Here's what the Packers got in the 2024 NFL Draft

GREEN BAY – The Packers exited the 2024 NFL Draft with 11 players, and a whole lot of what they were looking for.

Versatility: First-round offensive lineman Jordan Morgan will begin his career at left tackle but is capable of playing tackle or guard on either side, while fifth-rounder Jacob Monk (center/guard prospect) and sixth-rounder Travis Glover (swing tackle) played multiple spots in college.

"We'd love to have our entire (O-line) group be able to play all five spots," General Manager Brian Gutekunst said. "I think we've done a good job of getting close to that."

At linebacker, second-rounder Edgerrin Cooper and third-rounder Ty'Ron Hopper are rangy run-stoppers and adept in coverage, able to handle the strong or weak side.

At safety, second-rounder Javon Bullard and fourth-rounder Evan Williams are viewed as three-position players, both safety spots and nickel corner, while fifth-rounder Kitan Oladapo can play deep or in the box.

Position flexibility is a trait the Packers not only seek but highly value in building their draft board, for good reason.

"This game is a war of attrition at times. You know you're going to have injuries," vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan said. "You get those movable pieces and you can plug guys in and get your best four, five or six, whatever package you're in, on the field."

Leadership/character: Morgan at Arizona, Hopper at Missouri, Williams at Fresno State (before his transfer to Oregon), Monk at Duke and Oladapo at Oregon State were all team captains during their college careers.

That status alone helps the Packers know the types of players they're introducing to a locker room of established pros.

Depth and competition: Morgan, Cooper and Bullard could become immediate starters. Who knows, maybe Hopper too. The one with the best shot might be Cooper in new coordinator Jeff Hafley's defense, which has received an injection of speed.

"His speed is different," Sullivan said. "When he hits the gas and he's running things down, there's a 'whoa' factor to that."

At a minimum, that group will challenge the veterans in front of them to hold onto their starting spots.

Throw in third-round running back MarShawn Lloyd plus two seventh-rounders in QB Michael Pratt and cornerback Kalen King, that makes three more right in the mix for top backup jobs.

"I'm a firm believer that you can never have enough competition," Head Coach Matt LaFleur said. "It's going to bring out the best in somebody in that room. I do think when our guys are pushing one another, they're going to get better."

That approach paid massive dividends last year at wide receiver and tight end, two positions infused with a ton of young talent that had to battle it out for playing time. Opportunities were given and seized, and other positions will see similar treatment this year.

"We've invested in some guys that are made of the right stuff the last couple years, and they're not OK sitting over there (and watching)," Sullivan said, explaining how part of the Packers' scouting process is to find out how prospects will respond to such high-level competition.

"Comfort in this game is your greatest enemy. None of these guys are comfortable. That wide receiver room, nobody's cool just … they all support each other, but everybody wants to be out there making plays and when their time comes, they feel like they're the guy to make it."

Bigger picture, three offensive linemen, three safeties and two linebackers from this draft have rebuilt the depth at positions in need of reinforcements after a long list of veteran departures. The newfound depth at those defensive spots in particular will provide help on special teams, too.

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So, in a nutshell of sorts, that's what the Packers got. But where did they find it?

Interestingly, a lot this year was found at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., in January. Eight of the Packers' 11 picks competed there and a ninth was invited but was injured at the time.

Getting a chance to see so many of the draft's top prospects compete against one another in a week of practices is an invaluable piece of the overall evaluation pie.

"Not only the competition on the field, seeing really good players go against really good players in drills, but our ability to talk to them, interview them and be around them in that competitive environment, there's really not a much better evaluation phase for us," Gutekunst said. "So it's very important."

They learn more about their mental makeup beyond what the area scouts uncover in the multiple campus visits they make throughout the college seasons, too.

"The willingness to compete and put themselves in that environment … that's not an easy thing to walk out onto that Senior Bowl practice field with all these NFL people judging you," Gutekunst said. "To a) choose to do that and b) compete at a high level when you're out there, if none of that's going to phase you, that says something to me."

Possibly when the dust settles, the youngest team in the NFL in 2023 has gotten younger in 2024. That remains to be seen.

But there's little doubt the Packers have filled roster holes and challenged a still-developing and contending team to keep moving forward.

"I feel like we got better these last three days," LaFleur said.

That's the idea.

"At the end of the day, they gotta show up and play," Sullivan said. "Everybody loves 'em today. But we feel pretty good about them doing that."