Packers’ Year 2 surge is turning into a silent arms race of rising stars and clutch plays that could push this season’s ceiling higher than anyone expected.QQ
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst made 11 picks in 2024.
Draft and develop. That’s how the Green Bay Packers work, and that’s how things will continually be under general manager Brian Gutekunst. Last year, the team had 11 draft picks, and while it’s impossible to hit on every one of them, the Packers have had major contributions from several of the players selected in 2024.
Now, they are reaching the prime part of their rookie contracts — when they are still young, still cheap, but have more NFL experience to become major parts of the team. Therefore, pick by pick, let’s see how the Packers’ 2024 draft class has done so far.
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Packers’ 2024 draft class
- Jordan Morgan
- Edgerrin Cooper
- Javon Bullard
- MarShawn Lloyd
- Ty’Ron Hopper
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Jordan Morgan
The Packers themselves admitted that Morgan’s development was somewhat hindered by moving him all around the offensive line, and the plan was weird to begin with. In training camp and preseason, he battled with Rasheed Walker for the left tackle job — and you can argue that he won the battle. However, because of injuries along the line, Morgan had to start the year playing at guard, and that gave Walker time to get his LT job back for the regular season.
Eventually, Morgan took the right guard job away from Sean Rhyan, but now has lost it to second-round rookie Anthony Belton.
Throughout his two seasons in the NFL, Morgan has played 478 snaps at right guard, 256 at left guard, 30 at right tackle, and one as a sixth offensive lineman. Curiously enough, the most reasonable projection is that he’ll eventually start at left tackle, since Walker is in the final year of his rookie deal.
Edgerrin Cooper
Cooper was a part-time player as a rookie, but what an amazing part time that was — and he ended up on the All-Rookie Team. This year, he hasn’t been as efficient (or even utilized) as a blitzer as much or as well, but he still has generated nine pressures and has a similar passer rating allowed when targeted (93.7). It’s a transition moving into a full-time role as a starter alongside Quay Walker, but Cooper is a solid, developing player with star potential.
Javon Bullard
As a rookie, Bullard moved in-season from deep safety to nickel corner and that has a price. But in his second season, the versatile defensive back has been one of the most improved players on the entire roster. Most of his snaps come in the slot, and his passer rating when targeted dropped from 121.4 to 88.4. He is still helpful in run support, but his development in coverage is just massive — and his ability to stay on the field for all three downs gives defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley a lot of schematic flexibility.
MarShawn Lloyd
That’s certainly the most frustrating pick of that class. Lloyd has played only one regular season game so far in his career due to an insane amount of injuries. He’s spent this regular season on injured reserve, but at least the Packers have taken steps to avoid new future injuries and designated him for return — a first positive indication that Lloyd will still be able to eventually become a contributor. The coaching staff still has high hopes for the speedster, especially because of how complementary his skill set is to Josh Jacobs’.
Ty’Ron Hopper
Hopper basically didn’t have a defensive role as a rookie and is now the fourth off-ball linebacker on the roster behind Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper, and Isaiah McDuffie. So he’s had only 56 defensive snaps. But there has been improvement in his game, especially in tackling. Hopper brings a lot of value as a special teamer, though, and he’s had nine tackles. The linebacker can play kick return, kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units.
Evan Williams
Kudos to Packers defensive backs coach Ryan Downard, because just like Javon Bullard, Williams has taken a major step. He was already good in his first season, making the All-Rookie Team alongside Edgerrin Cooper, but he’s playing at a Pro Bowl level at this point. In addition to allowing an 82.8 passer rating when targeted, Williams has been extremely aggressive and effective in the run game. While the Packers traded up to get him in the fourth round and that was seen as a reach at the time, Green Bay was proven to be correct about its evaluation.
Jacob Monk
The Packers took Monk with a plan to make him a long-term center, but he hasn’t shown much. In preseason, he’s played 100 snaps at center, 93 at right guard, and 29 at left guard, but the coaching staff used Kadeem Telfort and Travis Glover at guard over Monk in the playoffs last season when injuries piled up. He’s still on the roster, but the early evidence isn’t good.
Kitan Oladapo
Oladapo is mostly a special teamer, even though he was solid when had to play defense. But just because the Packers have Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, and Javon Bullard, Oladapo becomes almost exclusively a special teamer. He’s had three tackles this year.
Travis Glover
Glover is a developmental and versatile offensive lineman. As a rookie, he played four snaps at right guard and nine at right tackle in the regular season and was decent, but he had a nightmare performance stepping in during the playoff loss to the Eagles and was quickly replaced by Kadeem Telfort. He suffered a tear to his latissimus dorsi muscle, missing the entire 2025 season, but he’s under contract for two more years.
Michael Pratt
Pratt competed for the backup QB job last year with Sean Clifford, but both lost when the Packers traded for Malik Willis. Green Bay opted to keep Clifford on the practice squad, though, and Pratt went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After spending his rookie season and his second training camp in Tampa, he was waived back in August with an injury settlement and has been out of the league since.
Kalen King
King looked like a viable slot corner, but he never got many chances in Green Bay. Waived during final cuts this year after spending his rookie season on the practice squad, he decided to go to the Carolina Panthers. He’s now on the practice squad there, but had a short stint on the active roster too.
