The Green Bay Packers sent shockwaves through their fanbase on Thursday night when they took Arizona tackle Jordan Morgan with the 25th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Prior to last night, the only offensive player general manager Brian Gutekunst drafted in the first round in any year during his tenure was in 2020 when Green Bay traded up to take now starting quarterback Jordan Love.
There is no denying that Morgan checks most of the Packers’ boxes when it comes to offensive linemen, including the ability to play multiple positions (Gutekunst said that he can play four positions for the Packers). However, some fans and analysts questioned the decision to take him at 25 when the team perhaps could have traded down and still taken him later.
One former NFL coach, six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick, however, had a different take.
6-Time Super Bowl Champion Bill Belichick Praises the Green Bay Packers for Drafting Jordan Morgan
Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was one of the guests on The Pat McAfee Show draft broadcast in Detroit. When the pick was made, McAfee, who last season was highly critical of Gutekunst following the Aaron Rodgers trade to the New York Jets, praised the pick by the Packers, stating that offensive lineman have a higher success rate than any other position in the first round.
Belichick followed up McAfee’s comments with some strong praise for Morgan and the Arizona football program:
Bill Belichick on Jordan Morgan.
“Jordan Morgan is a high quality kid… Very smart. Good pass protector. Very athletic. He’s a good football player… He’s got a good future.” pic.twitter.com/pfNr0lpDmE
— Eli Berkovits (@BookOfEli_NFL) April 26, 2024
“So Morgan, he’s a left tackle all the way. He tore his ACL and then came back and played his senior year at Arizona last year…. But Jordan is really a high quality kid. Very smart. Good pass protector. Very athletic.
“He’s a good football player. He’s a left tackle and I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. You know, he’s got to get stronger in the lower body, but this is a good football player and he has a good future.”
Belichick emphasized the idea that “he’s a left tackle” multiple times because Morgan’s arms are considered about an inch too short for a typical NFL tackle.
Gutekunst, too, addressed Morgan’s arm length when he told reporters, “What makes up for it is their feet and athleticism, and that’s what Jordan has.”
Where Will Jordan Morgan Play for the Green Bay Packers?
While Belichick may view Morgan as a left tackle, the Packers may view him as something more. Of course, it is proven that Morgan can play left tackle on a high level in college, but that is not what made him an attractive pick for the Packers, per say.
As noted earlier, Gutekunst believes that Morgan can play four positions on the offensive line: both tackle positions and both guard positions. The Packers believe in putting the best five overall offensive linemen out on the field, so having positional versatility is important to them.
Morgan could outperform incumbent left tackle Rasheed Walker this offseason and take his spot. Another possibility would be that the Packers move right tackle Zach Tom to center (where they think he can be one of the best in the league) and insert Morgan at right tackle.
Still another option would be to keep Tom and Walker at the tackle positions and have Morgan play right guard.
The fact of the matter is that Green Bay lost three linemen this offseason: David Bakhtiari, Yosh Nijman, and Jon Runyan Jr. Gutekunst got a high-quality lineman in Morgan to help reinforce the team’s depth, but he likely is not done.
Packers fans should not be surprised if he picks one or two more offensive linemen with Green Bay’s remaining 10 picks.
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