The pick is in, and the Green Bay Packers selected Arizona offensive tackle Jordan Morgan with the 25th overall selection in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Here is what you need to know:
– Morgan measures in at 6-5 and weighs 311 pounds. He posted an elite Relative Athletic Score of 9.24, which includes a 5.04-second 40-yard dash. He does, however, have shorter arms at 32.8 inches.
– With a bit shorter arms, Mel Kiper Jr. mentioned on the ESPN draft broadcast that he views Morgan’s best position as a guard. Morgan is Dane Brugler’s No. 2 guard in this year’s draft.
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– Morgan is an experienced tackle from his time at Arizona. He played almost 2,400 snaps at left tackle. In the last two seasons, he has been effective as both a run blocker and pass blocker. In 2023, specifically, Morgan ranked 19th among all tackles in pass-blocking efficiency and 16th in run-blocking grade from PFF.
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– We all know how important versatility is to the Packers, and Morgan brings that with his tackle experience and ability to play inside. Every time Brian Gutekunst has spoken to the media this offseason, versatility and competition, regardless of the position groups, have been two common themes.
– The big question now is, what does this mean for the offensive line configuration? If I were to make that guess on April 25th, I would say that given that tackle is a premier position and the Packers spent a first-round pick on Morgan, they will give him the chance to play there, whether that be competing with Rasheed Walker at left tackle, or perhaps this gives them the opportunity to move Zach Tom inside.
– With Morgan being viewed so highly as a guard, at least on the outside, we don’t know what the Packers think as of now, they could also have him compete with Sean Rhyan if they want to keep Tom and Walker at tackle.
– These last two bullet points go back to the original point behind all of this–the addition of Morgan gives the Packers options and flexibility, which they absolutely covet along the offensive line.
– The board fell pretty kindly for the Packers. Along with Morgan, Tyler Guyton, Graham Barton, Cooper DeJean, and Kool-Aid McKinstry were among the players available.
– Morgan was the 47th-rated player on Daniel Jeremiah’s big board. Here is what Jeremiah had to say about the pick in his pre-draft report:
“Morgan is a very athletic left tackle with average size. In pass pro, he is quick out of his stance to meet and cover up speed rushers. He can sink his weight and drop levels when bull rushed. He also does a nice job re-working his hands when he gets knocked back to regain leverage. He struggles to redirect inside when facing counter moves, getting beat on that inside shoulder too often. He also will occasionally duck his head, which is correctable. In the run game, he is more finesse than power. He can use his quickness to cut off the back side and he takes excellent angles to the second level to wall off linebackers. He doesn’t have a lot of knock-back power to displace defenders over his nose. Morgan is just over a year removed from ACL surgery, and I’m hopeful he can add more strength/power now that he’s healthy. Overall, he has starting tackle ability.”
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