The Green Bay Packers had a busy day on Friday, with one trade down and four picks on the second day of the 2024 NFL Draft. After taking offensive lineman Jordan Morgan in the first round, the Packers prioritized defense on day 2, and three of the four selections were defenders.
The team selected linebackers Edgerrin Cooper and Ty'Ron Hopper, safety Javon Bullard, and running back MarShawn Lloyd.
After these four selections, let's discuss who are the winners and losers in the process.
Winners
Jeff Hafley
If Hafley was a loser on day 1, he's certainly a winner on day 2. He received three players to work with, including two off-ball linebackers — which was certainly the most glaring need of his unit. The new defensive coordinator, who has a background coaching defensive backs, will also have the opportunity to develop Bullard, a hard-hitting strong safety selected to play alongside Xavier McKinney. After day 2 of the draft, Hafley's unit is certainly more capable of playing at a solid level.
Keisean Nixon
After three rounds, the Packers are yet to select a cornerback in the draft. On Thursday, we selected Eric Stokes as a winner. And now, Nixon appears here because it was a range where slot cornerbacks could make some sense.
However, the Packers went in other directions, and it feels like the front office is comfortable with the current state of the cornerback room.
Even if Green Bay takes a cornerback on day 3, at this point it's difficult to imagine Nixon losing his starting job before the regular season.
Devonte Wyatt
The Packers decided not to take defensive linemen so far, and that's good news for Devonte Wyatt, the 2022 first-round pick. He's improving as a player and battling to get more snaps. Last year, he was third in the rotation, behind Kenny Clark and TJ Slaton, but with a higher volume of snaps compared to his rookie season. Without additions to the room, Wyatt can keep his ascending trajectory.
Moreover, the Packers selected Javon Bullard, who is also a Georgia alumni and was a freshman in Wyatt's last year in college, in 2021.
Losers
Isaiah McDuffie
McDuffie was projected to be a starter. Was. The Packers took Edgerrin Cooper in the second round, and the ceiling of the rookie is much higher. Now, the question is who the middle linebacker will be, because that's the spot McDuffie will fight for. However, the most likely option for the Packers is moving Quay Walker from weak-side linebacker to the middle position.
The team also added Ty'Ron Hopper. He's more of a developmental type, but it's still a hard proposition for McDuffie, who played under Jeff Hafley at Boston College.
Emanuel Wilson
Wilson was projected to be the running back 3, after Josh Jacobs and AJ Dillon. Now, his roster spot is in jeopardy. The Packers selected running back MarShawn Lloyd in the third round, so they expect big things from the rookie.
Jacobs has a four-year contract too. AJ Dillon re-signed for one year, and his future is murkier now as well. But Wilson is at best the fourth option, and he will have to fight for a roster spot — at this point, the practice squad seems like a more realistic outcome, unless another team claims him off waivers.
Anthony Johnson Jr.
A seventh-round pick from last year's draft, Johnson Jr. could be the starter alongside Xavier McKinney. But now, he has a strong competition for the job, since the Packers used a second-round pick to select Javon Bullard.
Johnson is a converted cornerback, so he's still learning the safety position. Btt the Packers need answers now, after losing Darnell Savage and Jonathan Owens in free agency and not re-signing Rudy Ford.
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