The Green Bay Packers rebuilt the franchise around quarterback Jordan Love in the span of about a year thanks to general manager Brian Gutekunst pulling seven players who where either starters or rotational contributors as rookies in 2023.
They were edge rusher Lukas Van Ness (13th overall pick), tight end Luke Musgrave (42nd overall pick), wide receiver Jayden Reed (50th overall pick), tight end Tucker Kraft (78th overall pick), wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (159th overall pick), edge rusher Karl Brooks (179th overall pick), and cornerback Carrington Valentine (232nd overall pick). That type of value allowed the Packers front office some room to spend in free agency this offseason, and they were able to reel in the top safety available in Xavier McKinney, and one of the best running backs available in Josh Jacobs.
Now, it's critical Gutekunst hits again this April because Love's 32 touchdown passes in his first season as the Green Bay starter were the second-most in the entire NFL, and he helped power the team to an NFC Divisional round appearance with a rousing 48-32 victory over the second-seeded Dallas Cowboys in the wild card round. His three touchdowns and 272 passing yards while completing 16 of his 21 passes led to him registering a 157.2 passer rating, the best single-game postseason mark in Packers history.
Love is eligible for an extension in May and in order for the team to remain competitive with their young quarterback making a market value salary, they'll to continue successfully evaluating, drafting and developing their young talent. Here is one way they could approach the 2024 NFL Draft that would allow them to bolster their offensive line, front seven and secondary around their rising star quarterback.
Team needs: OT, IOL, CB, S, DL, LB, RB
2024 NFL Draft picks
- Round 1: Pick 25
- Round 2: Pick 41 (from Jets)
- Round 2: Pick 58
- Round 3: Pick 88
- Round 3: Pick 91 (from Bills)
- Round 4: Pick 126
- Round 5: Pick 169 (compensatory pick)
- Round 6: Pick 202
- Round 6: Pick 219 (compensatory pick)
- Round 7: Pick 245
- Round 7: Pick 255 (compensatory pick)
Packers seven-round mock draft
Round 1, Pick 25
Cooper DeJean is a versatile, athletic cornerback, aka exactly what the Packers need. He predominantly lined up as an outside corner, but he also spent some time in the slot as well as at inside linebacker and along the line of scrimmage. DeJean is more than capable of playing press man coverage, and he possesses the tools to recover when falling behind in coverage. His zone coverage work is just as good. DeJean routinely keeps his eyes on the quarterback, which allows him to identify plays before the snap. His hands and anticipation are strong as evidenced by his seven interceptions the last two years, including a school single-season record three pick-sixes in 2022. In 2023, he didn't allow a touchdown on 374 coverage snaps. DeJean was even athletic enough to be the Hawkeyes' punt returner, and he thrived in that spot across the last two seasons, leading the Big Ten in punt yards (406) in that span.
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From
New York Jets
Round 2, Pick 41
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst loves having strong depth along the offensive line, and after releasing All-Pro, injury-plagued left tackle David Bakhtiari this offseason, this pick makes sense. He only allowed two sacks on 705 career pass-blocking snaps, and he is the ideal frame for an NFL offensive tackle. His length (arms measuring 34 1/4") allows him to keep pass-rushers at pay along with his powerful grip. Suamataia has great anticipation for countermoves, and is great at negating them by maintaining a strong center of gravity. As a run-blocker, he plays through the whistle with aggression. His presence could allow right tackle Zach Tom to move inside the either right guard or center down the road.
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Round 2, Pick 58
Gutekunst spoke about his desire to place a young guy next to free agent signee Xavier McKinney at safety when talking at the league's owners meetings in Orlando. This pick allows him to do just that. Hicks lined up at a relatively high rate at both the strong and free safety spots at Washington State, possessing a versatility the Packers love.
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Round 3, Pick 88
The Packers need a new RB2 with Aaron Jones now on the Minnesota Vikings and AJ Dillon returning to back up the newly signed Josh Jacobs. However, Dillon is on an incredibly cheap one-year deal, so it wouldn't be surprising for 2024 to be his last season in Green Bay. Benson could be an ideal complement to Jacobs. His 51% forced missed tackle rate in 2022 set Pro Football Focus' single-season record since they started to track the statistic in 2014, among rushers with at least 100 carries in a season. Jacobs will likely get a bulk of the goal line work, but Benson was adept and wrapping up drives with 23 rushing touchdowns since 2022. That figure led the ACC and ranked as the ninth-most in college football across the last two seasons. Given his medical eval goes well, Benson had a brutal knee injury in 2020, then he could easily be a Packer.
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From
Buffalo Bills
Round 3, Pick 91
Christian Mahogany was a right guard at Boston College, and he earned First-Team All-ACC accolades playing right guard. However at the East-West Shrine Bowl, he played left guard and center. Mahogany showcased sturdiness at the point of attack. He can provide nice depth for Green Bay right away.
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Round 4, Pick 126
Leonard Taylor III is a blue chip talent: he was the number four overall recruit in the 2021 high school class, according to 247Sports. However, he picked a poor time to record his worst collegiate season, registering career-lows in tackles (19), tackles for loss (3.5) and sacks (1.0) in 2023. This would be a bet on unrealized potential.
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Round 5, Pick 169
This is one of the best centers in college football. Nugent allowed only one sack in Michigan's 2023 national championship season, which made him a 2023 First-Team All-Big Ten selection and a Rimington Trophy finalist. He stands his ground against the bull rush, and his ability to reach block is better than his athletic testing might suggest. Nugent is a "watch the tape" prospect. The Packers don't take too many of those, but Nugent would be worth it to push center Josh Myers.
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Round 6, Pick 202
Washington State edge rusher Brennan Jackson is Gutekunst's type of player: athletic. His 8.97 Relative Athletic Score was one of the best among edge rushers at the NFL Scouting Combine, and his tape was also solid. Jackson totaled a career-highs with 8.5 sacks (tied for fourth in the Pac-12) and 12.5 tackles for loss (fourth-most in Pac-12), but his pass-rush moves could use refinement. He'll overuse the bull rush at time, but with more coaching, Jackson could flourish.
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Round 6, Pick 219
Green Bay is thin at inside linebacker following the release of former All-Pro De'Vondre Campbell, and Ford has the desired frame to be an every down player at the postilion. He was a First-Team All-Big 12 selection in each of the last two seasons thanks to being a steady tackler and his ability to run deep in coverage with wideouts. Ford also has a nose for the football as evidenced by six career interceptions and four career forced fumbles.
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Round 7, Pick 245
Like they did a year ago at tight end, the Packers double-dip at inside linebacker. Trevin Wallace profiled as one of the most athletically explosive players inside backers at the Combine with RAS of 9.65 after posting strong results in the 40 (4.51 seconds), vertical jump (37.5") and the broad jump (10' 7"). He possesses solid size and high-level burst, which manifests nicely when blitzing. The knock on Wallace is getting off of blocks and playing the run. If he can improve in that area, Wallace could be a huge steal.
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Round 7, Pick 255
The Packers have said they wanted to get competition for Sean Clifford at the backup quarterback spot, so they select Sam Hartman with their final pick in the draft. He has a clean release and is able to adjust his throwing angles well. Hartman can get through route progressions quickly. Hartman's arm strength isn't elite, but he could have the potential to be a steady, game manager type of backup.
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