The Green Bay Packers' decision to pass on Cooper DeJean and Graham Barton in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft split opinion. They instead selected Jordan Morgan, believing he could play four positions along the offensive line.
Matt LaFleur may need to rethink that strategy. Green Bay's offensive line delivered an embarrassing performance in the team's humbling 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns, and Morgan's play leaves the Packers with a difficult decision.
Injuries didn't help. Right tackle Zach Tom tried to play through injury, a decision LaFleur admitted was a mistake after Tom managed only one play. Left guard Aaron Banks also left the game. But Morgan is a first-round pick, and his performance raises serious questions about his playing time moving forward.
Packers have to bench Jordan Morgan after a nightmare performance vs. Browns in Week 3
According to ESPN's Rob Demovsky, Jordan Love was pressured on 13 of his 31 dropbacks in Sunday's embarrassing loss. The Browns found much of their success against Morgan.
Per Pro Football Focus, he allowed three pressures and a sack, while also being called for three penalties. At times, it was like the Packers were playing with only four offensive linemen. That's how easy it became for the Browns' pass-rushers to get past Morgan.
The Packers haven't helped him, either.
It's hardly ideal for a college left tackle to cross-train at multiple new positions without a permanent home. The Packers had him play at right tackle and left guard during this game. They are polar opposites. It's not only a positional shift, but also requires Morgan to play on the other side of the line, which presents different challenges in terms of technique and alignment.
It follows a concerning trend, with Morgan's play declining.
"Jordan Morgan was my lowest graded Packers player last week... let's just say it's not trending great so far this week," writes Andy Herman of Packer Report.
It's hard to argue with Herman's assessment. Morgan's first regular-season experience at tackle couldn't have gone much worse. He needs to become a full-time guard, with rookie Anthony Belton taking on the swing tackle role.
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It takes us back to draft night in 2024. The justification for selecting Morgan over Graham Barton, who went a pick later to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was that Barton was an interior-only player in the NFL.
Ironically, that perfectly describes Morgan. Barton has proven himself a rock-solid center for the Buccaneers (while also starting two games at left tackle this season), while Morgan's role remains uncertain.
The Packers need to figure out his best position, but for now, others need to get an opportunity.