The Green Bay Packers know that they have a franchise quarterback in Jordan Love. In his first year as the Packers’ starter following the trade of Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets, Love threw for 4,159 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while completing 64.2% of his passes. He also led Green Bay to a wild card spot and an upset win over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL Playoffs.
Last season, Love was protected by Zach Tom at right tackle and Rasheed Walker at left tackle. Five-time All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari was lost for the season following yet another knee injury in Green Bay’s Week One win over the Chicago Bears.
While Love was, for the most part, held upright by his offensive line in 2023 (30 sacks in 17 games), Walker struggled early in the season before he started to play more consistently late. There were times during games that the 2022 seventh round pick was benched in favor of Yosh Nijman, who signed with the Carolina Panthers this offseason.
Obviously, the Packers were looking for more consistent production at left tackle. With the 25th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, they selected Jordan Morgan, an offensive tackle from Arizona.
The Scouting Report on Green Bay Packers Offensive Tackle Jordan Morgan
According to the scouting report written by Lance Zierlein of NFL.com:
“Three-year starter who displayed his resilience and work ethic by coming back and playing good football after suffering a torn ACL late in the 2022 season. Morgan is both fluid and flexible in space, with the ability to help spring running plays with second-level blocks and play-side lead blocking.
“He fails to secure back-side cutoffs too frequently, but improving his pad level and landmarks might fix that issue. His punch approach diminishes his pass protection length and causes him to lose connection at the top of the rush. He will need to get his hands and feet synced up in order to improve his balance and consistency against athletic rushers.
“He’s a capable run blocker and pass protector, and he features projectable upside with more work. Morgan has the traits and talent to become a solid starting left tackle.”
Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich is widely considered around the NFL to be an offensive line guru. In Green Bay, Morgan’s position coach will be Luke Butkus, the nephew of Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus.
These two coaches will undoubtedly be able to fix the weaknesses in Morgan’s game. That being said, one of Morgan’s strengths is run blocking, something that the entire Packers’ offensive line struggled with last season.
Green Bay Packers Fans Are Not Happy with the Selection of Jordan Morgan
Prior to the Packers’ selection, many fans wanted the team to draft defensive back Cooper DeJean from Iowa, or offensive lineman Graham Barton from Duke, or cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry from Alabama.
The selection of Morgan was not expected, and fans voiced their displeasure on social media:
#Packers#PackersDraft
WTF? pic.twitter.com/GdnSAULSuG— Tweeter Reader 💙💙 Blue America 🇺🇲🗽🇺🇦💉 (@mnelson64) April 26, 2024
I will die on this hill that when it comes to FIRST round selections, the general population knows better than NFL GM’s. Way too many GM’s get cute (specifically the Packers), and the player fans wanted almost always ends up being the better selection.@packers
— Lucas Alward (@AlwardLucas) April 26, 2024
Years from now it will come out the packer intern that was in charge of calling the picks said the wrong the name
— Nick’s bar (@nicksonsec) April 26, 2024
Brian Gutekunst literally committed three felonies right there… if Cooper, Nate, or Kool-Aid aren’t a Packer by Friday, then Brian deserves (REDACTED)
— Ron 🇺🇸🧀 (@Ronvstypos) April 26, 2024
As mentioned, fans were expecting a defensive player like a safety or cornerback in the first round. Considering the fact that Love is the only other offensive player general manager Brian Gutekunst has drafted in the first round during his tenure, it was a reasonable assumption.
Now, another Jordan will head to Green Bay looking to prove fans wrong and his general manager right.
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