C+
Green Bay Packers
The jury is out on the Packers. For now, C+.
by Turnereddie5578787 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 14 picks
· 1 steals
· 8 reaches
Nobody else had McCallan Castles anywhere near the Round 6 slot. The Packers did, by 123 spots, and that gap is the whole story. It lands right in the middle: a C+, no more, no less.
The Pearl pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged. It is not that Trotter Jr. is a bad player; it is that the Packers had louder needs to answer first. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through wide receiver.
If Payton Wilson and a couple of the gambles land, hindsight will be kinder than this grade.
Pick-by-Pick
By-the-book stuff, Payton Wilson at the Round 2 slot squarely in line with his ranking. A minor need, but a need all the same.
A surprising call. With wide receiver and interior defensive lineman still to address, they spent pick No. 56 on Jeremiah Trotter Jr., a linebacker they were not short of.
A conviction pick on Patrick Paul at Round 2, Pick 26 that the board grades a round light. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Max Melton at No. 79 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
No edge and no loss on Dadrion Taylor-Demerson in the 87th pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. It adds depth where they could use a little.
A straight-up fair deal on Dominick Puni at the 88th overall pick, value and slot in agreement. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Ray Davis at pick 91 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A big swing on Jarrian Jones at pick No. 98, well ahead of any board in the building. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They jumped the gun on Michael Pratt, taking him earlier than his grade liked. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A tidy little value on Marist Liufau in the 169th overall pick, a step better than break-even. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Javontae Jean-Baptiste in the Round 6 slot is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
McCallan Castles at No. 219 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A premium they did not need to pay, Rasheen Ali a notch or two before his time. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Taking Julian Pearl in Round 7, Pick 35 is close to grand larceny; an offensive lineman that good had no business lasting this long. The roster fit checks out.