Once a Strength, Packers’ Offensive Line Failing to Meet Expectations

The Packers knew they were going to have some struggles with a new quarterback. One of the units that was supposed to mitigate those struggles was an elite offensive line.

Author:
Jacob Westendorf
Publish date:
Oct 24, 2023 11:44 AM EDT

In this story:

Green Bay Packers

If you've heard it once, you've heard it a million times.

The Green Bay Packers have one of the top offensive lines in football.

Coming into the season, that was certainly the thought.

With David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins returning to form a formidable left side, there was confidence that Jordan Love's blind side would be protected.

Josh Myers as a former second-round pick could take a leap into being the player general manager Brian Gutekunst envisioned when he selected him one pick in front of Kansas City's Creed Humphrey.

Jon Runyan Jr. had been nothing if not steady during the first three seasons.

Zach Tom and Yosh Njiman were going to battle things out, but the loser of that battle could make for an excellent swing tackle.

Sure, quarterback Jordan Love was going to have some struggles to start the season, but his offensive line would be able to carry the offense through some of those issues.

That was the thought.

It took all of six games for it to go up in smoke.

Bakhtiari's injury history is well-documented. It's not his fault. The mind is willing. His body simply wasn't able. Bakhtiari played one game and watched two more before being placed on injured reserve to have knee surgery that ended his season and possibly his career with the Packers.

Instead of Njiman, who started 21 games in his career and the Packers used a second-round tender to keep this offseason, taking Bakhtiari's place, it was Rasheed Walker.

Walker was solid in training camp to beat out Nijman. Walker's promotion falls in line with what has been Green Bay's general attitude toward 2023: When in doubt, go with the young guy.

While the team's general attitude toward Njiman this season has made their offseason decision to keep him puzzling at best, Walker's camp and preseason has not carried over to the regular season.

Walker has allowed two sacks and 13 pressures in five starts, according to Pro Football Focus. Of 58 offensive tackles with 50 percent playing time, he ranks 41st in its pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries allowed per pass-protecting snap.

There has been no indication that Walker will be replaced by Njiman. Based on the aforementioned attitude of leaning toward youth and inexperience, it's likely Walker will stay on the field.

Right tackle Zach Tom had a couple of rough games with Detroit and Las Vegas, but rebounded nicely against the Broncos. He's been a bright spot for most of the season.

Zach Tom has been a bright spot, but Jon Runyan Jr. has struggled.
Kirby Lee - USA Today

The interior, which was always where this group could falter, has been the most disappointing part of the offensive line.

Perhaps due to a knee injury, Jenkins has regressed after a Pro Bowl season. He had a strong finish to 2022 but has not looked anything like the player who had emerged as one of the top guards in the NFL.

The interior combination of Runyan, Myers and Jenkins have allowed 22 pressures between them, according to PFF. Each of them have allowed at least six, with Runyan yielding 10.

That's at least one per game.

The Packers should be asking themselves whether or not Jordan Love is the answer at quarterback, but a fair retort is who could succeed with this kind of pressure constantly in their face?

One of the ways coach Matt LaFleur has tried to combat that was getting the ball out of Love's hands quickly.

When asked whether that was getting the quarterback into a rhythm or not trusting his protection, LaFleur's answer gave some insight.

"Yeah, I think all of the above. You’re always trying to get – especially when we haven’t had as much success – trying to get completions and let guys catch and run and try to get your playmakers the ball in space."

Saying “All of the above” means LaFleur did admit, even if in passing, that he didn't trust his protection unit.

That likely isn't a scenario LaFleur envisioned when this team was put together.

All of those failures are just in the passing game.

That doesn't even begin to account for the Packers' lack of success on the ground.

Yes, AJ Dillon has struggled for most of the season, but there haven't exactly been holes opening for their running backs to run through.

The big-bodied back is coming off his best game of the season with 61 yards on 15 carries.

That wouldn't be something to get too excited about in a normal year, but that's the state of the Packers' run game in 2023.

Of their preferred starters on the offensive line, only Tom and Bakhtiari have above-average run-blocking grades at PFF. Of course, Bakhtiari’s played in only one game.

Jenkins, Runyan, Walker and Myers rank in the bottom half of their position groups in terms of run blocking.

So, to recap, the Packers' offensive line doesn't pass block well and hasn’t been able to gain any traction in the run game, either.

Other than that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

If the offense is going to get back on track, as it usually does, everything will start up front. That will require every member of an underachieving group to finally live up to the preseason hype.