cooper made the tackle last season, which bodes well for a Packers' defense that ranked 28th against the run in 2023. During Matt LaFleur's five seasons as head coach, the Packers have allowed 4.7 yards per rush, worst in the NFL. Cooper also had eight sacks last season despite rushing the passer on only 23% of his snaps. His 4.51 40-yard dash at the combine was tied for fifth among all front-seven defenders.
Javon Bullard's NFL draft profile
Check out some of the top highlights from Georgia DB Javon Bullard.
Round 2, No. 58: Javon Bullard, S, Georgia
My take: After this pick, it's fair to say Gutekunst addressed three of his biggest needs -- tackle, inside linebacker and now safety. Perhaps only cornerback would rank on the same level of need. They're essentially starting over at safety, having moved on from Darnell Savage, Jonathan Owens and Rudy Ford. They spent big on free agent Xavier McKinney, but the only other safety with any experience still on the roster was Anthony Johnson Jr., a seventh-round pick last year who played 303 defensive snaps as a rookie. "Obviously the tackle board was stacked, so we addressed that," assistant director of college scouting Pat Moore said. "Then I think Gutey took the best player available at those spots [ILB and safety]."
Ties to the team: Gutekunst loves defensive players from Georgia. Bullard is the fourth Bulldogs player he's drafted within the first two rounds over the past four years, joining linebacker Quay Walker (first round, 2022), defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt (first round, 2022) and cornerback Eric Stokes (first round, 2021). "Other teams have taken them too," Moore said of Georgia players. "We couldn't get 'em all. We tried."
MarShawn Lloyd's NFL draft profile
Check out some of the top highlights from MarShawn Lloyd's career as a USC Trojan.
Round 3, No. 88: MarShawn Lloyd, RB, USC
My take: Yes, Josh Jacobs signed a four-year, $48 million contract in free agency, but the reality of his contract says he's just going year to year. For example, he has a $5.93 million roster bonus due next March if he's still on the team. A year later, his 2025 base salary spikes to $10.2 million. This isn't to say Jacobs will be a one-and-done, but the point is they could move on and save money at any time after this season if they think Lloyd is ready to be the RB1. After letting Aaron Jones go, the Packers have rebuilt their running back room in a hurry.
Key stats: In his lone season at USC after spending three years at South Carolina (where he sat out the 2020 season with a torn ACL), he broke or evaded 55 tackles, second most in the Pac 12 last season. Over the past two seasons, he broke or evaded 94 tackles, seventh most among all Power 5 running backs. Last season, he averaged 4.4 yards per rush after contact, fourth highest in the FBS.
Round 3, No. 91 (via Buffalo): Ty'Ron Hopper, LB, Missouri
My take: This is what happens when you switch from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defensive scheme. In fact, Gutekunst didn't hide the fact that he would have to add to the inside linebacker room when, earlier this offseason, he said they will "be a little bit more heavy there, so we're going to have to add some numbers." So drafting Lloyd in the third round after taking Cooper in the second round shouldn't have come as a major surprise. Hafley now has some options when it comes to deciding who will line up next to Walker at inside linebacker.
Key stats: While he had 16 tackles for loss (second in the SEC last season), he also missed 18 tackles (third most in the SEC) and had a missed tackle rate of 14% (nearly double the conference average).
What's next: Gutekunst added two more Day 3 picks via his trade back in the second round, giving him eight total picks between rounds 4 and 7. He has a fourth, two fifths, three sixths and two sevenths.
Remaining picks
Round 4: No. 126
Round 5: No. 168
Round 5: No. 169
Round 6: No. 190
Round 6: No. 202
Round 6: No. 219
Round 7: No. 245
Round 7: No. 255
