Another draft, and another wave of players to hit the roster in Green Bay. Brian Gutekunst has an affinity for players from the SEC, and he tapped back into the powerhouse conference in the latest NFL Draft.
Packers Tap Into This College Football Powerhouse Conference With Latest Draft
The Georgia Pipeline
The 2024 NFL Draft made three out of four years where the team selected a player out of Georgia in the first or second round. With the Georgia pipeline now established in Green Bay, you could consider the Packers as the Bulldogs of the north. Brian Gutekunst double-dipped in the draft two years ago by selecting two stars from the Georgia defense. So far, Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt are becoming feature pieces of the defense. With Eric Stokes, Carrington Valentine, and Kingsley Enagbare all playing key roles on defense, the SEC is well-represented in Green Bay.
In the 2024 NFL Draft, Gutekunst returned to the well and selected Javon Bullard to beef up the safety room. Even after signing Xavier McKinney to a big contract, the team needed help at safety. Bullard gives the Packers defense a player who can occupy various roles in the secondary. At Georgia, Bullard played the STAR role as well as safety. With Jeff Hafley prioritizing players who can make plays near the line of scrimmage, Bullard could make an immediate impact. As a ball-hawk who can lay the wood, Bullard fits perfectly in Hafley’s defense.
Adding Bullard to the mix gives the Packers four former Georgia Bulldogs who are expected to play a significant role on defense. With the new identity of this defense taking shape, it makes sense that the Packers tapped into the powerhouse that is the SEC.
Adding Speed At Linebacker
The Packers entered this off-season with a gaping hole at linebacker. After letting De’Vondre Campbell walk in free agency, Green Bay needed a linebacker with the range and physicality to play all three downs. Before landing Bullard, the team targeted Edgerrin Cooper to beef up their linebacker room. Cooper made his mark in the SEC with his downhill style of play. Unafraid to get his nose dirty at the line of scrimmage, Cooper was impactful enough at Texas A&M to be named First-Team All-America in 2023. As a junior, he led the SEC in tackles for a loss and made his presence felt as a blitzer.
One of Walker’s best attributes is his sideline-to-sideline speed. With Cooper in the mix, Hafley can find ways to cook up blitzes for both linebackers and generate more pressure on the quarterback. Finding Cooper in the second round was good value for Green Bay.
Even after landing Cooper, the team doubled down at linebacker later in the draft. With Ty’Ron Hopper, the defense gets another rangy linebacker who can diagnose plays well in the run game. At Missouri, he broke out as a senior and came into the draft as a player to watch. Green Bay tapped back into the powerhouse conference that is the SEC and potentially landed a cornerstone piece for the defense.
