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The Green Bay Packers entered the 2024 NFL Draft with a bevy of picks and used them effectively. In Round 1, the team took Arizona offensive tackle Jordan Morgan to fill in vacancies on the offensive line and Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper to take over for De'Vondre Campbell.
Overall, the Packers' draft was strong. In 2024, they will still be one of the youngest teams in the NFL. With many talented rookies fighting for spots, some veterans could lose playing time. Here are four Packers veterans whose roles will be pushed by rookies in 2024.
AJ Dillon (RB)
The Packers signed former Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs, pairing him with the bruising AJ Dillon. Those are the running backs of the present. Rookie third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd could be the running back of the future. Lloyd is a dangerous playmaker with good size and speed (5-9, 220 lbs, 4.46 40-yard dash) who has drawn comparisons to Jerick McKinnon.
The USC rusher finished seventh in FBS last year at 7.1 yards/carry but needs better vision to pick up chunk plays at the pro level consistently. Over the next few years, Lloyd will be a solid third-down back and change-of-pace option for the Packers. He has the upside to become much more — which should worry AJ Dillon.
Since a productive rookie season, AJ Dillon's yards per carry has dropped from 5.1 to 4.3 to 4.1 to just 3.4 yards per carry last season. Dillon managed just 613 yards and two touchdowns despite starting six contests. He also failed to eclipse 80 yards on the ground in any contest. MarShawn Lloyd's explosiveness and proven college production will be enough to make AJ Dillon's role in the Green Bay offense tenuous.
Sean Clifford (QB)
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Seventh-round picks don't usually receive a lot of hype, but most seventh-round picks are not Tulane QB Michael Pratt. Pratt was a four-year starter at Tulane and earned AAC Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2023. He entered the draft as a projected fourth-round pick and was the second-best QB outside the six gun-slingers who went in the first round.
The Tulane quarterback had at least 20 touchdowns and no more than eight picks in all four college seasons, plus 22 wins over his last two years. Pratt has good accuracy and decision-making but needs to anticipate throws better. He is a high-upside player with a great shot at becoming Jordan Love's primary backup for 2024 — which is bad news for incumbent Sean Clifford. Clifford, a 2023 fifth-round pick, did not attempt a pass during his rookie season but will face significant competition from the talented Michael Pratt.
Corey Ballentine (CB), Carrington Valentine (CB)
After a phenomenal 2022 season, Penn State cornerback Kalen King found himself on numerous All-American lists and was Third-Team All-Big Ten. As an AP preseason First Team All-American, King experienced a significant drop-off in 2023, competing against tougher competition and facing fewer targets. The Packers will hope that he can rediscover his 2022 magic when he dons the Green and Gold.
Green Bay's secondary was a weakness in 2023, but King was the only corner the team drafted; the front office opted to select three safeties instead. Neither of the team's nickel corners—Corey Ballentine and Carrington Valentine—was particularly impressive last season, and the team did not make any other additions at the position. Rookie Kalen King could exploit Green Bay's lack of talent at the corner position.
