Ty’Ron Hopper Named Green Bay Packers Biggest Surprise Pick In 2024 NFL Draft

The 2024 NFL Draft for the Green Bay Packers was quite successful. They hit on virtually all of their biggest needs early in the draft, selecting players who should make an immediate impact on the field.

Protecting quarterback Jordan Love is a top priority on offense. The front office took steps to ensure that occurred with their selection of Jordan Morgan in the first round. With two second-round picks, Green Bay addressed their off-ball linebacker spot and secondary with Edgerrin Cooper and Javon Bullard.

However, there were some selections that stood out for their shock value. One of those was their third-round pick, linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper. Zach Kruse of Packers Wire named Hopper the team’s biggest surprise pick of the 2024 NFL Draft; here is what he had to say.

“It’s fair to question the Packers taking two off-ball linebackers in the top 100 picks. Edgerrin Cooper was a truly dominant player last season in the SEC and brings elite-level athleticism to the table, so few will argue taking him at No. 45. But was Hopper required at No. 91? He can run and hit, and maybe the Packers see him as a future starter (as soon as 2025?) in the 4-3 base defense. But top 100 picks are gold, and the Packers used three on two off-ball linebackers and one running back. Hopper was also a legitimate “reach” in terms of the consensus board — he ranked No. 153,” Kruse wrote.

Double-dipping at the same position is something we regularly see in the NFL Draft. Especially when a team moves on from a player as good as De’Vondre Campbell, as Green Bay did this offseason.

Alas, it normally comes at a position that holds more value than off-ball linebacker. The depth at the second level of the defense certainly needs bolstering as the Packers switch to a 4-3 scheme from 3-4. But, using two top-100 picks at the position can certainly be viewed as a head-scratcher. 

If Hopper can produce and help the team win games, whether it is on defense or special teams, no one will remember him being “a reach” as he is considered right now. But, until we see the plan the team has for him, his selection is one that sticks out as the most surprising.