It’s almost inconceivable the Green Bay Packers offense remained as consistently productive as they did in 2020 despite starting six different offensive line combinations throughout the year. The Packers finished first in scoring and fifth in yards per game even though they played a season long game of musical chairs in front of Aaron Rodgers.
Second year lineman Elgton Jenkins earned his first Pro Bowl appearance by starting at three different positions and taking snaps at four of the offensive line spots during the year. All Pro’s David Bakhtiari missed four starts, Corey Linsley was hurt for three games late, Rick Wagner got nicked up yet whoever lined up across the front, kept it together.
Now, Linsley is a Los Angeles Charger, Wagner is looking for work and the Packers will be looking for a couple more musical chairs participants this weekend, even though they drafted three linemen in the 6th round a year ago. Only Jon Runyan was able to get on the field in 2020 with Jake Hansen toiling on the practice squad and Simon Stepaniak working through injury rehabilitation until the season was nearly complete. The only backup offensive tackle on the roster is Yosh Nijman.
In one of the final installments of my week-long draft preview series, the offensive line was covered and featured an in-state prospect that’s going to definitely get a call this weekend.
Oklahoma State’s Tevin Jenkins may not last until the Packers go on the clock but you wonder if General Manager Brian Gutekunst might be tempted to swap a third and fifth round pick to climb into the low 20’s to grab him. He could be an instant starter at right tackle, allowing Billy Turner to move inside to guard with Jenkins and Lucas Patrick sorting out the center, left guard combination. Liam Eichenberg of Notre Dame could be a possibility if the Pack stands at 29 and they could also address the vacant center position straight away with either Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey or Alabama’s Landon Dickerson.
Versatility is imperative for offensive linemen as teams normally dress only eight on game days and as the Packers painfully found out last year, handling different positions in-game or week to week can pay off handsomely.
With draft day finally at hand, it’s time to grab a dart and fire it at the big board.
Gutekunst said earlier this week he has a team that can line up right now, play and win consistently. There are no glaring holes on either side of the ball so he has the luxury of adding a player that can either contribute quickly, or become a fixture by 2022 when an extremely strained salary cap will force plenty of roster turnover.
One of those offensive linemen would be worthy, a difference making inside linebacker like Kentucky’s Jamin Davis or Tulsa’s Zaven Collins could give new defensive coordinator Joe Barry a speedy, physical player in the middle of his system. Unless one of the top tier wide receivers slides, the Packers will likely wait to add depth to that position. In a pass happy league, a lot of quality pass defenders are required. While the safety position has solidified, the corner collection beyond All Pro Jaire Alexander remains suspect. Kevin King’s injury history and haphazard play in the NFC title game, Chandon Sullivan’s hit and miss work at nickel and the impatient development of Josh Jackson and Ka’dar Hollman have me thinking defensive back.
The top corners, Patrick Surtain, Asante Samuel Jr., Jaycee Horn and Caleb Farley will probably get snapped up but Gutekunst personally attended the Northwestern Pro Day and came away impressed with Greg Newsome II. If the Packers are convinced his medical history is ancient history, I won’t be surprised if he gets the phone call Thursday night.
Make sure to come back to this blog throughout the weekend for in-depth coverage of all the Packer selections, their detailed biographies, comments from the Packer brass, scouts and the draft picks themselves.
