The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2024 NFL draft.
Brian Gutekunst wants versatility in the secondary for the Green Bay Packers. He wants interchangeable parts to give Jeff Hafley flexibility.
“It really helps your defense to be multiple and flexible so teams can’t get a bead on what you’re doing,” Gutekunst said, via Packers.com. “So, in a perfect world, quite frankly, between the two safeties and the nickel, those three guys almost need to be interchangeable completely.”
A potential target in the 2024 NFL Draft that would fit that description is Javon Bullard. The Georgia defensive back checks in at No. 14 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.
Georgia Safety Javon Bullard this season:
🐶 Zero TDs Allowed
🐶 2 INTs | 3 PBUs
🐶 35.3 Passer Rating Allowed
🐶 87.8 Coverage Grade pic.twitter.com/trovYCY4UM— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 28, 2023
A three-star recruit, Bullard played primarily in the slot during the 2022 campaign. This past season he played free safety in Kirby Smart’s defense.
“He has so much variability with his coverage technique,” Ian Cummings, an NFL Draft analyst for Pro Football Network said. “That, combined with his athleticism, is at the root of his versatility. With his slot experience, he can play press-man and off-man. He has the fast feet and feisty physicality to match and gather wide receivers at the line or use inch resets to maintain positioning in space. When he lines up as a field safety in two-high looks, he has a smooth, tight pedal, and the corrective twitch to plant, drive, and enter trail with rapid quickness.”
Bullard has the short-area quickness and fluid change of direction skills to man the slot position. He’s a rangy athlete to cover the backend. His reaction quickness is outstanding and his closing burst to the football is impeccable. The Georgia defensive back is quick to sift through the action and showcases good route recognition.
A former track athlete, Bullard recorded four interceptions and eight pass deflections over the past two seasons.
“Bullard’s technique is a definite plus,’ Cummings said. “He’s fluid, malleable, plays low in his stance and can vary his footwork based on role and route positioning. His intelligence is just as much a boon for him in coverage. He’s quick to plant and drive in off-man, with snappy reactive athleticism, and his spatial reasoning skills and leverage IQ allow him to maintain positioning and discipline against overlapping routes in zone coverage. He’s still growing as a playmaker on the ball, but positioning, processing, and want-to are never issues.”
While he may be a tad “undersized” at 5-10 and 198 pounds, Bullard plays with an alpha dog mentality in run support. He never backs down from the fray and is willing to throw his body around. Bullard closes downhill like he was shot out of a cannon. During his two seasons as a starter, Bullard was tagged with 12 missed tackles.
“On occasion, he’ll take faulty angles,” Cummings said. “But more often than not, he shows great quickness triggering downhill, great block engagement, deconstruction, and run-fitting skills, and he can weaponize his explosiveness as a blitzer. It’s also channeled through his extreme willingness to exert physicality and impose his will on opponents.”
During his three seasons in Athens, Bullard logged 282 snaps on special teams. With his speed and toughness, Bullard could be a core special teams player.
Fit with the Packers
The Packers need playmakers in the secondary. They could stand to add another nickel cornerback on the roster. They also need to find a safety to pair with Xavier McKinney. Bullard checks all those boxes.
“I’d draft Bullard because he’s an extremely versatile, extremely tenacious presence in the secondary, who can set the tone with his physicality and help his teammates play freer with his all-encompassing role flexibility,” Cummings said. “He’s not the biggest or the fastest, but he has the intangibles, twitched-up mobility, and the relentless urgency to be a facet as a two-high, box, and nickel — in the mold of productive veteran safety Jordan Whitehead.”
Bullard’s fit goes back to the Gutekunst quote about versatility. Bullard has extensive experience playing in the slot and at safety. On top of being able to wear multiple hats in the secondary, Bullard could provide an immediate impact on special teams. With Green Bay being the proud owners of four Day 2 picks, Bullard could be high on their board when the second round begins.
