'It's been a wild journey' to NFL Draft for Marana HS, Arizona Wildcat LT Jordan Morgan

One way or another, whenever Jordan Morgan's name is announced this week in Detroit as a 2024 NFL Draft pick by one of the league's 32 teams, the Marana native and former Arizona Wildcat will become a part of history.

This marks the second straight year a Southern Arizona native can expect to hear his name called in the draft's early rounds after running back Bijan Robinson (Salpointe Catholic High School) was taken by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round last year. Morgan will also become the first UA offensive lineman drafted since Eben Britton in 2009, and potentially the first first-round pick from the UA since Antoine Cason in 2008. 

The last Arizona offensive lineman to land in the first round was fellow Tucson native John Fina in 1992. Morgan will also become the first Marana High School graduate drafted to the NFL since Paul Robinson, Bijan's granduncle, in 1968. 

"There aren't a lot of people out of Tucson who make it to the league," Morgan said. "Being from Tucson and getting drafted is a really big thing for me and my family."

Heading into the first round, Morgan, who will watch the draft in Tucson with family and friends, is "anxious, I'm excited, I can't wait," he said. "It's been so long and now it's finally coming."

Ever since Morgan opted out of Arizona's Alamo Bowl win, "it's been a long process, a long few months" for the former Wildcat. Morgan trained at Exos, a sports performance training center in Phoenix, then traveled to Mobile, Alabama for the Senior Bowl. After that, he performed at both the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and Arizona's Pro Day in Tucson.  

According to Morgan, he visited nine different NFL teams, including the New York Giants, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills, Washington Commanders, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos.

If there's anyone who has the mental fortitude to withstand the exhausting pre-draft process, it's Morgan, who had to add roughly 60 pounds to his 6-5 frame to become an NFL-sized lineman after signing with the Wildcats out of Marana in 2019. The Kevin Sumlin-era recruit endured a season amid a global pandemic, a 63-point loss to Arizona State that led to Sumlin's firing, a coaching change, a 20-game losing streak and a knee injury that prevented him from entering the draft last year.   

Following a season-ending knee injury in 2022, Morgan returned to the Wildcats for his final season of eligibility and became an All-Pac-12 first-team selection while also earning Associated Press All-Pac-12 first-team honors. He helped Arizona become the fourth team in program history to win at least 10 games in a season. 

Morgan started all 12 regular-season games and only allowed two sacks in 477 pass-blocking snaps. He had the eighth-best pass-blocking grade (86.2) in college football for offensive tackles with at least 700 snaps played, according to Pro Football Focus.

"It's been a wild journey," Morgan said. "I've been through two coaching changes, the program was so bad and then we went 10-3 this previous season. There were a lot of ups and downs, a lot of good and a lot of bad, but I stuck to it and stuck with Arizona, and really got the most out of it."

Added Morgan: "There have been a lot of things that helped me, especially the coaches being pro-style coaches and teaching me the ways of the NFL and getting me to understand what the NFL is like, what the process is like, so I could prepare for the NFL." 

What they didn't prepare Morgan for is predicting exactly where he's landing; he's projected as a late first-rounder to an early second-round pick. Trades happen all the time and surprise picks are common, though this year's draft class is loaded with offensive linemen.  

Morgan is currently projected by ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. to land No. 31 overall in the first round to the San Francisco 49ers, who currently has All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, but Morgan said he's been labeled "a swing tackle" and has discussed with some teams about playing guard.

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"I'm not opposed to any of that type of stuff," Morgan said. "I just want to get the tools under my tool belt and work to get experience any way I can, and play on the field no matter what position." 

Wherever Morgan lands, he will be the highest-selected Wildcat since at least 2011, when Brooks Reed was taken at No. 42 in the second round. Morgan also headlines a group of Wildcats expected to be drafted between tight end Tanner McLachlan, wide receiver Jacob Cowing, running back Michael Wiley and defensive end Taylor Upshaw, who are all expected to land on Day 3 of the draft on Saturday, which is rounds 4-7.

"It's probably one of the best experiences to have, to have other teammates be in the process with you," Morgan said. "We all talk to each other about it and realize that dreams are going to come true. Being able to get drafted together into the NFL is a really cool thing for me."

The Wildcats haven't had at least three players drafted in the same class since 2014. Since then, Arizona has been blanked from four NFL Drafts and has produced six draft picks in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds.

Whether Morgan gets drafted Thursday or Friday, this week is a celebratory moment for Tucson, Marana High School and the UA football program; a player like Morgan doesn't come around often.    

"So much excitement and so many emotions," Morgan said. "I know my mom is going to cry, for sure. It's going to be really exciting. I hope I don't cry." 

As the NFL Draft approaches, here's a collection of quotes from people connected to Morgan:

Fina: "His skillset is really strong. He maintains his squareness to the line of scrimmage and has such great strength and he's extremely physical. That's what the NFL looks for. They want guys who already have solid technique, because they don't have a ton of time to coach, and you need guys who are physical and bullies; he fits those two categories, and he's enormous. ... He's a hell of a specimen. Like anything, if he can stay off the ground and stay healthy, he's a 10-year, 15-year NFL player." 

Former Marana head coach Louie Ramirez: "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. 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. His natural athletic ability, his mindset.

"I remember in high school I had to smack upside the helmet and motivate him a little bit and say, 'Hey, you're playing on the offensive line, you have to be mean!' I think what took him to the next level was embracing the weight room and embracing the fact that it's a daily grind, especially for the position that he plays. Throughout his adversity, it goes to show his mindset, which is what I think got him here today. ... Just the opportunity that's ahead of him right now, the opportunity to be a potential first-round draft pick, it's an amazing feat for him."

Arizona right tackle Jonah Savaiinaea: "It's been great seeing someone like Jordan. He can move fast for a guy his size. It's been a great year for me, because I watch NFL guys but I mostly watched Jordan, too, because he's in the same group as me. I try to mimic his game and now that he's not here, I carry on his techniques and pass it on to the younger guys."  

Arizona center Josh Baker: "It's exciting to see where he's going. I've been close with him over these last couple years, and I'm very excited to see what he does and what he's able to accomplish at the next level. ... He's a freak of nature and he's very good with the basics, the fundamentals, and he's gotten really smart over these last few years."

Arizona center Grayson Stovall: "He's very quick-twitched. A lot of guys in the NFL, especially at left tackle, you're playing with the most athletic people on the field, and he's not only going to match it, he's going to surpass their athleticism. We've seen what he can do at the (NFL Scouting Combine) and Pro Day. He's, like Josh said, a freak of nature athletically. Once he gets on the field and it's not running around, he's going to manhandle some people. A lot of NFL teams are excited to get their hands on them." 

Arizona tackle Rhino Tapa'atoutai: "The film don't lie. Put on that tape, it's plain and simple."

NFL Network host Mike Yam: "What a great kid. His story is sort of remarkable when you think about it. Coming off the ACL (injury) and the things he needed to overcome to be able to get to this point and the decisions he had to make about going back to school. But nonetheless, this circles back back to offensive linemen in general: he's one of the more talented guys and he's flirting with that Top 50 overall. ... You're more than likely going to see him on Day 2."

Pac-12 Network analyst Yogi Roth: "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.' 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. I don't want to say he's a steal, because he's a first-round talent, but if he gets picked in the second round, he'll be a total steal. 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."