Stats for Packers Second-Round Pick Josh Myers

Only time will tell whether the Packers made the right decision in choosing Ohio State's Josh Myers over Oklahoma's Creed Humphrey.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
May 4, 2021 1:53 PM EDT

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers used their second-round draft pick on Ohio State center Josh Myers. Here’s a look at Myers’ four-year career.

Josh Myers’ Stats at Ohio State

After redshirting in 2018 and playing in 10 games as a reserve in 2018, Myers started 21 of his final 22 games at Ohio State. In 2020, he was one of three finalists for the Rimington Award, which goes to the nation’s top center. He helped pave the way for Ohio State’s first 2,000-yard rusher (J.K. Dobbins in 2019) and a two-time Heisman Trophy candidate (quarterback Justin Fields finished third in 2019 and seventh in 2020).

“I think with lineman kind of coming from the Power 5, every single day in practice they’re going against guys that probably have NFL futures or at least are prospects in some ways,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “I think there’s a bit of a hardening that goes on through that process that allows those guys to maybe step into the National Football League at a quick pace than some. A lot of confidence there. Team captain, he was one of those centers who kind of ran the show there. He’s a little bit bigger than maybe some of the centers we’ve had in the past here, which is something that I like, so he’s going to be a nice addition to our group.”

Going Beyond the Box Score

With Green Bay on the clock, Myers, Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey and Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Quinn Meinerz were available.

Based only on the numbers, Myers was not a great pick. He allowed two sacks and 11 total pressures in seven games during the abbreviated 2020 season and four sacks and 15 total pressures in 14 games in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus. Sports Info Solutions charged Myers with three sacks and 14 blown blocks (nine on runs) in 2020 and five sacks and 18 blown blocks (eight on runs) in 2019.

For comparison purposes, Humphrey didn’t allow any sacks in his three years as a starter for Oklahoma. In 11 games 2020, PFF charged him with seven pressures. According to Sports Info Solutions, Humphrey was to blame for zero sacks and three blown blocks (two on runs) in 2020.

In other words, Myers allowed more sacks and was charged for more blown blocks in 2020 than Humphrey even while playing four fewer games. Humphrey is also an elite athlete, ranking No. 1 among centers in Relative Athletic Score. Myers did not test due to turf-toe surgery.

Myers went to Green Bay at No. 62, Humphrey went to Kansas City at No. 63 and Meinerz went to Denver at No. 98.

“It was a pretty good center class up at the top this year, and I thought we had some options,” Gutekunst explained. “Josh is a guy, (with) his size, his athleticism, his power, how smart he is, what they asked him to do at Ohio State and understanding he could handle some of that here, I think was intriguing to us, and I think he fit what we’re all about.”