B+
Green Bay Packers
The Packers let Newton fall into their laps, and walked away with a B+.
by Pack a Day 1 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 18 picks
· 8 steals
· 4 reaches
The Packers spent the weekend waiting on one name, and it fell: Jer'Zhan Newton, the No. 12 name on the board, in the 53rd pick. It nets out to a B+, which feels about right.
Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. The Smith pick is fine in a vacuum, less so with edge rusher and quarterback still on the board.
If Jones pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. They will regret leaving edge rusher for another day if the season turns on it.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 25 they get a potential shutdown corner at a price that makes it sweeter. The biggest hole, addressed.
They will replay Jer'Zhan Newton at slot 53 for years; that is how good the value is. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Graham Barton is a better player than the 58th overall pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. It fills a real need, too.
Somehow Jackson Powers-Johnson was still sitting there in the Round 3 slot, and they pounced on premier offensive lineman value. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They did well to land Mike Sainristil in the 88th pick, just ahead of his grade. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Tykee Smith in pick 91 is fair value, right on his grade. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
A want over a need in Round 4, Pick 24: Maason Smith adds a DT-EDGE while edge rusher and quarterback keeps waiting.
A surprising call. With edge rusher and quarterback still to address, they spent No. 125 on Malik Mustapha, a safety they were not short of.
MarShawn Lloyd in pick No. 126 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Ben Sinnott at No. 135 is a conviction pick that outran the value. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Jarrian Jones at pick 158 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Frank Gore Jr. at Round 6, Pick 24 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A straight-up fair deal on Gabe Hall at the 203rd pick, value and slot in agreement. A need, and now a little less of one.
They talked themselves into Matthew Jones at slot 217, and the board did not agree. The roster fit checks out.
Jawhar Jordan at the Round 6 slot is money in the bank, a running back taken below his worth. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A premium they did not need to pay, Zakhari Franklin a notch or two before his time. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Joshua Cephus in pick 246 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They took Eric Gentry at par in pick No. 247, which is nothing to complain about. It adds depth where they could use a little.