In the 2024 NFL Draft, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst dipped into the University of Georgia well with a premium draft choice again.
On the heels of 2022 first-rounders Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt, Gutekunst added safety Javon Bullard with the 58th-overall pick just over a year ago. In his rookie season, the Packers penciled in Bullard as the strong safety in front of star free-agent acquisition Xavier McKinney. He excelled in run defense, but left a bit to be desired with his coverage skills. Overall, he was part of a unit that showed marked improvement in its first season under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
Bullard’s numbers — 90 total tackles and a fumble recovery — comprised a productive rookie season and something to build on. However, the personnel that is coming together around him is looking unfavorable, to say the least.
For starters, the strong safety position belongs to fellow sophomore Evan Williams, not Bullard. The Oregon product was selected two rounds after Bullard in the 2024 draft, but snatched the permanent role as McKinney’s running mate with a downhill, physical, head-hunting play style that leapt off the tape. The Williams’ emergence throws Bullard’s development plan off course because, unlike what the Packers did rotationally with Rashan Gary and now Lukas Van Ness at edge rusher, it’s atypical and much clunkier schematically to rotate safeties.
Additionally, Bullard’s strengths were more physical and less in coverage, so he’s not a natural fit to step into the outside cornerback position, which suddenly became a concern after they released Jaire Alexander.
Hafley is openly high on Bullard’s versatility and blitzing ability, which makes him a better candidate for the nickel position. The only problem is that Nate Hobbs was one of Gutekunst’s two major additions on the open market, a former Las Vegas Raider who specialized in interior coverage. Green Bay’s depth chart listed Bullard as the only backup nickelback to Hobbs. The Packers listed Zayne Anderson and Kitan Oladapo as the backups to Williams and McKinney, respectively.
However, football is a game of attrition. As such, Bullard has numerous paths to get on the field, whether it be through injury or poor play from his teammates. Williams, in particular, may have the shortest leash, given his small body of work. Still, his tape was pretty convincing.
The problem is that a dynamic player so shortly removed from being a second-round pick doesn’t have a role, meaning there isn’t an explicit plan for his development throughout his rookie contract. Those picks are valuable, and using these years to turn them into impact homegrown players is part of what has made the Packers such a sustainably successful franchise this century.
From Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary on defense to Elgton Jenkins and Zach Tom on the offensive side, plenty of franchise cornerstones have followed that trajectory. It appears that Bullard, for no particular reason other than events around him, is the primary victim of the defensive personnel crunch.
The offense is poised to potentially deal with a similar phenomenon on the line. Jenkins, Tom, Rasheed Walker, and Sean Rhyan have been strong young players up front. However, Gutekunst’s massive investment of resources into 2024 first-rounder Jordan Morgan, 2025 second-rounder Anthony Belton, and a massive contract for guard Aaron Banks will leave players with high potential on the outs. Granted, the playoff collapse in Philadelphia that escalated dramatically when Jenkins went down was clear and conclusive evidence of the general need for offensive line depth and the extent to which Green Bay’s front was a house of cards.
Heading into training camp, Bullard is in a challenging spot where he must compete generally, but not for specific snaps or positions. Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur have been clear about their big visions for fellow Georgia standouts Walker and Wyatt. Still, it remains to be seen whether or not they will get the most out of Bullard’s championship pedigree.
The Packers are headed into 2025 with deep positions like wide receiver, the offensive line, tight end, and safety. However, they are terrifyingly thin at premium positions like edge rusher and cornerback. With Gutekunst openly claiming that he expects this upcoming third season with Jordan Love under center to be the one in which Green Bay makes a leap to true championship contention, it remains to be seen if this is the roster-building strategy that will get the most out of their young core.