No question about how Javon Bullard feels about landing with the Green Bay Packers late in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Bullard did not hold back after receiving a call from the Packers that let him know he would be their No. 58 overall selection. After calmly finishing up his call, he hung up and turned to his excited family, shouting to them, “I’m a [expletive] Packer!”
Bullard is the second safety to come off the draft board in 2024 behind Minnesota’s Tyler Nubin, who went No. 45 overall to the New York Giants, but the Packers likely feel like they got their top choice for the position. The 21-year-old is an instinctive and aggressive defensive back who should pair nicely with Xavier McKinney in the deep field and can also be an asset in the slot, where he played ample snaps in college.
Bullard continues the Georgia-to-Green-Bay pipeline that has emerged over the past several offseasons for the Packers. The team drafted cornerback Eric Stokes with its first-round pick in 2021, then double-dipped with Bulldogs in 2022’s opening round, snagging both linebacker Quay Walker and defensive tackle Devonta Wyatt.
All four former Georgia players could be starters for the Packers defense in 2024.
Javon Bullard Could Be ‘Interchangeable’ for Packers
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has made it clear over the past few months that he wanted a safety in the 2024 draft. Even after the team signed McKinney to a four-year, $67 million contract to be their new deep-field star in free agency, he continued to emphasize their need for another safety. And not just a complementary safety for McKinney, but one who could be “interchangeable” with him for their unit.
“For me, those guys, I’d love to be interchangeable,” Gutekunst said of the safety spot on April 22. “I’d like for them to be able to do everything. I think that really is tough on an offense when those guys can move down inside, they can play the post, they can go in the nickel and cover. I think when you have two guys that can do everything, I think it’ll allow [defensive coordinator] Jeff [Hafley] to be much more efficient.”
Bullard certainly seems to fit the bill. He played more than half of his career (736) snaps as a slot cornerback but also got a significant run in the deep field in 2023, allowing an impressive 34.0 opposing passer rating in coverage across his roles. He needs to work on his missed tackles, particularly when lending support against the run, but he seems to have all the tools to fit what the Packers want and need at the position in 2024.
Packers Address Biggest Needs in Opening 2 Rounds
The Packers have not messed around when it comes to addressing the biggest holes on their 2024 roster. They took Arizona’s Jordan Morgan with their first-round selection (No. 25) as a possible replacement for former All-Pro David Bakhtiari. They also added inside linebacker Edgerrin Cooper earlier in the second round, giving them new blood to account for the departure of De’Vondre Campbell — whom the team cut in March.
Now, with Bullard’s selection, Green Bay has crossed off another major need on the defensive side of the ball and still has 10 more picks in the upcoming five rounds after adding two more picks in a trade-back from No. 41 to No. 45. Talk about resources.
The Packers now have the luxury of being able to target the best player available, if they choose, in the next five rounds. The roster has improved in the first two rounds, but they could still use more depth on the interior of their offensive and defensive lines. Perhaps with all their draft capital, they will look to trade up for someone they love.
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