B
Green Bay Packers
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Packers a B.
by emc2feld ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 22 picks
· 7 steals
· 8 reaches
The Decamerion Richardson selection is the head-turner. The Packers reached 65 spots for him, and it will define how this weekend is remembered.
That McCaffrey pick is the receipt they will wave around later. The phones were where this weekend was really won. They will regret leaving edge rusher for another day if the season turns on it.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get protection for the quarterback. A clean fit for the roster.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Cooper Beebe at slot 58. A need, and now a little less of one.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Junior Colson at No. 64 is the proof. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
A straight-up fair deal on Max Melton at the 74th pick, value and slot in agreement. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A tidy little value on Dominick Puni in pick No. 91, a step better than break-even. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Zak Zinter in pick 105 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. The roster fit checks out.
They paid sticker price for Ray Davis in the 109th pick, and that is fine. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Cam Hart at the Round 4 slot is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Spencer Rattler at the 126th overall pick is money in the bank, a quarterback taken below his worth. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A conviction pick on Hunter Nourzad at slot 145 that the board grades a round light. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They paid a round early for Malik Mustapha in Round 5, Pick 18, more than the board wanted. A minor itch, scratched.
AJ Barner at pick No. 155 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Luke McCaffrey at pick 202 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Taking Ty'Ron Hopper in No. 203 is close to grand larceny; a linebacker that good had no business lasting this long. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
Jaylan Ford in pick No. 207 is fair value, right on his grade. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Somehow Tahj Washington was still sitting there in slot 208, and they pounced on premier wide receiver value. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Trevin Wallace at the Round 6 slot is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Sam Hartman in the 225th pick, miles early. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A real head-scratcher, Trey Taylor in pick 245 is miles ahead of his ranking. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
They reached into another round for Josiah Ezirim, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It fills a real need, too.
Decamerion Richardson in the 253rd overall pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Kimani Vidal at Round 7, Pick 34 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.