Round 1: Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona

[humanrefutation]

Discuss.

[Matches Malone]

Not the sexy pick, but I like it. Very smooth lineman that will be able to compete for a spot Day 1.

[XtremeDunkz]

Meh. Hopefully he's good.

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[ReasonablySober]

You guys had me worried it was Barton.

I'm fine with this. If Arnold is as good I think he is though...

[humanrefutation]

He's only a year removed from an ACL tear. Hopefully he'll continue to improve as he recovers.

[Profound23]

Fine with it. Just glad it wasn't DeJean.

[Matches Malone]

Read on Twitter

[WeekapaugGroove]

Read he has good feet and some versatility, so seems like a very packer type lineman.

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[MickeyDavis]

Needed OL help badly.

[LikeABosh]

I thought we needed to invest a high pick for a tackle. But I figured it would be later

Idk. I can't evaluate OL. But the Packers can and they usually pick good ones

[HKPackFan]

OL needed some retooling so the addressed a need. Hopefully the dude is legit.

[Turk Nowitzki]

Completely fine with it. I'm always team O-line. He's right up their alley in that he can potentially play tackle or guard.

[skones]

Do we move him inside or is this part of the rumored Tom shift?

[Profound23]

Really wish Mims fell to us...I wonder if Gutey does too.

[ReasonablySober]

STRENGTHS: Natural knee-bender and stays balanced in his pass sets … NFL-quality feet, body control and size/length … fast eyes to comfortably pass off and pick up rushers … initiates contact in the run game with an aggressive mentality … explosive take off and range when pulling or on outside zone … has the strength in his hands to turn/seal edge defenders … able to re-leverage his body as a drive blocker and when combating bull rushers … trusted by the coaching staff and doesn’t receive much help on the left side … well-regarded as a leader in the program and was named a 2023 captain (Arizona offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll: “Fantastic role model. He’s a beacon in the weight room, the guys follow him and get behind him.”) … after struggling to main tain weight in the past, he added 60 pounds since enrolling at Arizona … stayed healthy as a senior.

WEAKNESSES: Average lateral range and doesn’t always get proper depth as a pass blocker … caught drifting outside, which creates soft inside shoulders (two holding penalties in 2023) … hands are adequately timed but not always forceful to knock away long arms or power-based moves (needs to do a better job breaking contact to aid his anchor) … can be jostled in the run game by side-angle blocks … battled several ankle injuries, including a high left ankle sprain during preseason camp (August 2021), which caused him to miss the season opener and play through pain most of the year; season-ending torn right ACL (November 2022), requiring surgery and leading him back to Arizona for a fifth season … left tackle only in college and doesn’t have in-game guard experience (100 percent of college snaps came at OT).

SUMMARY: A four-year starter at Arizona, Morgan was a constant at left tackle in offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll’s zone -based scheme (Carroll is the son of Pete Carroll and was the assistant offensive line coach for the Seattle Seahawks from 2015-21). After Arizona won a combined five games during his first three seasons on campus, Morgan helped lead the program’s turnaround in 2023 (Arizona won 10 games in a season for just the second time since 1998). A quick-footed blocker, Morgan displays range and aggression in the run game and gets on top of rushers quickly in his jump sets when he uses well-timed hands. His struggles in pass protection come when he is overaggressive with his kickslide and gets too far up the arc, which can create a two-way go for rushers and open the door for inside counters. Overall, Morgan struggles to anchor mid-slide versus power, but he is a balanced mover who is well-schooled and physical in all phases. Though he can survive at tackle in the NFL, his skill set projects much better inside at guard, similar to Matthew Bergeron.

GRADE: 1st-2nd Round (No. 29 overall)

Morgan is a smooth-moving prospect whose best position in the NFL might be guard. His track and field background gives him natural balance and core strength for good change-of-direction ability. His arm length isn’t elite for offensive tackle play, but it should be adequate. While his footwork is fast, the strides in his kick slide are short. His hand placement, patience and football IQ are all pluses.

Though listed at 325 pounds, he lacks density and strength. Bull rushes can overwhelm him if they come at an angle, and though he has the foot speed to stay in front of pass rushers, he doesn’t have the natural strength to redirect their momentum.

[Mags FTW]

They didn't use up all of their time, so they must really like him and they know more than me.

[MVP2110]

Taking an interior OL over DeJean is a choice. Morgan was my 33rd overall rated player. I don't hate Morgan but man, DeJean was my #8 prospect

[LUKE23]

If he can legitimately only play guard I absolutely hate this pick.

[RiotPunch]

Gutey loves versatility on the line. Must think he can hang outside to draft this high. In principle I don't hate it, just felt like a bit of a reach.

[HKPackFan]

Packers don't take OL in the first round much.

2011 Derrick sherrod was the last... But to be fair.
2010 Bryan Bulaga was solid.

Then a huge gap until:
1997 Ross verba
1996 Jon Michaels.