PFF Ranks Green Bay Packers OL as Top-5 in NFL

Although there are question marks on the right side, Pro Football Focus ranks the Green Bay Packers’ offensive line unit as one of the best in the NFL.

This past week I wrote an article listing my top-3 concerns for the Green Bay Packers entering the 2020 season. And one of the concerns that I listed was the right side of the offensive line.

For as good as the left side is going to be, there are question marks at the right guard and right tackle positions. Billy Turner, who the Packers signed to a four year – $28 million deal just last offseason, was up and down for much of the season. Whether you’re looking at Pro Football Focus’ metrics or Andy Herman’s grading system that he utilizes at Packer Report, overall, he was below average in 2019.

Meanwhile, at right tackle, Green Bay no longer has Bryan Bulaga, who for a number of years has been considered one of the better tackles in the league, and the combination of him and David Bakhtiari formed perhaps the best duo in the NFL.

In his place will be the newly acquired Rick Wagner, who has played in all 16 games just one time since 2014, and when on the field in 2019, to put it simply, he struggled. Ultimately, Wagner is going to be a downgrade from Bulaga, but truthfully, just about any replacement would be. However, the big question is, how much?

As far as depth goes, the good news is that Green Bay does have Lane Taylor, who could push Turner for the starting right guard position, and at a minimum, he gives the Packers a starting-caliber player as a backup.

But behind Wagner at the tackle position, there is minimal experience on this roster. If he ends up injured again or he’s just not playing well, the Packers could be in some serious trouble.

While I stand by this concern, Pro Football Focus recently released its rankings of each NFL team’s starting offensive line units. And despite the uncertainty on the right side of the Packers’ line, the left side is so stout that Pro Football Focus ranks Green Bay’s offensive line as top-5 in the league.

Fourth to be exact, behind only Dallas, New Orleans, and Indianapolis.

Pro Football Focus (PFF) refers to Bakhtiari as the best pass-blocking tackle in the league and for a good reason. Over the last four seasons, Bakhtiari as 2,850 pass-blocking attempts and has allowed only 11 sacks and 15 quarterback hits during that span.

At left guard, Elgton Jenkins had a phenomenal rookie season where he didn’t allow a single sack. This made him one of only five total offensive linemen who had at least 600 pass-blocking attempts last season and didn’t give up a sack. Then at the center position, PFF mentions Linsley among the leagues best as well.

To switch it up and use a different metric for measuring the offensive line’s success, ESPN’s pass-block win rate tells a similar story. The pass-block win rate tells us the rate at which an offensive lineman can hold their block for at least 2.5 seconds, and all three players were among the best in the league at their respective positions.

Bakhtiari was first at the tackle position with a win rate of 96 percent, Jenkins was eighth among all guards at 95 percent, and Linsley was the best out of all centers with a rate of 98 percent. Not bad at all.

Now, PFF does acknowledge that Turner’s play in 2019 was “below average” and that Wagner must bounce-back in 2020 if the unit wants to remain in the top-5. But for now, behind an excellent left side of the line, the Green Bay Packers can boast one of the best units in the NFL heading into the new season.