11 Days Until Training Camp: Packers Offensive Line Preview

The fate of the Green Bay Packers’ offensive line will rest on a pair of ACL recoveries. Here is a look at the depth chart, big question mark, best- and worst-case scenarios, and more.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Jul 16, 2022 10:39 AM EDT

In this story:

Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In 2020, the Green Bay Packers had the best team in the NFL during the regular season, thanks in part to the play of All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari and Pro Bowl left guard Elgton Jenkins. Neither was on the field for last year’s playoff loss due to torn ACLs.

With the first practice of training camp set for July 27, here is a preview of the offensive line.

Packers Offensive Line Depth Chart

LT David Bakhtiari was on a Hall of Fame trajectory until suffering a torn ACL at practice late in the 2020 season. The injury sidelined him for the 2020 playoffs as well as most of the 2021 season. He is one of the best in the business – and is paid as such – and is an incredible luxury for coach Matt LaFleur. In 2020, according to Pro Football Focus, he allowed one sack and nine total pressures in a masterclass of blind-side protection.

LG Jon Runyan Jr., a sixth-round pick in 2020, really emerged last season while starting the final 16 games. Of 63 guards with 50 percent playing time, he finished eighth in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency and allowed only two sacks (both against Washington in Week 7).

C Josh Myers was the team’s second-round pick in 2021. His rookie season was thrown for a loss due to injuries. After missing one game with a thumb injury, he suffered a torn MCL on his fourth snap at Chicago in Week 6 and missed the rest of the regular season. The jury is out.

RG Royce Newman, a fourth-round pick in 2021, really settled in during the second half of his rookie season. According to PFF, of the 63 guards with 50 percent playing time. Newman finished 39th in its pass-blocking efficiency and allowed six sacks. However, only one of those sacks came during the final eight games. He spent a bit of time at right tackle during the offseason.

RT Yosh Nijman was one of the unsung heroes of last year’s 13-win season. With Bakhtiari and his replacement, Elgton Jenkins, out with injuries, Nijman started eight games at left tackle and allowed merely three sacks. An undrafted free agent in 2019, he hadn’t played a single meaningful snap his first two seasons until being thrown into the fire.

OL Elgton Jenkins earned Pro Bowl honors at left guard in 2020, then moved to left tackle to replace Bakhtiari in 2021. When he was healthy, he was tremendous and really solidified his status as one of the best blockers in the game. He allowed two sacks and 12 total pressures in eight games, according to PFF.

C/G Jake Hanson was a sixth-round pick in 2020 after being a four-year starting center at Oregon. Last season, he got his first NFL playing time: six snaps on offense and 13 on special teams. With capable veteran Lucas Patrick off to Chicago, the door is open for Hanson to be the No. 2 center and a key interior backup.

C/G Zach Tom was picked in the fourth round of this year’s draft. For a team that really values versatility and athleticism, it’s easy to see why. At Wake Forest, Tom was an excellent starter at left tackle and center. He wants to be a five-position player but spent the offseason at center and guard. “He’s competitive, he’s smart and he’s athletic,” offensive line coach Luke Butkus said.

C/G Michal Menet was a seventh-round pick by Arizona last year after being a three-year starting center at Penn State. The Packers signed him to their practice squad in December. “His toughness and physicality will allow him to have a long and successful NFL career,” his collegiate line coach said.

C/G Cole Schneider, an undrafted rookie, started 47 games in four seasons at UCF, with 46 of those appearances at guard and one at center. “He can play any of the inside positions whether it be right guard, left guard, or center,” UCF offensive line coach Herb Hand told The Fort Myers News-Press. “That’s going to pay dividends because you're bringing great value to an organization to be able to play multiple positions.”

T/G Cole Van Lanen was a sixth-round pick last year who played one snap as a rookie. A left tackle at Wisconsin, Van Lanen spent the offseason as the starting right tackle (with Yosh Nijman at left tackle). He’s got a chance to be the top right-side backup.

T/G Sean Rhyan was picked in the third round out of UCLA, where he was a three-year starting left tackle. PFF’s numbers show an ascending player. In 2019, Rhyan allowed one sack and 37 pressures. In 2021, he allowed one sack and 13 total pressures. He spent the offseason playing guard and right tackle.

OT Rasheed Walker was one of Green Bay’s seventh-round picks. The Packers weren’t looking for a lineman but he was too good to pass up, GM Brian Gutekunst said. Walker started 32 games at left tackle in three seasons. His career plateaued at Penn State but he’s got some quality tools.

T/G George Moore went undrafted out of Oregon, where he started games at left tackle and left guard last season. Having started his collegiate career at The College of San Mateo in 2015, he will turn 26 during the first week of training camp.

OT Caleb Jones went undrafted out of Indiana. If he makes the roster, the 6-foot-9, 370-pounder would be the biggest player in Packers history.

Leader of the Pack

What if David Bakhtiari hadn’t suffered a torn ACL at practice on New Year’s Eve 2020? Would the Packers have beaten the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game? In that 31-26 loss, Green Bay’s offensive tackles allowed five sacks. Would the Packers have at least beaten the 49ers in the divisional playoffs? Dennis Kelly, who wouldn’t have been playing right tackle if Bakhtiari were at left tackle, was taken to the woodshed, including a big sack-fumble just before halftime.

Bakhtiari is one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. He dominated matchup after matchup during his first seven seasons. Last year, in his only appearance, he didn’t allow a single pressure on 20 pass-protecting snaps. He’s that good. The expectation is that he’ll practice Day 1 of camp. The Packers need him on the field in December and January if they’re going to contend for a championship.

Rising Star

There aren’t many offensive linemen capable of playing high-level football at all five positions. Elgton Jenkins is one of them. A second-round pick in 2019, Jenkins allowed zero sacks as a rookie and one sack in 2020. Without David Bakhtiari, Jenkins moved to left tackle in 2021. In eight starts, he allowed two sacks and 12 total pressures. According to Pro Football Focus, of the 67 offensive tackles who protected on 300-plus passing plays, Jenkins ranked 16th in pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries allowed per pass-protecting snaps.

Given his value to the team and Bakhtiari’s bumpy road last season, the Packers will be in no rush to get Jenkins back on the field following the ACL injury sustained at Minnesota in November.

The Training Camp Battle

Elgton Jenkins against everyone. Whenever Jenkins is cleared for action following last year’s knee injury, the Packers will face a welcome dilemma. Just where will they insert one of the best linemen in the NFL?

As coach Matt LaFleur would say, they’ll play their five best offensive linemen. So, will that mean placing Jenkins back at left guard in place of Jon Runyan Jr.? Sticking Jenkins at center, where he started at Mississippi State? Or will that mean inserting Jenkins at right tackle in place of Yosh Nijman?

There’s obvious upside in that there will be no resting on laurels. Whoever starts on opening day will have to play at a high level to remain a starter once Jenkins is back.

The Big Question

We could focus on ACLs here. Instead, let’s examine center Josh Myers. The Packers rightly have been hammered for drafting Kevin King instead of T.J. Watt in 2017. Well, in 2021, the Packers selected Myers at No. 62 overall. With the next pick, the Chiefs selected Creed Humphrey.

Generally considered the best center in the draft, Humphrey was first-team all-rookie after allowing one sack and 10 total pressures while providing dominant run blocking in 17 starts. Myers played about 4.5 games and allowed zero sacks and eight total pressures. Through this way-too-early prism, the Packers made a huge mistake. It’s up to Myers to prove the Packers right.

Best-Case Scenario

Keyed by the successful comeback of left tackle David Bakhtiari, the Week 1 starting offensive line of Bakhtiari, Jon Runyan Jr., Josh Myers, Royce Newman and Yosh Nijman matches the team’s high internal expectations. Bakhtiari’s knee is just fine, meaning an enormous sigh of relief given his enormous contract, and Nijman feels at home at right tackle, where he started at Virginia Tech.

Then, sometime at midseason, Elgton Jenkins is healthy and replaces the weakest link. That would be comparable to a major trade-deadline acquisition. From there, the line gels and becomes a driving force behind Green Bay’s playoff run. Remember, the Packers had neither Bakhtiari nor Jenkins for last year’s playoff loss.

Worst-Case Scenario

Well, this is obvious: David Bakhtiari’s time as an elite pass protector is over. That would be devastating on the field, obviously, and it would be devasting to the team’s finances. Bakhtiari has salary-cap hits of $29.1 million in 2023 and $33.1 million in 2024. Those are quarterback-type numbers.

Green Bay doesn’t have a lot of proven talent at offensive tackle. If Bakhtiari can’t play in Week 1, the Packers might have to line up with Yosh Nijman at left tackle and Cole Van Lanen or Royce Newman at right tackle against the Vikings. That doesn’t seem ideal.

One Superb Stat

Last season, Lucas Patrick played 967 snaps, Billy Turner played 866, Elgton Jenkins played 496 and Dennis Kelly played 361. Patrick signed with Chicago in free agency, Turner was released and rejoined Denver, Jenkins is injured and Kelly wasn’t re-signed. Of Green Bay’s top seven linemen in terms of snaps played last season, four won’t be on the field for the Packers to start 2022. Combined, they played 2,690 snaps.

Finding depth – starting with the grooming of draft picks Sean Rhyan, Zach Tom and Rasheed Walker – will be a critical job once training camp begins.