3 BEST REMAINING FREE AGENTS THE PACKERS CAN STILL SIGN AFTER THE DRAFT

The Green Bay Packers should feel really good about their roster heading into the 2024 offseason, especially after a strong 2024 NFL Draft class coming in. Even after adding a bunch of new young talent to the roster, general manager Brian Gutekunst may want to dip his toes back into NFL free agency and see what veterans he could add to this roster.

One of the youngest rosters in the NFL.

There are veterans available that could take this Packers roster to another level in 2024, including some players who have likely sat in free agency a little too long. With the 2024 NFL Draft now in the books, who could the Packers look to steal out of NFL free agency?

1. Stephon Gilmore, CB

The Packers' decision not to draft a cornerback until the 7th round (Kalen King, Penn State) was one of the most curious decisions they made in the entire 2024 NFL Draft. The cornerback position was seemingly this team's biggest area of need going into the draft, and other teams seemed to think the same.

The Packers got jumped in the first round of the draft by the Detroit Lions, who took Alabama's Terrion Arnold. They got jumped in the second round by the Philadelphia Eagles who took Iowa's Cooper DeJean.

Once the draft was over, the Packers declined Eric Stokes's fifth-year option, creating even more question marks at the cornerback position. A veteran like Stephon Gilmore could come in and play a big role for this Packers team. He was extremely effective last year for the Dallas Cowboys, allowing just 55.8 percent of throws into his coverage to be completed (with two interceptions).

2. Justin Simmons, S

If there's any NFL free agent right now whose availability makes absolutely no sense, it's got to be former Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons.

Simmons is an All-Pro, Pro Bowl safety who has 30 interceptions since he came into the league back in 2016. That's more interceptions than any other NFL player over that timeframe (2016-present). And for Simmons, the whole package isn't just interceptions. He's a great communicator on the back end of the defense, he keeps guys in position, he can come up and make big plays in run support, he forces fumbles, and he's an asset in the locker room and community.

Again, how is this guy not signed?

The safety market was flooded with players this year in free agency, but the fact that Simmons wasn't one of the first guys off the board -- especially as a cap casualty by the Broncos -- is ridiculous. He's going to play a major role somewhere in 2024, so why not in Green Bay?

This would allow the Packers to bring second-round pick Javon Bullard along slowly. They could sign Simmons for one year and pair him up with Xavier McKinney, giving Jeff Hafley an enviable safety duo that can interchange playing deep and coming up into the box.

3. Jamal Adams, LB/S

The Green Bay Packers are extremely young at both linebacker and safety this coming season. They drafted a couple of linebackers really high in second-round pick Edgerrin Cooper and third-round pick Ty'Ron Hopper. Those guys are going to have to be quick learners for new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, who is running a 4-3 base defense.

At the safety position, the Packers used three picks from rounds 2-5, and are going to be counting on Javon Bullard to play a substantial role next to big-money free agent signing Xavier McKinney. But is the team too young at linebacker and safety? Is there anyone they could add at the position to provide some better depth or raise the floor a little bit?

Not only do I believe Jamal Adams would raise the floor for Green Bay at either linebacker or safety, but he could potentially raise the ceiling as well. Adams could be deployed as a unique weapon for Hafley's defense and would add another wrinkle as a pass rush option.

We've seen the Packers commit fully to the youth movement on both sides of the ball in recent years, so they might not want to stunt anyone's growth by taking a shot on a veteran like this, but Adams could be a fascinating pickup for this (or any) team now that the draft is in the books.

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This article was originally published on dairylandexpress.com as 3 Best Remaining Free Agents the Packers Can Still Sign After the Draft.

2024-05-06T16:46:38Z dg43tfdfdgfd