Name: Javon Bullard

School: Georgia

Year: Junior

Position: Defensive Back

Measurables: 5’10 ⅖ ”, 198 lbs. (Combine Measurements)

Combine: ARM: 30.75”. HAND: 9”. VERTICAL: 33”. BENCH: 16 Reps. 40-YD DASH: 4.47. 10-YD SPLIT: 1.51. SHUTTLE: 3.97. 3-CONE: 7.00.

Stats:

Courtesy of Sports-Reference.com

General Info:

Born and raised in Georgia, Bullard attended Baldwin High School, where he played wide receiver, running back and cornerback, as well as safety.

He was a consensus three-star prospect coming out of high school, opting to play for his hometown team in Georgia over offers from Tennessee and Auburn.

Bullard saw playing time right away as a freshman, appearing in 14 games, splitting time between free safety, strong safety, and slot cornerback. He then started 11 games as a sophomore, playing mostly in the slot.

In 2022, Bullard logged 39 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions and five pass break ups.

The Bulldogs won the National Championship in each of his first two years, with Bullard being named the Defensive MVP of the 2022 Championship game.

After switching back to primarily a safety role in 2023, Bullard had 45 tackles, two interceptions and 5 pass break ups. He was named second-team All-SEC after his final campaign with Georgia.

In September of 2022, Bullard was arrested and charged with DUI. He will be 21 years old on draft day.

Positional Skills:

Strengths

From an athletic standpoint, Bullard has the tools to succeed in the NFL. He achieved an 8.25 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) on a 0-10 scale compared to his positional peers.

His freaky 3.97 3-cone ranks in the 98th percentile for safeties since 1987, and his 1.51 10-yard split ranks in the 96th percentile. He was also one of the speed leaders at the Senior Bowl, clocked at 20.71 mph.

The testing translates to the tape. Bullard is a fluid mover and an explosive athlete who can burst downhill, making him a dangerous blitzer.

In coverage, Bullard can take one on one man assignments and has all the movement ability he needs to stay in phase with receivers. During his mostly-slot season in 2022, he covered Florida’s Ricky Pearsall impressively. Bullard has no problem being physical with receivers on their routes.

When in zone coverage as a safety, Bullard has a good understanding of how to shade over different routes to dissuade the quarterback from going there. He will take away the deeper route, then break on the checkdown to limit the gain.

On the run defense side, Bullard defies his size and is a really solid contributor. Down in the box, he can set the edge, find the ball through trash and make the stop. Bullard’s tackling technique is really sound, reflected in the fact his missed tackle percentage in college was under 10%.

He gives good effort to get to the ball and arrives ready to hit. Bullard hustles down from the deep safety spot and fights to get off wide receiver blocks in order to get involved where necessary.

Bullard versatility is a real asset, as he projects to be able to play free safety and slot corner at the next level. There is plenty of evidence of success at both positions on his resume. Bullard can be asked to spy quarterbacks, and is a communicator on defense.

Weaknesses

The chief concern over Bullard will be his size. As a free safety, he has a ‘poor’ RAS score, ranking in the 22nd percentile for height and the 47th percentile for weight. However, if he is viewed as a cornerback, his size score is ‘good’.

If he is going to be asked to cover tight ends or bigger receivers regularly, this lack of size could be an issue. There are instances of tight ends knocking him around on routes, and there is a possibility he struggles to tackle as well in the NFL as he did in college at his size.

In coverage, his willingness to be physical can certainly border into ‘grabby’ territory at times, making him a potential risk to give up interference or holding penalties, although he only had five penalties in college.

When lined up at safety, he can make the wrong decision on which of his corners need help, and at times he could do a better job of closing the ‘turkey hole’, AKA the gap between the corner and the safety on the sideline, when receivers find their way there.

Fit with the Packers:

Overall, Bullard has all the movement skills and coverage ability required, and more than holds up his end of the bargain in run defense. He may never be special, but has a very well rounded game and his versatility adds real value.

Whether viewed as a corner or a safety, Bullard satisfies Green Bay’s general athletic preferences and could fill the Brian Branch-shaped hole in Packers fans’ hearts as a more athletic version of the playmaking DB many wanted a year ago.

The Bulldog could see significant playing time as a rookie alongside Xavier McKinney at safety, and eventually take over the starting slot role from Keisean Nixon.

Bullard is ranked 58th on the consensus big board, and the second round may be fitting, but do not be surprised if he ends up as Green Bay’s first pick in the draft, either at 25 overall or after a trade back.

Just three years ago, the Packers drafted Eric Stokes, a defensive back from Georgia ranked 56th on the consensus board, in the first round. Providing Green Bay is satisfied that any off-field issues are well behind him, Bullard is a sneaky first-round candidate hiding in plain sight.

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