Rasheed Walker’s Prove-It Deal With Panthers Costs Packers to Extreme

Rasheed Walker had to prove it with the Green Bay Packers.

He had to prove he was worth making the roster after missing most of his rookie training camp as a seventh-round pick in 2022. He had to prove he was capable of replacing David Bakhtiari in 2023. He had to prove he was worthy of keeping the job in 2024 after Jordan Morgan was drafted in the first round. And he had to prove he was better than Morgan again in 2025.

After three solid seasons as the Packers’ starting left tackle, Walker settled for a one-year contract with the Carolina Panthers on Friday.

Considered the best offensive tackle in free agency, Walker instead had to wait until Day 5 of free agency to get his deal. A one-year contract is the definition of a prove-it deal.

The Panthers needed a left tackle. Their franchise player at the position, Ikem Ekwonu, suffered a torn patellar tendon during the playoffs. With the retirement of former Packers lineman Yosh Nijman this week, Walker will step right into the starting lineup in hopes that Year 4 as a starter will get him the long-term contract he covets.

Compensatory Pick Fallout

Of course, the Packers drafted Morgan to be the team’s starting left tackle. Their hope in free agency wasn’t to keep Walker but that he’d get an enormous contract so they could add a third-round compensatory pick in the 2027 draft.

The length of the contract doesn’t matter. Only the annual value of it and, to a lesser extent, the amount of snaps played and accolades earned. The contract is reported as worth $10 million. That’s as much as Kingsley Enagbare signed for, which was deemed worthy of a sixth-round compensatory pick.

Sources: The #Panthers are signing former #Packers LT Rasheed Walker to a 1-year deal worth about $10M. pic.twitter.com/Ikgz3q8XR6
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 13, 2026

The hope was Walker would get more than Tennessee’s Dan Moore, whose four-year, $82 million contract with the Titans last offseason gave the Steelers a third-round compensatory pick. Walker is considered a better player than Moore, so the hope from Green Bay was it would also get a third-round pick.

That didn’t happen, though. Not even close.

Maybe the Moore contract was deemed a mistake not to be repeated. Maybe it was being arrested on a gun charge; though one league executive didn’t think that would impact his market.

Whatever the reason, Walker’s market didn’t develop. What does it mean for Green Bay?

The Packers are in line to get four compensatory picks – which is the maximum allowed. Nick Korte is an authority on compensatory picks at OverTheCap.com.

If quarterback Malik Willis is the Dolphins’ full-time starter, the Packers should get a third-round pick. Receiver Romeo Doubs’ contract is worthy of a fourth-round pick, Quay Walker’s contract with the Raiders is worthy of a fifth-round pick. Walker and Enagbare were deemed sixth-round values; one of those picks was canceled out by the signing of cornerback Benjamin St-Juste.

Here is the painful bottom line:

A third-round compensatory pick would be somewhere around No. 100. The median compensatory pick in lasty year’s draft was No. 203. So, the disappointing market for Walker cost the Packers about 100 draft spots.

“I would like to just say thank you to this organization for giving me a chance,” Walker said after the season. “Coming in, getting drafted in the seventh round, and then coming in, turning into a starting left tackle in the NFL is just a blessing from God.

“Really enjoyed my time here, took pride in protecting Jordan Love or whoever was in the backfield playing quarterback, made a lot of great relationships with a lot of guys. It’s just been a good time for me, and I’m just ready for whatever’s happening next.”

Rasheed Walker Was Solid Starter

The strength of Walker’s game is his pass protection. Of 68 offensive tackles who played at least 500 snaps in 2025, Walker tied for 37th in Pro Football Focus’ pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries allowed per pass-protecting snap. He was charged with five sacks and guilty of nine penalties.

In 2024, he finished 41st in PBE and was charged with three sacks and flagged nine times. In 2023, when he replaced Bakhtiari beginning in Week 2, he was 46th in PBE and charged with six sacks and guilty of nine penalties.

Green Bay Packers offensive tackle Rasheed Walker lines up against the Carolina Panthers. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

“I feel like I’m a great football player,” Walker said after the season-ending loss to Chicago. “I love to play football. This is what I do. Take my job very serious, take my quarterback very serious. Feel like I bring leadership, and I feel like my tape over the last three, four years, I’ve been consistent. I’ve been on the field producing.

“I’ve still got a lot of football left in me, so that’s all that matters. I’m healthy, I’m ready to go.”

Jordan Morgan’s Time Has Arrived

The Packers used their first-round pick in 2024 on Morgan, who started at left tackle at Arizona. For Green Bay, he was sprinkled in here, there and everywhere in hoping he could be a universal backup.

He didn’t succeed in that role, but now the time is here for Morgan to play the position he loves and the position he was drafted to play.

“I thought he was ready. I think he was ready last training camp,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said at the Scouting Combine. “I thought he had a really good training camp. I thought he was ready to go and I think, if we were to need him at any point in the season to play left tackle, we were very confident he could go there and play winning football.

“So, yeah, I think certainly if Rasheed’s not here, even if Rasheed is here, I think he’d have a pretty good crack at that.”

The position is his now as part of an on-paper No. 1 line of Morgan at left tackle, Aaron Banks at left guard, Sean Rhyan at center, Anthony Belton at right guard and Zach Tom at right tackle. The Packers re-signed capable veteran Darian Kinnard.

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