Green Bay Packers: A Strong Start to the Season for Rick Wagner

Through the first two games of the season, Rick Wagner has been very good at right tackle for the Green Bay Packers.

If you’re familiar with my work, then you know my biggest concern entering the 2020 season wasn’t the Green Bay Packers’ wide receiver room, but instead, the right tackle position.

Bryan Bulaga left for the sunny beaches of Los Angeles, and presumably taking his spot was veteran Rick Wagner, who was signed early on in free agency. We all knew that when both players are healthy, Bulaga is clearly the better tackle, so the big question was, which Rick Wagner are we going to see in Green Bay?

Wagner was at his best during the 2016 and 2017 seasons, and if he returned to that form or at least close to it, this signing was going to look pretty darn good given his contract. However, in 2019, Wagner would appear in only 12 games, and to put it simply, when he was on the field, he would take his lumps.

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), over 467 pass-blocking snaps last season, Wagner allowed four sacks, four hits, and 32 pressures. For some context, in Bulaga’s 612 pass-blocking snaps in 2019, he gave up only four sacks, four hits, and 27 pressures.

Add in the fact that Wagner has played in all 16 games just one time since 2014, along with the overall inexperience that the Green Bay Packers have on the roster at the tackle position, and I’m sure you can understand my worries.

Even during training camp, Wagner didn’t do much to quell these concerns. While many players were highlighted for their standout performances, we rarely heard about Wagner. On top of that, he would miss about a week with an arm injury.

Despite many assuming that Wagner was going to be the starting right tackle this season, Matt LaFleur made it very clear throughout camp that it was a wide-open competition. And as a result, in Week 1 against Minnesota, we saw Elgton Jenkins at right tackle, while Wagner was on the bench.

Unfortunately, injuries to Lane Taylor and Lucas Patrick would take place, and Wagner was called upon to take over at right tackle. To which, as I’m sure you can tell, I’ve been skeptical about, but through two weeks, Wagner has been excellent.

With 63 pass-blocking snaps under his belt this season, Wagner hasn’t allowed a sack or a quarterback hit, and he’s given up just two total pressures, both of which came against Detroit. Wagner’s pass-blocking efficiency rating – which measures pressures allowed on a per snap basis with a heavier weighting towards sacks –  of 98.2 is the 15th best among all tackles who have at least 55 pass-blocking snaps this season.

As a unit, the Green Bay Packers offensive line has been superb as Aaron Rodgers has rarely been touched or even put under duress, while the run game has been the most productive in football. And part of that success is Wagner solidifying what could have been a shaky right side of the offensive line.

Of course, I’m aware that we are only two weeks into a very long season, and Wagner has to show that he can continue playing at this level and also that he can stay healthy. With that said, we can’t ignore what he’s put on tape through the first two games, and I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised.