Two of the NFL’s best draft pundits, ESPN’s Mel Kiper and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, have rendered judgment on the Green Bay Packers’ draft class. Here are their grades and where they ranked.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper: Tied for 10th
Kiper was among the chorus of people who thought the Packers needed to draft an offensive tackle. “That’s exactly what general manager Brian Gutekunst did” in using his first-round pick on Arizona’s Jordan Morgan.
“Jordan Morgan was a stalwart on the blind side for Arizona who rarely missed an assignment. He blew up edge defenders in the run game and made them look silly in pass sets. He'll be a plug-and-play starter.”
Kiper loved the second-round picks, too, but was much less bullish on the final eight picks.
“On Day 2, I loved the additions of linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and safety Javon Bullard, both of whom I ranked No. 1 at their positions,” Kiper continued. “Cooper can be a three-down defender because of his coverage tools, while Bullard is a do-it-all defensive back who will assist a unit that intercepted just seven passes last season, which ranked 31st in the league.”
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler: 21st
Brugler put the Packers behind the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions, who had the best and third-best classes, respectively, as well as the Vikings, who he ranked 15th.
His favorite pick was Bullard.
“The Packers wanted to overhaul their safety position this offseason,” Brugler wrote. “They did that by adding Xavier McKinney in free agency and Bullard in the draft. With his ability to rapidly read routes and drive on the football, Bullock can play a nickel role or drop and handle coverage in space. The Georgia coaches raved about his competitive confidence and leadership personality.”
His “Day 3 pick who could surprise” was Duke’s Jacob Monk, who the Packers moved up to select in the fifth round. His quickness – physically and mentally – could give him a chance to start at center at some point.
The Packers were thrilled to get the 58-game starter.
“First of all, it gives you another guy that can play center,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “That’s something that we’re always trying to look for is guys that have that ability, whether it’s a guard or a tackle to kick inside and snap the football. So, we’re always trying to cross train somebody in that regard. From everything we heard about the guy in terms of being the alpha in the room, we felt really good about him.”
Meanwhile, Bullard was one of the three favorite picks of the second round by NFL.com’s Chad Reuter because of his fit alongside McKinney.
“His open-field tackling, recognition skills and coverage ability make him a playmaker at a position that often underappreciated until offenses take advantage of below-average performances.
If you want more draft grades, check this out.
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