Mistakes the Packers might end up regretting after 2024 NFL Draft

2. Not doubling up with Payton Wilson at linebacker in Round 3

The stars were aligned for the Green Bay Packers to have one of the best double-up situations in the entire 2024 NFL Draft. Just like Cooper DeJean inexplicably fell to the second round, former North Carolina State star Payton Wilson inexplicably lasted to the late portion of the third round.

In terms of his production and athletic traits, Wilson was a potential first-round player in this class. The issue is, the off-ball linebacker position is being devalued right now, Wilson is going to be an older rookie (just turned 24 on April 21), and he has an extensive injury history.

Alright, passing on him in the second round is no big deal.

But then the Packers had the chance to take him in the third round after selecting Jordan Morgan, Edgerrin Cooper, and Javon Bullard with their top three picks. With the 88th overall pick, Green Bay made the intriguing selection of MarShawn Lloyd -- not a bad pick, and not altogether surprising, but an interesting direction that early.

With the 91st overall pick, surely they would take Wilson since he'd continued to fall, right? Wrong. The Packers opted for Missouri linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper, a former Florida transfer who was a tackle for loss machine in college. Not that the Packers care about the consensus, but Hopper was projected to go somewhere on Day 3 of the NFL Draft, a fifth-round projection for some, while Wilson was predicted to go in the second-to-third-round range.

It felt like the Packers may have missed on a better value there at picks 88 and 91 overall.