The Green Bay Packers addressed their most pressing issue months before the 2024 NFL Draft by signing safety Xavier McKinney. With the draft approaching, it appears the Packers’ front management has spent substantial time this offseason analyzing another defensive position.
Last season, Green Bay’s defense was considered as a letdown, prompting the firing of defensive coordinator Joe Barry and the replacement by Jeff Hafley. Following Hafley’s hire, the Packers made McKinney one of the highest-paid NFL players at his position to address a vacuum in Hafley’s system.
However, there is a lot more work to be done. Green Bay values having more depth at edge rusher, and the issue must be addressed after Kingsley Enagbare suffered an ACL tear in January. Beyond pass rushers, the Packers have several more needs on both sides of the ball.
According to ESPN’s Jordan Reid, the offensive line and cornerback positions are among the top draft needs for the Packers in 2024. However, the NFL Draft analyst indicated that Green Bay is really interested in off-ball linebackers.
“But I’ve also heard that the team has put a lot of effort into the linebacker class, and finding a running mate for Quay Walker in the middle of the defense appears to be a top goal. Edgerrin Cooper of Texas A&M may fit with two second-round picks (numbers 41 and 58). And if Green Bay waits until Day 3 to address the problem, people I’ve spoken with have mentioned Kentucky’s Trevin Wallace.
Green Bay is extremely unlikely to use the 25th overall pick on a linebacker, in large part because there is no off-ball linebacker in 2024 that is regarded as a first-round prospect. However, the issue might be addressed on Day 2 because the Packers have two second-round picks and two third-round picks.
Our early Packers draft projection for 2024 is that the team will select an offensive lineman in Round 1, followed by a cornerback in Round 2. After that, either the 58th overall pick (Round 2) or the 88th overall pick (Round 3) might be utilized to select an off-ball linebacker to start with Quay Walker.
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