As a Green Bay Packers fan, watching the first round of the NFL draft feels like reliving Groundhog Day.
There are several weeks of imagining, investigating, and mocking Then there’s the countdown as the Packers get closer to facing the clock. When the commissioner approaches the platform, a few names frequently come to mind. This year, it was presumably Cooper DeJean, Graham Barton, or Nate Wiggins.
Then the pick is announced, and your facial expression remains unchanged. There is no springing up with an enthusiastic “Yes!” There is no fist bump with your pal. Every year, it’s simply, “Okay, that makes sense, I guess.”
That is not to suggest that the outcomes haven’t been satisfactory throughout the years, but it would be good to be able to feel enthusiastic about the pick for once. I looked at prior No. 1 picks. The last one I was really thrilled about was Clay Matthews in 2009, after trading back into the first round after picking B.J. Raji.
The Packers’ draft version of the Groundhog Day narrative is that they consistently give the intended emotions with their Day 2 picks, and this was true again over the weekend.
Overall, I enjoy the draft a lot. As predicted, Brian Gutekunst replaced the three departing offensive linemen with three rookies. He also finished renovating the safety room with three other people, lead by Georgia standout Javon Bullard, who had the finest response ever when we found out he was now a Green Bay Packer. Two former SEC studs handling the safety positions? I’m in.
Let’s not forget that Bullard was chosen MVP of the 2022 national championship game as a cornerback, so the flexibility he brings to the back end will allow defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to have a lot of fun with his disguises.
Now, back to the first pick. I’m not against Jordan Morgan’s pick. I anticipated them to draft a lineman and mocked Amarius Mims for the Pack, but he was already off the board. I believed Tyler Guyton was the best tackle on the board, but I should have considered how much the organization values versatility, because Morgan can play anywhere but center.
It appears that he will contend for the left tackle position alongside Rasheed Walker. If he can’t defeat Walker, he may be a contender at right guard or tackle if Zach Tom is really considered for center. The Packers began the draft with five dependable linemen. They had predicted starters, but little depth. Morgan and fifth-round pick Jacob Monk provide a lot of competitiveness to the group.
Travis Glover, a tackle from Georgia State, is an intriguing talent who may benefit from more polishing.
I have buried the lede here. My favorite pick of the draft was LB Edgerrin Cooper, whom I came close to mocking for the Packers but eventually decided that Gutey would find value in a later round. For years, I’ve wished for a pair of quick, athletic linebackers like the ones the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers had. With Walker and Cooper, the Packers now have that potential.
Watch his highlights and you’ll be inspired to dream. ESPN’s Louis Riddick exclaimed that the Packers had just acquired the league’s next great linebacker. That is a lofty standard; I will settle for perpetual All-Pro. Cooper becomes part of Aaron Rodgers’ trade compensation package. Here’s hope his performance makes this transaction appear better and better over time.
Adding Cooper and Bullard on Friday was only the beginning. Gutey bolstered the running back corps with third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd. My draft crush was Jaylen Wright, but Lloyd’s potential is too appealing to pass up. It would be surprising if he isn’t Josh Jacobs’ backup when the season starts. A great summer performance might turn A.J. Dillon into a cap casualty.
The last pick on Friday night was a tad disappointing. Missouri’s Ty’Ron Harper was largely projected to be a fifth-round pick, double back on Cooper’s pick. There were a handful of highly rated CBs and edge players on the board, but the Packers strangely skipped those two positions this week, instead selecting Penn State’s Kalen King with their last pick. Oh, great, another K. King on the corner.
Harper spent the majority of his career at Florida before transferring, and while he had an up-and-down career, he finished strong and was named captain of Mizzou in his senior year. That became a motif for this draft class, since six of them were team leaders. The Packers have a kind.
The other two safeties Gutey added on Saturday also served as team captains. Evan Williams was not on my radar, especially because the club moved up 15 positions to make the selection. I was hoping for Iowa State cornerback T.J. Tampa, who was oddly still on the board. However, the Pack appreciates Williams’ aggressiveness, tackling, and blitzing. They expect Hafley will find employment in pressure packages. They clearly need bodies in the safety room, so doubling up here makes logical.
Gutey then tripled down at safety, picking Oregon State’s Kitan Oladapo with pick No. 169, exactly where I mocked him to the Pack (which occurs about as frequently as I pass over a Culver’s drive-thru). He is not as versatile as his other rookie safeties and projects as a strong safety. However, the team feels he can play linebacker.
Finally, I adored Michael Pratt’s pick. The club made it obvious that it wanted to add to the quarterback room, but Pratt appeared to be a late Day 2 or early Day 3 candidate and was not believed to be available in the sixth round. Most draft experts I spoke with feel he has the potential to start for someone down the line. He will challenge Sean Clifford for the No. 2 place and might be a tradeable asset in the coming years.
The league’s youngest roster now includes 11 drafted rookies. The remainder of the division appears to have improved, with good draft classes and two new potential franchise quarterbacks. The NFC North will be challenging, but the Pack did what they needed to do to keep up.
The defense filled two major gaps with an instant starter, and the offensive line has been reloaded. Was the draft exciting? Not really. But, in my opinion, Groundhog Day was a fantastic film and not a terrible way to relive the draft year after year.
