Excitement abounds for Javon Bullard as Green Bay gets another Dawg

Want to know how Javon Bullard feels about getting picked by the Green Bay Packers? Look no further than the video that surfaced of Bullard sharing the news with those at his draft party.

Screaming, “I’m a Packer!” with an extra word or two added in there, Bullard’s excitement to head north was palpable. He gets to play with a pair of his former teammates in Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt plus another former Georgia defensive back in Eric Stokes on a Green Bay team that was the youngest in the NFL last season.

“Words can’t even describe the emotions I’m feeling right now,” Bullard said. “I’m blessed. I’m extremely blessed, and I can’t wait to go to work.”

When Bullard arrives, he’ll have to find a home in the Packers’ secondary. That wasn’t a challenge for him at Georgia, and it shouldn’t be in Green Bay either, able to play just about any position on the back end that there is. Recruited as a cornerback before playing primarily at STAR his first two seasons, Bullard manned the safety spot in 2023 – showing his versatility to the umpteenth degree.

“I don’t think, I know I can play all three positions in the secondary,” Bullard said, showing the kind of confidence in his game that Green Bay fans will love to see. “Whatever you need me to play. I feel like I proved my versatility throughout this process being able to cover slot guys, cover bigger tight ends, get down in the box and get down and dirty with the running backs. I feel like I can play all over.”

“My sophomore year when I was nickel, there were some cases I was more involved in the run game, more involved in blitz packages and things. Also more involved in man to man coverage as a slot defender,” he continued. “As far as safety, we lost Chris Smith to the NFL so being the versatile Swiss army knife that could fill the team needs, whatever they asked me to do, I was able to do that and I tried to do that at a high level.”

Just like Bullard is excited to get to Green Bay, Green Bay is excited to have him. It’s that versatility that they love so much with hopes to have him start at safety next to free agent addition Xavier McKinney.

“Javon is a spirited, aggressive, smart football player. Loves the game, loves life, loves his teammates. You guys are going to love him,” Packers assistant director of college scouting Patrick Moore had to say about Bullard. “High energy, always in a good mood, but he’s always competing. He’s just a good football player that loves to compete, loves to play and will definitely raise the level of competitiveness and aggression in our locker room.”

“He does a really good job of diagnosing plays and showing up, seeing what’s going on,” he added. “Those guys, when they see something they go. There’s no pause. Whether they’re right or wrong, it’s full speed. That’s what you need on defense. If you’re delayed at all, it’s too late. Right or wrong, those guys are going, they’re triggering, they’re covering ground and they’re looking to make plays.”

Both Moore and general manager Brian Gutekunst also understand an element to the way Bullard plays comes from the coaching of Kirby Smart. Having taken four Georgia players in the first two rounds of the last four drafts, all of whom suit up on the defensive side of the ball, they know what they’re getting when they call a Bulldog to keep the G on their helmet.

“As close to a pro style defense as there is,” Gutekunst said about Bullard coming out of Georgia. “… They’re recruiting better than a lot of people right now. It’s a very successful program, but the way they go about their business produces guys who are ready to play in the National Football League … There’s programs in this country in college football that if you survive and make it for three or four years, you kind of know what you’re going to get because of what you have to do to survive day in and day out in those programs. That’s one of them.”

“Coach Smart and his staff do a great job and they’ve got more coming,” Moore added. “He gets them there and coaches them the right way. He finds good football guys that really like football but they’re good athletes and good kids.”

At the time of his meeting with reporters, Bullard hadn’t heard from any of the Bulldogs in Green Bay. He was looking forward to connecting with them soon, just like he was looking forward to learning more about Titletown and the culture of the Cheese Heads.

“I’m going to be completely honest, I don’t know too much about Green Bay,” Bullard said. “I’m a down South Georgia boy, but I’m looking forward to getting to know everything about Green Bay. I plan on being there for a long time.”

Bullard was one of eight Georgia players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft along with Brock Bowers (Las Vegas Raider – 1st Round), Amarius Mims (Cincinnati Bengals – 1st Round), Ladd McConkey (Los Angeles Chargers – 2nd Round), Kamari Lassiter (Houston Texans – 2nd Round), Tykee Smith (Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 3rd Round), Sedrick Van Pran (Buffalo Bills – 5th Round) and Zion Logue (Atlanta Falcons – 6th Round). Kendall Milton (Philadelphia Eagles), Daijun Edwards (Pittsburgh Steelers), Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint (Washington Commanders) and Tramel Walthour (Baltimore Ravens) have all signed deals as undrafted free agents.