Tag: draft picks

Full list of Green Bay Packers picks in 2024 NFL draft

The Green Bay Packers will go into the 2024 NFL draft with 11 picks: Five in the first three rounds, and six on Day 3. Here’s the full list of picks.

The Green Bay Packers will go into the 2024 NFL draft with 11 total picks.

Thanks to a pair of trades, the Packers has five picks in the first three rounds. Thanks to three compensatory picks, the Packers have six picks on Day 3 of the draft.

According to Tankathon, the Packers have the fifth-most draft capital among NFL teams entering the 2024 draft. Green Bay is actually the only team that went to the postseason in 2023 and has draft capital ranking in the top eight of NFL teams in 2024, highlighting the incredible opportunity for Brian Gutekunst to add even more impact players to a young, ascending team.

Here’s the Packers’ full list of picks in the 2024 draft, in order:

First round, No. 25 overall
Second round, No. 41 overall (from Jets)
Second round, No. 58 overall
Third round, No. 88 overall
Third round, No. 91 overall (from Bills)
Fourth round, No. 125 overall
Fifth round, No. 168 overall (compensatory)
Sixth round, No. 201 overall
Sixth round, No. 219 overall (compensatory)
Seventh round, No. 245 overall
Seventh round, No. 255 overall (compensatory)

Notes: The Packers received pick No. 41 as part of the trade that sent Aaron Rodgers to the Jets. They also received pick No. 91 — and traded away pick No. 159 — in the trade that sent Rasul Douglas to the Bills. The Packers received a fifth-round compensatory pick for losing Allen Lazard, sixth-round pick compensatory pick for losing Jarran Reed and a seventh-round compensatory pick for losing Dean Lowry.

The 2024 NFL draft begins with the first round on Thursday, April 25, continues on with the second and third rounds on Friday, April 26 and ends with Rounds 4-7 on Saturday, April 27. Detroit is hosting.

The Saints would be fools to accept this Marshon Lattimore trade offer

The Saints would be fools to accept this Marshon Lattimore trade offer. Trading a great player requires great compensation:

Speculation is picking up on what the New Orleans Saints may do with cornerback Marshon Lattimore this offseason. It makes sense — the pro football world just gathered in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine and Lattimore’s unique contract restructure signaled to teams that he could be available in a trade. But what could the Saints get back from him?

In an otherwise very thorough, informative, and well-conceived analysis of the situation, Over The Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald missed the mark in suggesting what sort of compensation the Saints could hope for in trading Lattimore. When considering what New Orleans might get back, he suggested:

Probably not too much. Jalen Ramsey who was just one year older was traded for a 3rd round pick and a 3rd round tight end who never saw the field in two years. Lattimore is not considered as good as Ramsey and has a far more extensive injury history. Both cases are going to be seen as salary dumps which lessens the value. So you might be looking at something like a 5th round pick being the base compensation. The benefit for the Saints is because this would be a trade that happens post draft it may be easier to get conditions on availability and team success that could get it close to the Ramsey range. The Saints would probably want to get the trade done before the start of camp which would limit their liability in the event of Lattimore being injured in camp.

That would be a major disappointment for Saints fans, and arguably a fireable offense for general manager Mickey Loomis. Great players require great compensation, and a fifth rounder hardly matches that description. Fitzgerald is wrong to characterize this as a salary dump — the Saints aren’t open to trading Lattimore because he’s making too much money. They’re open to trading him because of a conflict with either head coach Dennis Allen or the team medical staff (or both), and the explicit consideration that Lattimore is one of the few assets the team could hope to trade and get back something worthwhile to help rebuild their roster.

And it’s inaccurate to suggest Lattimore is “not considered as good as Ramsey” because if Lattimore isn’t in that conversation, then who is? Even if Lattimore has missed 17 games to injuries over the last two years, he’s tied for the 17th-most interceptions (7) and 14th-most passes defensed (42) among cornerbacks since the 2020 season. Compare that to Ramsey’s 8 interceptions and 30 pass breakups in the same span, with Ramsey appearing in 11 more games. Obviously there’s more to the position than this but it’s disrespectful to Lattimore to undersell his performance like this.

Back to the Saints. It would be absurd for them to accept a fifth-round pick in exchange for Lattimore’s services. He’s worth so much more to the team than what any fifth-round rookie could hope to achieve. Since Jeff Ireland joined the scouting department back in 2015 the Saints have picked just one fifth rounder who spent his entire four-year contract with New Orleans; defensive tackle Tyeler Davison. Each of their other fifth-round picks has flopped, though it’s early for special teams linebacker D’Marco Jackson and second-year safety Jordan Howden.

Still. Unless the Saints are desperate to move Lattimore, and there’s no indication they are without him being granted permission to seek a trade (to say nothing of New Orleans not actively shopping him at this week’s combine), it’s going to take a good offer to pry him away. It has to. It would be unacceptable for Loomis to sell so low on one of the team’s most talented playerse.

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Saints must address these 4 positions this offseason

In order to be better than 9-8 and make the playoffs, the Saints must improve at these 4 positions:

The New Orleans Saints ended last season with a 9-8 record with an easy schedule. Obviously, the team has a lot of room to improve. The first step was adding Klint Kubiak as offensive coordinator. His addition should help New Orleans win with scheme as well as talent instead of relying strictly on the players.

There need to be improvements to the roster as well. There is a lot of uncertainty along the offensive line at a couple of positions. That is the paramount concern as it has the ability to cripple the offense. What are the other biggest positions of need?

List of 49ers 2024 NFL draft picks in each round

A full list of the #49ers’ 11 picks in the 2024 NFL draft, and how they got each one:

After a couple years with no first-round pick, and one year with no first or second-round pick, the 49ers are back at full strength atop the draft with their own selections in each of the first four rounds.

In a crucial draft for San Francisco, they hold 11 picks thanks to a handful of trades and the compensatory pick rules/formulas.

Here’s where each of the team’s 11 picks fall according to the compensatory pick projections from Over the Cap, with a brief bit on how they acquired each selection:

 

2024 NFL draft order: Where do 49ers pick?

The 49ers are back in the 1st round of the NFL draft after a 2-year hiatus. Here’s where they’ll pick:

The 49ers offseason is officially underway and their loss in Super Bowl LVIII officially cemented their place, once again, near the bottom of the first round of this year’s draft.

The good news for San Francisco is that they don’t have to relinquish that pick this year. After skipping the first round in 2022 and 2023 because of picks dealt in their 2021 trade up to the No. 3 pick, the 49ers are back in action with virtually their entire slate of selections in the 2024 draft.

Here’s a look at the 2024 draft order as it sits in the days following the end of the 2023 season:

Trading for Haason Reddick is a risky option for fixing the Saints pass rush

Trading for Eagles Pro Bowler Haason Reddick is a risky option for fixing the New Orleans Saints pass rush, but it could bring big rewards:

It’s no secret that the New Orleans Saints must improve their pass rush. They were one of the worst teams last season getting after the quarterback, and it’s still a major area of concern going into 2024 despite having so many high draft picks invested along the defensive line. The unit has to play better, and adding more players to the mix might be the best path forward.

So here’s an interesting option: Haason Reddick, the Philadelphia Eagles’ sacks leader in each of the last two years. A two-time Pro Bowler, Reddick has taken the quarterback down 27 times over the last two seasons, tacking on 3.5 sacks in the playoffs last year. The 29-year-old has bagged double-digit sacks in each of the last four seasons.

But there are risks involved. Reddick is seeking an extension that the Eagles might not want to pay, which is why NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports the team has given him permission to seek a trade. There’s a year left on his contract but no more guaranteed money. There are pros and cons to the Saints pursuing him.

It would be an expensive move. To start, any team trading for Reddick before June 1 would take on a $15.5 million salary cap hit ($1 million of which comes from a roster bonus due March 15). It’s possible a team could convince the Eagles to pay part of Reddick’s $14.25 million salary, reducing that cap hit, but it would require giving up better draft picks in a trade. The Saints did this in trading for Bradley Roby with the Houston Texans a few years ago and attempted it last season in discussing a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders for Hunter Renfrow.

Let’s say the Eagles reject that proposal, though. So the Saints trade for Reddick and then must figure out their next step. The likeliest move would be a restructure — reducing Reddick’s salary to the veteran minimum and paying the difference as a $14.25 million signing bonus, which would be paid out over five years for cap purposes. Reddick’s 2024 cap hit would fall at about $5.1 million, which is mighty affordable for a talented pass rusher.

The downside? Reddick’s contract expires in 2025, which means he would leave behind roughly $10.4 million in dead money if he leaves in free agency. And the whole reason he’s available is because he’s seeking a trade to a team that will sign him to an extension. It’s tough to see him approving a trade to New Orleans if the Saints are not interested in extending him either.

And let’s get to the other cost of this move — the trade. Beyond the fact that Eagles general manger Howie Roseman has gotten the better of his Saints counterpart Mickey Loomis so often and so badly that Loomis has publicly voiced concern about dealing with him, star pass rushers in their prime aren’t cheap. A good comparison for Reddick at this stage in his career is Khalil Mack, who was traded from the Chicago Bears to the Los Angeles Chargers a few years ago. Mack was a year older than Reddick is now with lesser production in the years leading up to the trade:

  • Khalil Mack 2019-2021: 23.5 sacks, 84 solo tackles (25 tackles for loss), 8 forced fumbles (4 recoveries) with an interception in 39 games (two Pro Bowls).
  • Haason Reddick 2021-2023: 38 sacks, 101 solo tackles (36 tackles for loss), 7 forced fumbles (4 recoveries) in 50 games (two Pro Bowls).

Mack was traded for a current-year second-round pick and a future sixth-round pick. Any deal for Reddick would have to outdo that. Another part of the equation is that Mack still had three years left on his contract when he was traded. Remember, Reddick is looking for a new deal.

While the Saints have a plan to reach salary cap compliance and open up room for new additions, it’s fair to ask whether Reddick makes sense for them. Considering their cap resources, the draft picks they would need to invest in him, and their defensive system, he might not be the best option. Head coach Dennis Allen’s preference for heavyset defensive ends would make the 6-foot-1, 240-pound Reddick an awkward fit. They did find success late last year allowing the 6-3, 225-pound Zack Baun to rush off the edge but only in a limited capacity. There’s a good chance Allen would try to fit a square peg into a round hole and ask Reddick to play in coverage as an off-ball linebacker, which is something he hasn’t enjoyed doing in Philadelphia.

We should expect the Saints to explore all their options in upgrading the pass rush off the edge. Cameron Jordan is past his prime. Young draft picks like Payton Turner and Isaiah Foskey have not produced. Tanoh Kpassagnon is a good veteran to have in the rotation, but Carl Granderson is the only proven commodity in the group. Trading for someone like Reddick might make sense, but the Saints could also consider the free agent market and ultimately wait and see who is available in the draft. The only path that isn’t an option: running it back with things the way they stand now.

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Broncos not projected to get any comp picks for 2024 NFL draft

The Broncos are not expected to receive any compensatory draft picks from the NFL this offseason.

Each offseason, the NFL awards compensatory draft picks beginning in the third round. Clubs receive the comp picks based on a formula that essentially helps teams who lost more than they gained in free agency the previous year.

The Denver Broncos will not receive any comp picks in 2024, according to a projection from OverTheCap.com.

While the Broncos won’t get any comp picks this year, two of their 2023 free agent signings created comp picks for other teams.

The Baltimore Ravens are projected to get a fourth-round pick for losing guard Ben Powers to Denver and the Cincinnati Bengals are projected to get a seventh-round pick for losing running back Samaje Perine to the Broncos last offseason.

Here’s a look at Denver’s projected picks for April’s draft.

Round 1: own pick (12th overall)
Round 3: via NO (Sean Payton trade)
Round 4: via MIA (Bradley Chubb trade)
Round 5: own pick
Round 5: via NYJ (Jake Marin trade)
Round 6: via SF (Randy Gregory trade)

(View the trade explanations here.)

The 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27.

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Over The Cap finalizes comp pick projections, with good news for Saints

Over The Cap finalized their compensatory draft pick projections for 2024, with good news for the New Orleans Saints:

The analysts at Over The Cap finalized their compensatory pick projections for the 2024 NFL draft, with good news for the New Orleans Saints: right now, the Saints are predicted to receive three comp picks in this year’s event. But where will they fall?

OTC’s Nick Korte writes that one of them is basically a coin flip, with the Saints expected to receive a fourth- or fifth-round selection for losing David Onyemata to the Atlanta Falcons last season. Between the contracts and valuation of different qualifying players around the league, that pick should fall either at the end of the fourth round (around No. 134) or at the beginning of the fifth round’s comp picks (roughly No. 166). That’s a big swing, and the earlier that pick slots in, the better for New Orleans.

But that isn’t the only comp pick the Saints are expected to receive. OTC has them netting a pair of fifth-round picks as compensation for losing linebacker Kaden Elliss (to the Falcons) and defensive end Marcus Davenport (to the Minnesota Vikings) last offseason.

Assuming the Saints will get three comp picks in the fifth round (as is OTC’s official projection), here is where New Orleans expects to be picking:

  • Round 1, Pick 14
  • Round 2, Pick 45 (via Denver Broncos)
  • Round 5, Pick 148
  • Round 5, Pick 167 (compensatory)
  • Round 5, Pick 168 (compensatory)
  • Round 5, Pick 172 (compensatory)
  • Round 6, Pick 191
  • Round 6, Pick 200 (via Philadelphia Eagles)
  • Round 7, Pick 229 (via Denver Broncos)

We won’t find out for sure until comp picks are announced later this year, typically the week before free agency starts in March. Keep an eye out for confirmation and the official draft order.

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49ers 2023 draft class one of NFL’s least productive

The #49ers 2023 draft class was one of the NFL’s least productive. Here’s why that matters, and why it doesn’t:

The 49ers were never going to need a ton of production out of their 2023 draft class if everything went well. They entered the draft with a loaded roster and didn’t have a pick until late in the third round. Couple their roster needs with their lack of top-end draft capital and it’s not a surprise San Francisco’s most recent draft class was one of the NFL’s least productive this season.

NFL analytics guru Aaron Schatz laid out the production of all 32 draft classes in a piece for ESPN. The 49ers ranked 30th, ahead of only the Broncos and Cowboys.

Part of the problem with the productivity of this year’s class wasn’t asked to do much. Of their nine picks, only two contributed as starters – kicker Jake Moody and safety Ji’Ayir Brown who took over the starting role in Week 11 after Talanoa Hufanga tore his ACL.

Seventh-round wide receiver Ronnie Bell had at least a special teams role all year while sprinkling in a couple of touchdown catches. Fifth-round picks like cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. and defensive end Robert Beal Jr. both spent most of the season on injured lists before joining primarily as special teams contributors.

San Francisco will now lean heavily on Brown and Moody in the postseason where their production will ultimately matter far more than anything they did in the playoffs.

As long as the 49ers are able to restock their talent cupboard with a couple players from this year’s draft while also getting key contributions from the Brown-Moody duo in this year’s playoffs, the lack of overall productivity from the rookies in 2023 won’t matter much.

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Why 49ers wouldn’t get comp picks if Steve Wilks gets head coaching job this year

Here’s why the #49ers wouldn’t get any draft picks if Steve Wilks is hired as a head coach this offseason:

There’s a chance the 49ers could be looking for a new defensive coordinator for the second time in two years. DC Steve Wilks has received interview requests from the Falcons and Chargers, and depending on how the postseason goes he could become a hot commodity on the coaching market.

San Francisco has done a good job developing coaches who go on to have success as coaches elsewhere, and thanks to the expanded Rooney Rule, when those coaches are minorities who become head coaches, the 49ers fetch compensatory draft picks. That would not be the case if Wilks is hired in this hiring cycle though.

One caveat of the expanded Rooney Rule, which incentivizes the development of minority coaches into head coaches and general managers after decades of failure from NFL teams in that regard, is that the coach must be with a team for two years for the club earn draft picks from their exit.

Here’s the rule via NBC Sports:

The employer-club shall be eligible to receive this Draft choice compensation if:
a. The minority employee hired as a Head Coach or Primary Football Executive has been employed by the employer-club for a minimum of two full seasons; and
b. The minority employee is not the Head Coach or Primary Football Executive of the employer-club and is hired into the same position with the new club. There can be no break in employment between clubs.

Barring some sort of disaster it seems more a matter of ‘when’ than ‘if’ Wilks is hired again as a head coach. His one-year stint in Arizona didn’t go well, but he helped guide a bad Panthers team to a 6-6 record as their interim coach to close the 2022 season.

He’s well-liked by players and he did a really nice job with the 49ers’ defense this season by making some adjustments that got them out of a rut that played an outsized role during the team’s three-game losing skid from Weeks 6-8.

There are a slew of big names and proven NFL head coaches on the market this offseason, but a strong playoff performance from the 49ers’ defense would deservedly put Wilks firmly in the mix as a head coach candidate.

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