With their first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft (the 25th overall selection in the first round), the Green Bay Packers took offensive lineman Jordan Morgan from Arizona. The selection was a surprise to many fans and analysts alike. Many of them had been predicting and/or hoping that Green Bay would have selected Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean.
Furthermore, some Packers draft aficionados were surprised by the pick because Morgan does not, according to them, have long enough arms to fit Green Bay’s thresholds for an offensive tackle. They thought that he projected more as an offensive guard based on his arm length and the measurements of Brian Gutekunst’s previously drafted linemen.
The Green Bay Packers Are Going to Give Jordan Morgan a Shot to Earn the Starting Left Tackle Job

Morgan’s arms measure 32 7/8 inches, which according to Bobby Kownack of NFL.com, is nearly a full inch shorter than the 34 inch arms most teams look for in a left tackle.
That is not stopping head coach Matt LaFleur from giving Morgan the opportunity to earn the starting left tackle job. When he was asked about the pick, LaFleur said, “[Left tackle is] what he’s played his whole career (and) he’s played a lot of football.”
On the night of the first round, Gutekunst said he picked Morgan because, “I think he can play all four spots,” referring to each offensive line position except for center.
This has been Green Bay’s tendency for a while now, drafting linemen that can play multiple positions. Elgton Jenkins can play all five positions, as can Zach Tom.
Green Bay Packers Offensive Tackle Jordan Morgan Responds to His Critics

While arm length may not sound like a big deal to some, it is something that Morgan has been criticized for dating back a number of years, as if it were something he could help. Speaking with reporters during the Packers rookie mini camp, Morgan said:
“I get that a lot, the short arms stuff. It’s like, obviously you haven’t watched film. I mean I use them pretty well. I move people off the ball. (And) I pass protect really well, protect the quarterback, I mean see the stats. It doesn’t bother me. I’m just gonna prove everybody wrong.”
That sounds exactly like the kind of person that one would want protecting their franchise quarterback. David Bakhtiari, whom Morgan is trying to replace, was a big fan of the Packers’ first round pick.
If Morgan plays the way the Packers and Bakhtiari believe he will, there are a great many people who are going to be proven wrong.
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