Going into day three of the NFL draft, Brian Gutekunstand, the Green Bay Packers had seven remaining draft picks. On the first two days, Gutekunst managed to fill some holes in the roster with top-end talent. Teams that fill their needs early often spend their remaining picks on depth or high-ceiling players.
Gutekunst doubled down and solidified the positions he had already addressed in the first two days. Last year, he used a similar strategy when selecting two tight ends, Three Defensive Lineman and Three Wide Receivers. The more swings you take on a position of need, the higher the probability that one of those swings will be a home run.
The Green Bay Packers Add Evan Williams in the Fourth Round
The Packers must have really liked Evan Williams to trade up 25 spots and part ways with a 6th-round draft choice. The more I looked into Williams, the more I understood why Green Bay took a shine to him. He is a physical football player who isn’t afraid to get his jersey dirty. He excelled as a blitzer and run stuffer for Oregon.
Here are a few of the stats that jumped off the page in my research:
- Recorded five sacks in 2023, tied for second in the nation for safeties.
- PFF awarded him an 89.1 Pass Rush grade, which was the 13th best in the country.
- They recorded 35 stops (Defensive Stops – tackles that constitute a “failure” for the offense), which tied for seventh place in the nation regarding safety.
- They were lined up in the box 26 percent of snaps.
5th round Selections
Jacob Monk (Pick 163 in the 5th round)
A lot of Packers fans were holding their breath before the 25th pick. Graham Barton was available, and many fans longed for his name to be called. Little did they know that Brian Gutekunst had plans to take a different Duke lineman in the 5th round. Monk was a five-year starter and two-year team captain—something Gutekunst targeted aggressively in this year’s draft.
PFF was not kind to him in his five-year career, but he showed up for the combine. Monk earned the fourth-highest athleticism score for a Center this year. At Duke, he split time the last two seasons between center and right guard. He allowed 14 pressures and one sack. He has the potential but needs coaching to clean up his fundamentals.
Kitan Oladapo (Pick 169 in the 5th round)
Click on this text and read the attached article. I hate to toot my own horn, but I’m going to make an exception for Kitan Oladapo. I called it way back in February, and I’ll say it again: Green Bay needs playmakers, and that’s what Oladapo is.
Here are some stats from his 2023 season:
2023-
- Total Snaps Played – 789
- Sacks – 2
- Tackles – 63
- Assisted Tackles – 17
- Missed Tackle Rate – 12.1%
- Forced Fumbles – 2
- Interceptions / Pass Breakups – 2 / 7
- Touchdowns – 1
- Opposing QB rating Allowed – 61.3
- PFF Grade – 88.3
The Green Bay Packers Select Travis Glover in the 6th Round
Another versatile offensive lineman. Gutekunst couldn’t get enough of them this year. Glover is a five-year starter at Georgia State. If Gutey can’t get them from Georgia, he goes to the nearest school geographically, Georgia State. All jokes aside, Glover has good size and long arms.
He earned his best PFF pass-blocking grade as a senior last season for the Panthers. He earned an 80.8 pass-blocking grade in the season, with his best performance coming against UCONN in week two. Glover has all the tools to become a solid NFL player, and Green Bay knows how to get the best out of this position.
7th Round Selections
Michael Pratt (245th pick in the 7th round)
It’s not the pick I would have made, but that’s why I’m not an NFL GM. Did the Packers need another quarterback? This pick seems like an opportunity to give Sean Clifford some extra motivation at practice.
Kalen King (255th pick in the 7th round)
I think Kalen King was a steal for the 2024 Packer NFL draft. Don’t take my word for it, though; take a look at some of his highlights.
Green Bay Packers Fill Holes in the Second Round
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