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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Zach Kruse

Jordan Morgan follows Brian Gutekunst’s first-round trends

The Green Bay Packers taking Arizona offensive tackle Jordan Morgan at No. 25 overall might have caught some surprise during the end of Thursday night’s first round, but Morgan — a young, elite athlete with versatility — perfectly fits what general manager Brian Gutekunst has looked for in a first-round pick since taking the job in 2018.

Like all but one first rounder before him, Morgan is 22 years old or younger and has a Relative Athletic Score above 8.0 — 9.24 out of 10.0 as an offensive tackle and 9.83 out of 10.0 as a guard. Under Gutekunst, the Packers have prioritized finding young, elite athletes in the first round to maximize potential and return on investment at a crucial part of the draft.

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Here’s the new updated first-round chart for Gutekunst:

Year Name Pos School Pick RAS Age
2018 Jaire Alexander CB Louisville 18 9.54 21
2019 Rashan Gary EDGE Michigan 12 9.95 21
2019 Darnell Savage S Maryland 21 8.35 21
2020 Jordan Love QB Utah State 26 8.46 21
2021 Eric Stokes CB Georgia 29 9.38 22
2022 Quay Walker LB Georgia 22 9.63 21
2022 Devonte Wyatt DL Georgia 27 9.60 24
2023 Lukas Van Ness EDGE Iowa 13 9.39 21
2024 Jordan Morgan OT Arizona 25 9.24 22

Gutekunst said the Packers debated moving down in the first round but ultimately felt Morgan was too good to risk losing.

“Where we had him valued, this was a pretty easy decision for us,” Gutekunst said.

Morgan isn’t just young and athletic — he fits what the Packers look for in an offensive lineman. He started 37 games in college at left tackle, ran the 40-yard dash in 5.04 seconds and put up 27 reps in the bench press. Experienced, fast and strong. He might fit better by moving inside to guard, where his lack of arm length could be negated some, but the Packers believe he can play both tackle spots and both guard spots at the next level. Gutekunst called him a four-position player along the offensive line.

“Having guys who can play multiple spots that are athletic enough to do it and strong enough to do it and smart enough to do it, it gives you a lot of comfort,” Gutekunst said.

Morgan’s arms measured in at just under 33″ long. It wasn’t a worry for Gutekunst and the Packers.

“The longer the better, but we’ve had a bunch of guys who have played outside without prototypical arm length and been fine. What makes up for it is usually feet and athleticism, and that’s what Jordan has.”

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