It was a matter of when Jordan Morgan would get selected by a team at the NFL Draft, not if.
The Tucson native and former Arizona Wildcats star left tackle was taken by the Green Bay Packers at No. 25 overall in the first round of the draft on Thursday.
Morgan is the first UA offensive lineman drafted since Eben Britton in 2009, and the first Arizona first-round pick since cornerback Antoine Cason in 2008. Morgan is the highest-selected draft pick from the UA since 1999, when cornerback Chris McAlister was chosen by the Baltimore Ravens at No. 10.
The last Arizona offensive lineman to land in the first round was fellow Tucson native John Fina in 1992. Morgan is the 11th first-round draft pick in Arizona history.
Morgan is also the first Marana High School graduate drafted to the NFL since running back Paul Robinson was drafted 82nd overall in the third round of the 1968 draft; Robinson is the granduncle of Bijan Robinson, was chosen by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of last year's draft. It's the first time ever two Tucson-area natives were selected in the first round of back-to-back NFL Drafts.
"Everybody (was) asking me what I'm doing. I had no clue," Morgan told Green Bay reporters. "The whole process was just so crazy, and when it happened, man, my heart stopped. Everything froze and then I got that call. ... It's such an honor. I cannot wait to get out there and protect for (quarterback Jordan Love). That's what offensive linemen are supposed to do: protect the quarterback, open holes for the running back, and that's what I'm here to do."
Arizona offensive lineman Jordan Morgan is the first NFL Draft pick from Marana High School in 56 years.
Free agent tackle and longtime Packer David Bakhtiari, who was a two-time All-Pro player in Green Bay, posted on X, "Let’s go!!!! Good luck to Jordan Morgan. Represent the position, town, and G with pride. #gopackgo #pac12guy."
As a high school prospect out of Marana, Morgan went under the radar with his social media accounts, a rarity for the younger generation. Morgan didn’t have a Twitter (X), Facebook or Instagram profiles. Morgan was the UA’s best-kept secret in its own backyard, but after Morgan’s commitment to the Wildcats before his senior year at Marana, USC made a late push; Trojans’ then-head coach Clay Helton attended one of Morgan’s games at MHS. Morgan, who was 6-5 and 270 pounds then, signed with Arizona in 2019, despite significant interest from USC and Arizona State.
Marana’s Jordan Morgan works on his blocking technique at the Tigers get read to go up against Cienega at Cienega High School, Friday, April 12, 2018, Tucson, Ariz.
"What separates Jordan from any other kid that I've had the opportunity to coach is his willingness and eagerness to learn, perfect his craft and do it the right way without social media and that instant gratification from people patting him on the back," said Louie Ramirez, Morgan's head coach at Marana. "He's always been that kid who put his nose in the ground, in the weight room, in the classroom and in the community, so it's been really awesome to see. ... Jordan is something special."
Marana High School offensive lineman Jordan Morgan chose the Wildcats over USC when he signed his national letter of intent for the UA.
As a true freshman, Morgan made his first collegiate start in the Wildcats’ 34-6 loss to Oregon at the rowdy Autzen Stadium in Eugene. Morgan started the final game of the season against Arizona State.
Morgan started the first two games of the truncated and pandemic-influenced 2020 season before missing the final three due to injury. Former Arizona coach Kevin Sumlin was fired the day after Arizona’s 63-point loss to ASU to end the season, and former head coach Jedd Fisch and coaching staff with NFL experience were brought in shortly after.
Arizona offensive lineman Jordan Morgan (77) in the first half during an NCAA college football game against Colorado, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Tucson, Ariz.
Among those coaches was offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Brennan Carroll, son of longtime college and NFL head coach Pete Carroll. In three seasons under Carroll’s direction, Morgan’s pass-blocking grades on Pro Football Focus have risen from 55.6 (2021) to 82 (’22) to 87.3 (’23), the eighth-best pass-blocking grade in college football for offensive tackles with at least 700 snaps played.
As Morgan progressed as one of the top pass-blocking offensive linemen in college football, so did Arizona as a program. The eight-game improvement from 2021 (1-11) to this season (9-3) is the best in program history.
Morgan generated NFL Draft buzz in 2022, but suffered a season-ending knee injury in Arizona’s upset win at UCLA. His stock took a hit and he was unable to perform at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis or in Arizona’s Pro Day. Morgan opted to return for his final season of eligibility in '23. The 6-5, 311-pound Morgan started all 12 games and only allowed two sacks in 787 snaps. Morgan was named a First Team All-Pac-12 selection for his final season at the UA, and opted out of the Wildcats' win over Oklahoma for the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio.
Arizona offensive lineman Jordan Morgan surveys the defense during the Wildcats’ triple-overtime loss at USC on Oct. 7 in Los Angeles.
"Last fall I was there for training camp and I was watching the scrimmage from the end zone and standing next to an NFL scout, who I've known since college, and we're talking about Jordan specifically and he said, 'If he came out this year, even with the knee injury during last year's draft, he would've been a first- or second-round pick based on his potential,'" said Pac-12 Network analyst Yogi Roth. "He goes, 'If he can do what I think he's going to do this season, it's a no-brainer for him.'
"As the season went on, I would check in with other scouts and the thing that consistently stood out was his athleticism, and while his name isn't the first discussed in the NFL Draft, those who are evaluating him and looking at his size, how he moves, how he recovered and how well he played the back half of the season, he was truly at his best. ... This is a guy who will start for a long time. ... I think he's every bit of a starting left tackle in the NFL."
Following the college football season, Morgan trained at "Exos" in Phoenix and played in the Senior Bowl, a showcase for top seniors entering the draft in Mobile, Alabama. Morgan, running back Michael Wiley, tight end Tanner McLachlan and wide receiver Jacob Cowing were the first Wildcats to participate at the NFL Scouting Combine since running back J.J. Taylor in 2018.
Arizona offensive lineman Jordan Morgan speaks during a press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on March 2. Morgan was chosen 25th overall by the Green Bay Packers in the Thursday's first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Morgan ran the 40-yard dash at the combine in 5.05 seconds, with a 10-yard split of 1.70 seconds, the fifth-best time for offensive linemen. Morgan's 33-inch arm measurement caused concern from draft scouts about Morgan's ability to play tackle, but Morgan said, "To me, that doesn't really mean anything. You see Rashawn Slater at the left tackle for the Chargers, his arm length isn't the best but he's still out there dominating."
With Bakhtiari now a free agent, Green Bay's tackles include two-year veteran Rasheed Walker, a former seventh-round pick from Penn State, and right tackle Zach Tom, also a two-year veteran. The Packers also recently signed former Philadelphia Eagle and Tennessee Titan Andre Dillard.
"I think he can play all four spots," said Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst, referring to guard and tackle. "We're fortunate enough that we've got a lot of guys in our group right now that can do that, and so I think we'll kind of let the best five battle it out and see where that ends up."
Longtime New England Patriots head coach and future hall of famer Bill Belichick said "Morgan is a left tackle all the way."
"Jordan is really a high-quality kid, really smart, good pass protector, very athletic and he's a good football player," Belichick said on ESPN's Pat McAfee alternative broadcast. "He's a left tackle, I don't think there's any doubt about that. He needs to get a little bit stronger in his lower body. This is a good football player. He's got a good future. ... There was no way he was getting out of the first round. I think there are other teams who would've taken him."
If Morgan moves to guard in Green Bay, "You can't be mad about it," Morgan said in March.
"They're drafting you at the end of the day, so you gotta be excited about it," he said. "You gotta do whatever you gotta do to help the team out even if that means moving inside.
"It's not that different from tackle, you just get in a three-point (stance). The defense is closer so it'll be easier, but tackle is the spot. ... A lot of teams know that I want to play left tackle and they're OK with that. But if it's guard, then I'm not opposed."
Morgan is the first of potentially several Wildcats taken in the NFL Draft. McLachlan, Cowing and Wiley and are projected Day 2 or Day 3 draft picks.
The second round of the NFL Draft on ESPN continues Friday evening at 5 p.m. in Detroit.
Here's a look at the first round of the NFL Draft:
1. Chicago (from Carolina), Caleb Williams, QB, USC
2. Washington, Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
3. New England, Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
4. Arizona, Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
5. L.A. Chargers, Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
6. N.Y. Giants, Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
7. Tennessee, J.C. Latham, OT, Alabama
8. Atlanta, Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
9. Chicago, Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
10. Minnesota (from N.Y. Jets), J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
11. N.Y. Jets (from Minnesota), Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State
12. Denver, Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
13. Las Vegas, Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
14. New Orleans, Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
15. Indianapolis, Laiatu Latu, DE, UCLA
16. Seattle, Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas
17. Minnesota (from Jacksonville), Dallas Turner, DE, Alabama
18. Cincinnati, Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
19. L.A. Rams, Jared Verse, DE, Florida State
20. Pittsburgh, Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
21. Miami, Chop Robinson, DE, Penn State
22. Philadelphia, Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
23. Jacksonville (from CLE through HOU and MIN), Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
24. Detroit (from Dallas), Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
25. Green Bay, Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona
26. Tampa Bay, Graham Barton, C, Duke
27. Arizona (from Houston), Darius Robinson, DE, Missouri
28. Kansas City (from Buffalo), Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
29. Dallas (from Detroit), Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
30. Baltimore, Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
31. San Francisco, Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida
32. Carolina (from KC through BUF), Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina
