C+
Green Bay Packers
The Packers landed square in the muddy middle: C+.
by emc2feld ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 19 picks
· 3 steals
· 8 reaches
The move everyone will second-guess came early. The Packers reached some 83 spots for Omar Speights, and value like that does not grow back. For now it grades a C+, with the swing picks left to settle the rest.
They banked enough surplus on Estime to cover a lot of smaller sins. That tight end hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. It is not that Cooper is a bad player; it is that the Packers had louder needs to answer first.
Hit on Junior Colson and the swing picks, and this ages a lot better than it grades today.
Pick-by-Pick
Junior Colson in slot 36 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Of all the spots to shop, they chose linebacker. Edgerrin Cooper in the 41st pick leaves tight end for later.
A top-tier edge rusher at a bargain, Darius Robinson in Round 2, Pick 26, plain and simple. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Cooper Beebe at pick No. 67 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It fills a real need, too.
A reach on Roger Rosengarten in No. 88; the board had better options right there. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Devontez Walker in pick 91. The roster fit checks out.
They paid up for Mohamed Kamara at No. 105 when waiting would have done the job. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A market-rate interior defensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on DeWayne Carter. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
No edge and no loss on Malik Mustapha in the 126th pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Isaac Guerendo at pick No. 139 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A straight-up fair deal on Beaux Limmer at Round 5, Pick 4, value and slot in agreement. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Audric Estime in the 169th overall pick is a gift, value that borders on unfair. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Joe Milton III this early at pick 181. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
You do not let a cornerback like Decamerion Richardson reach the Round 6 slot and blink. They did not. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Trey Taylor in slot 219 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
They paid sticker price for JD Bertrand in No. 225, and that is fine. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Omar Speights in the 245th pick, miles early. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
A real head-scratcher, Donovan Jennings in pick 253 is miles ahead of his ranking. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
The board had cheaper options than Jaylon Carlies at the Round 7 slot, and it noticed. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.