B
Green Bay Packers
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Packers a B.
by JanellePhalen12 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 17 picks
· 2 steals
· 5 reaches
Give the war room a raise for the dealing alone. The Packers came out ahead on every exchange that mattered, and it was not close. Call it a sensible B, earned the boring way.
They are betting Henderson proves the room right and everyone else wrong. They punted on wide receiver, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
The Packers indulged a want in Hicks while a need in wide receiver and interior defensive lineman stayed open.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 27 they get a press-man option on the boundary, even if it was a touch early. Exactly the need they had to hit.
They paid sticker price for Kris Jenkins in pick 41, and that is fine. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A premium they did not need to pay, Trey Benson a notch or two before his time. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Mike Sainristil at the 88th overall pick is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A straight-up fair deal on Tykee Smith at slot 92, value and slot in agreement. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
They zigged when the board said zag, taking Jaden Hicks at safety with wide receiver and interior defensive lineman open.
Tommy Eichenberg at the Round 4 slot is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A minor need, but a need all the same.
A quiet steal in No. 129: Sataoa Laumea for less than the market said. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They liked Javion Cohen enough to skip the value, taking him in No. 135. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Value said wait; LaDarius Henderson in pick No. 137 says they were not listening. The roster fit checks out.
By-the-book stuff, Layden Robinson at Round 5, Pick 20 squarely in line with his ranking. A need, and now a little less of one.
Michael Barrett in the Round 6 slot is fair value, right on his grade. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
Good price on Jared Wiley in slot 202, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Sam Hartman at the 203rd pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Jalen Green at the 217th overall pick is money in the bank, a safety taken below his worth. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
A clean, defensible pick in pick 219 with a little surplus value in Brevyn Spann-Ford. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
No edge and no loss on Donovan Jennings in pick No. 246; it is a wash and a sensible one. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.