Morgan, Bullard, and Belton: Re-thinking Expectations for Early-round Draft Picks?

[Fritz]

Up until a couple days ago, I've been thinking that both Jordan Morgan (first round) and Javon Bullard (second round) are real disappointments in this second training camp. My thinking has been that if you're a first or second round draft pick in the NFL, the expectation is that you'll be starting by your second year. Sure, a year to acclimate, but I thought you picked those early guys to be your studs, your starters.

Yet neither of these two guys is. Morgan was (supposedly) drafted as a tackle, a left tackle, I think, but he's not pushing the okay-but-kinda-average Rasheed Walker for the starting spot. Sure, you can say that other positions require Morgan's services more, but really? Banks was signed to be the left guard, period. Rhyan played reasonably well at right guard last year, and Monk is coming along there, too. Tom is locked in at RT, and Jenkins at center. So Morgan seems to be training as a kind of super sub. But do you really draft an offensive lineman - or anyone, for that matter - in the first round to be a substitute, even a jack-of-all-trades substitute? Is that what first round picks are supposed to do? I thought the expectation is that he'd be a starter by year two, period. Either demonstrably better than Rasheed Walker or Sean Rhyan. But no.

Bullard was drafted as a safety in the second round, but clearly he's been beaten out by Evanescent Williams. The talk was Bullard would get a shot to unseat Williams in training camp, but that hasn't happened so far at all. And of course last year, Bullard played the slot, mostly, but he got picked on over the middle many times - he just doesn't have the speed. So now he, too, is a super-sub - first safety off the bench, first slot corner off the bench once Halfley realizes that Nixon-Hobbs-Valentine is better than Nixon-Bullard-Hobbs.

Then I read an article a couple days ago about Anthony Belton - how the Packers are training him at LT, but that they want him to be able to play multiple positions once he's settled in. So . . . have I been thinking about first- and second-round draft picks the wrong way? Is it a new trend, to draft guys who can play multiple positions pretty well, as opposed to drafting a guy to lock down his one position?

I'm pondering if the NFL has changed its approach, if the game itself has changed, and I'm behind the times in my thinking. Or if Morgan and Bullard are just not panning out. Or both.

What do you more intelligent Packer Rats think about this?

[Joemailman]

I think the Packers stress O-linemen being able to play multiple positions more than most teams do. I don't think that reflects on the player. Sounds like Morgan is playing pretty well, just not at the position(s) he was expected to play at. That's not on him. Where they end up playing Belton might depend on what happens in the offseason. R Walker and Rhyan are in contract years and Jenkins has a base salary of 18.5 million next year.

Bullard does seem king of an odd man out. His main role seems to be playing slot against run oriented teams. Probably not what they had in mind when they drafted him. But he's played one year and 1 week of training camp. Not every good player excels right away.

[texaspackerbacker]

Belton is a road grader, and I'm thinking he will have an excellent career. Morgan represents the other way of doing things, and I have distinctly less hope for him.

If Bullard had been drafted lower, he'd be a pretty good pick. Average him out with Evan Williams and maybe a couple other guys, and the group is at least serviceable.

[bobblehead]

The Packer way is maddening to say the least. I have no idea what they are thinking along the OL to be honest. If you wanted an interior lineman then I would have taken Barton who went immediately after Morgan. He could be a tackle in a pinch, but was suited for interior and is playing C for TB right now I believe. Morgan has the body type for a traditional packer G, but the skillset of a tackle. If you want him on the interior it was always going to take a minute.

Here is what I think happened. We got bullied by Det/Phi OLs. MiLF always looking to copy success decided bigger and stronger was the way to go. Suddenly we sign Banks and draft 2 guys who were among the biggest OL we have drafted in forever. Now what we have is a disjointed philosophy with a roster full of guys who play differently. "Cross training" isn't a new thing on our OL, but to be honest some guys can do it and some can't. Some guys can swap sides, some can't. Tom is probably the best of all worlds, but from what I've seen Elgton can play anything C-left. He wasn't as good on the right side. Morgan played LT since pee wee football (I exaggerate). I have no idea why they thought that he could bounce around other than he fit their ideal height/weight and was a plus athlete. Its not like anyone ever saw him lineup anywhere besides LT.

I don't mind drafting a guy in the 4th and seeing what he can do at other spots, but when you use first/second round capital you should be pretty sure you are getting what you are expecting.

I hate the way we draft. Bullard is a hybrid who wasn't super productive at either spot. Lloyd has talent but was way outproduced by several backs that went well after him. Same for Golden who is lighting, but wasn't super productive. Cooper seems to be turning out, but he and Quay both play a low premium position where most teams can find value all over the draft. Gary and Van Ness were very unproductive and Van Ness last started a game in high school.

I just think Gutes reminds me of the guy who buys some boutique specialty handgun no one has heard of because he doesn't want to be like everyone else and buy a glock or a sig. Then he whines when it jams at the range.

[Bretsky]

To me Morgan has been a disappointment from day 1. And I hope he turns into an alll pro. I think he showed very littie and TC and they realized pretty fast he wasn't remotely ready to play LT yet and a very average at best LT was far superior to him. The homers will note GB never really gave him a shot at LT; but I listened to enough about TC to beleive he just didn't look all that good so there was a reason he was platooned at OG...cause he didn't look good enough to play Tackle.

I'm not sure what I think about Bullard; but so far he isn't playing up to where he was drafted.

SPEAKING of POTENTIAL FIRST ROUND BUSTS< IT'S TIME FOR ME TO MAKE A SPICY POLL ABOUT THE GREAT WHITE HYPE !!!

[Bretsky]

and there is NO UNIVERSE, NO WAY, Gutebag wants to pay Rasheed Walker big Moolah to be an OT.

Hope we have his replacement somewhere as I don't wanna take an OT again next year in round one

[Joemailman]

and there is NO UNIVERSE, NO WAY, Gutebag wants to pay Rasheed Walker big Moolah to be an OT.

Hope we have his replacement somewhere as I don't wanna take an OT again next year in round one

I fully expect Morgan or Belton to be the LT of the future, if not the present.

Hope you're as wrong about the Great White Hype as you were about the Fresno Fraud.

[Fritz]

Still hoping someone can shed some light on this topic. Bobble seems to have come the closest so far. Maybe Joe on Morgan.

[run pMc]

They aren't going to extend Walker. They are going to give him a chance to hang onto the starting spot though. He's earned it by way of staying healthy and being at lease serviceable over the last two seasons.
Someone is going to offer him a 3yr/$70M deal and Gute is not going to match it. There's too much investment in Banks, Jenkins and Tom PLUS all the draft picks.

Morgan is going to get a shot at LT, if he stinks then they move another player in there...whether it's Belton, Tom, or a draft pick. It sounds like he's been doing okay, he's not a bust yet. He had a bad shoulder last year which is a long term concern but until that happened he was looking like he was going to replace Rhyan last year at RG. I thought they'd move Belton inside right away, but giving him at least a shot at T makes some sense. Might as well see if he can do it, although I'm not convinced. He and Morgan should see a lot of time in preseason.

If Belton and Morgan are your OL6 & 7 this year that's fine. They are both the presumptive starters at LT and RG next year. A little late on your investment with Morgan, but not terrible.


Bullard was one of the top safety prospects in the draft last year. I think they moved him around too much. The closer he to the LOS the better he is, he's fine at slot on early downs at a minimum. Evan Williams emerging as a promising rookie is what pushed Bullard out of starting safety, but I think Bullard could probably sub in there. He's got a year in the system and Hafley knows what he's got there. Bullard might even take a Year 2 jump. It's way too early to call him player a bust.

I don't think they draft these Day1/Day2 guys to be backups, but I don't think making them wait a year or even two before they are starters makes them bad investments. Even if you get 2 years of Jordan Morgan as a starting LT, on a rookie contract that's a big savings vs. what you'd pay Walker on a second contract.
I think Gute expects them to challenge the starters.

Remember: in the wake of the Davante and Rodgers trades they had a lot of extra draft picks, so they now have a lot of depth and competition. The path to be a penciled in starter is harder than most other teams. Is Golden a bad pick if he doesn't start week 1 over Wicks?

[Fritz]

They aren't going to extend Walker. They are going to give him a chance to hang onto the starting spot though. He's earned it by way of staying healthy and being at lease serviceable over the last two seasons.
Someone is going to offer him a 3yr/$70M deal and Gute is not going to match it. There's too much investment in Banks, Jenkins and Tom PLUS all the draft picks.

Morgan is going to get a shot at LT, if he stinks then they move another player in there...whether it's Belton, Tom, or a draft pick. It sounds like he's been doing okay, he's not a bust yet. He had a bad shoulder last year which is a long term concern but until that happened he was looking like he was going to replace Rhyan last year at RG. I thought they'd move Belton inside right away, but giving him at least a shot at T makes some sense. Might as well see if he can do it, although I'm not convinced. He and Morgan should see a lot of time in preseason.

If Belton and Morgan are your OL6 & 7 this year that's fine. They are both the presumptive starters at LT and RG next year. A little late on your investment with Morgan, but not terrible.


Bullard was one of the top safety prospects in the draft last year. I think they moved him around too much. The closer he to the LOS the better he is, he's fine at slot on early downs at a minimum. Evan Williams emerging as a promising rookie is what pushed Bullard out of starting safety, but I think Bullard could probably sub in there. He's got a year in the system and Hafley knows what he's got there. Bullard might even take a Year 2 jump. It's way too early to call him player a bust.

I don't think they draft these Day1/Day2 guys to be backups, but I don't think making them wait a year or even two before they are starters makes them bad investments. Even if you get 2 years of Jordan Morgan as a starting LT, on a rookie contract that's a big savings vs. what you'd pay Walker on a second contract.
I think Gute expects them to challenge the starters.

Remember: in the wake of the Davante and Rodgers trades they had a lot of extra draft picks, so they now have a lot of depth and competition. The path to be a penciled in starter is harder than most other teams. Is Golden a bad pick if he doesn't start week 1 over Wicks?

A very good post, in my opinion. It could be that the depth of the team means this is a throwback to the old days, when rooks had to sit and watch and learn. IF Morgan can stay healthy, it would seem he'll be starting next year - only two years of control, but something, as run said.

Bullard I get a different idea about - he seems slow, easy to pick on by other teams. Not what you're hoping from your round two safety. Oladapo in the fifth round, okay. But your second round guy looks too slow to play the slot, yet he's better around the LOS. Maybe just a misfit? Though useful as a first-off-the-bench guy?

I can see the moving around for a guy like, what's his name, Collin Oliver? Kind of a tweener, so you use him situationally. And to me that's why he was available in the fifth round.

And you wouldn't draft a QB and have him play multiple positions, though you draft Savion Williams in the third and expect he'll play some weird wildcat QB or gadget thing. If he can get and stay healthy.