The 90 to 1 Green Bay Packers roster countdown: No. 32

The Green Bay Packers, and their 90 players on the roster, are in the midst of their first training camp under coach Matt LaFleur. In an annual tradition from my 11 years at Packer Report, I rank the players in order of importance from No. 90 to No. 1. This isn’t just a listing of the team’s best players. Our rankings take into account talent, importance of the position, depth at the position, salary and draft history. More than the ranking, we hope you learn something about each player. (Note: The start of this series can be found with my former employer.)

No. 32: OT Jason Spriggs ($1,592,277 cap)

In 2016, former general manager Ted Thompson traded up in the second round to get Spriggs. With David Bakhtiari’s unsettled contract situation and Spriggs’ strong career at Indiana and prodigious Scouting Combine, drafting a potential starter at a critical position seemed like a no-brainer.

Instead, Spriggs has been a bust. As he enters his fourth and final season under contract, his cap charge is the 25th-highest on the team. Making matters worse, within the next 10 selections, the Falcons drafted Pro Bowl linebacker Deion Jones and the Bears selected Pro Bowl lineman Cody Whitehair.

Last season, Spriggs started twice and played at least 40 snaps in three other games, with 281 of his 291 snaps coming in those five games. Even in that limited playing time, Spriggs allowed 2.5 sacks, according to STATS; according to Pro Football Focus, Spriggs yielded three sacks and 12 total pressures. Of 84 offensive tackles who played at least 150 pass-protecting snaps, he ranked 47th in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency. The passing game was 1.22 yards worse per snap with Spriggs in the game.

Alarmingly, he was penalized seven times. That’s more than starters David Bakhtiari (four), Lane Taylor (two), Corey Linsley (zero) and Byron Bell (zero) combined.

So, why does Spriggs rank so highly in the countdown? Because of his position. Offensive tackles are worth their weight in gold and, for better or worse, Spriggs is the best option should something happen to Bakhtiari or Bryan Bulaga. And we all know Bulaga’s injury history. Spriggs played 238 snaps in 2016, 278 snaps in 2017 and 291 in 2018, so history suggests he will see considerable playing time again in 2019. When Bulaga sat out a day early in camp, Spriggs got the call at right tackle.

Maybe the new coaching staff and new scheme will mean a fresh start for Spriggs. Coming out of Indiana, Spriggs was an elite athlete for the position, and athleticism is coveted for zone-blocking schemes. Over the years, though, Spriggs remade his body in an effort to fit what the Packers were doing on offense.

Will Spriggs thrive in more of an athletic-based system? Can new offensive line coach Adam Stenavich connect with Spriggs in ways that perhaps former line coach James Campen could not? If so, the Packers might be OK at tackle. If not, Alex Light could push Spriggs for the swing-tackle position and, perhaps, off the roster entirely.