Saddled with back to back picks at the end of the NFL’s 5th round of the draft, Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst got antsy again and made another trade up, just like he did in the 4th to select safety Evan Williams of Oregon. This time, holding the 168th and 169th picks, Gutekunst made a move with the Buffalo Bills to climb up just five spots this time, versus 15 earlier, giving Buffalo the 168th pick and the 219th choice late in round six. The trade up target this time was Duke Offensive lineman Jacob Monk. He is the prototypical Packer prospect. Monk started 58 games for the Blue Devils over his five year career, 34 of them at right guard, 12 at right tackle and 12 more at center. He was very good at every spot. The son of a former Duke star running back, Stanley Monk, Jacob became a two time captain and he also hit the books, graduating in May of 2023 to finish his playing career as a graduate student. The Clayton, North Carolina native grew a little bigger than his dad, a few too many burgers he said, to grow into a 6-3, 310 pound anchor for an offensive line. His ability to play anywhere can give him a leg up on landing a roster spot this summer.
Jacob Monk, OL, Duke.
With the second pick in the round, the Packers took a third safety. Kitan Oladapo of Oregon State. At 6-2 and 216 pounds, he’s the biggest of the three among Javon Bullard and Evan Williams. He swiped a pair of interceptions and broke up 8 passes in his final season for the Beavers and spent twice as much time as a nickel or in the box than he did at deep safety. Another versatile player on the back end for new Defensive Coordiantor Jeff Hafley’s scheme.
Kitan Oladapo, S, Oregon State
At the end of the round, Green Bay’s Vice-President of Player Personnel, Jon-Eric Sullivan met reporters in the auditorium. He talked of building competition at every position with this 2024 draft class. Whether it’s Edgerrin Cooper and Ty’Ran Hopper at linebacker or the three safeties mentioned, Sullivan said the overall team speed on defense is going up….fast.
Comments