There are many ways to build a Super Bowl contender in the National Football League. We've seen different formulas work, like the Los Angeles Rams trading their entire future to get stars or the Seattle Seahawks finding their stars through the NFL Draft.
Having the right coaching staff, developing players, and making timely moves is paramount to succeed in this league. Nevertheless, putting first-round picks to good use is always the fastest and clearest path toward contention.
That's why the Green Bay Packers have had a tough time getting the monkey off their backs. They haven't always done well with their first-round selections, and overcoming bad drafting takes twice as much effort. That's also why this might be Jordan Morgan's and Lukas Van Ness' last chance to silence the critics.
Lukas Van Ness and Jordan Morgan are dangerously approaching bust territory
In the latest edition of the NFL Stock Exchange podcasts, renowned NFL analysts Trevor Sikkema and Connor Rogers ranked Morgan and Van Ness No. 74 and No. 84 among first-round picks from 2023. While that ranking is obviously subjective, the numbers don't help their case.
Lukas Van Ness was the No. 13 pick out of Iowa in 2023. He went before Jack Campbell, Christian Gonzalez, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zay Flowers, and Sam LaPorta. Among pass rushers, the Packers could've also had Byron Young.
So far, he's made 43 appearances with 2 starts, logging a grand total of 84 tackles (58 solo), 17 tackles for loss, 23 QB hits, 8.5 sacks, one pass defensed, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovered. He finally showed some promise last year, posting a 75.7 Pro Football Focus grade and missing just one tackle, but he missed half of the season with an injury. The Packers picked up his fifth-year option, and there are no excuses to put up lousy numbers with Micah Parsons dealing with double and triple-teams by his side.
As for Morgan, his struggles may not necessarily be on him. The Packers have insisted on playing him all around the offensive line, and that has clearly taken a toll on his development. He's evidently not a guard, and not playing him in his usual left tackle spot is a major disservice.
With Rasheed Walker no longer in the picture, Morgan will finally have a clear path to being Jordan Love's undisputed blindside protector. But after struggling to keep a clean pocket in two disappointing seasons, he won't have much margin for error.
The Packers took Morgan with the No. 25 pick out of Wisconsin two years ago. That's ahead of stars like Cooper DeJean, Kamari Lassiter and potential stars like Xavier Worthy or Nate Wiggins. It's always easy to judge draft picks after the fact, and he still has a chance to straighten the course of the ship. Still, the early returns haven't been encouraging.
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