Green Bay Packers: Future of OL Appears to be in Great Shape

There were some unknowns around the Green Bay Packers’ OL entering the 2020 season, but looking ahead to 2021, the unit appears to be in great shape.

Entering the 2020 season, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the future of the Green Bay Packers’ offensive line. David Bakhtiari and Corey Linsley were in the final year of their deals, and no one knew what to expect from the entire right side of the offensive line.

However, through 10 games, the Packers’ offensive line has been one of the best in the NFL, ranking first in ESPN’s pass-block win rate metric — which measures how often an OL can hold a block for at least 2.5 seconds — and second in run-block win rate. Even more impressive is that they’ve been this dominant while having to battle numerous injuries, which shows just how deep this unit is.

So for all the unknowns surrounding this group prior to the season beginning, as we look ahead to 2021, they now appear to be in great shape.

Bakhtiari, who has established himself as the best left tackle in football, recently signed a contract extension that will keep him in Titletown through the 2024 season if he plays out his entire deal. At right tackle is Billy Turner, who I have to say has left me pleasantly surprised with his play. His versatility has been on full display this season, taking snaps at both tackle positions, and on top of that, he’s been very good as well.

According to Pro Football Focus ($), in 321 pass-blocking snaps, Turner has allowed just two sacks and three quarterback hits. By ESPN’s pass-block win rate metric, he has been the top pass-blocking tackle in the NFL. With that said, I do believe that the Green Bay Packers should address the tackle position early on in the upcoming draft, but they will be just fine with Turner as a starter for the 2021 season.

At left guard is Elgton Jenkins, who, in addition to guard, has also taken snaps at right tackle, left tackle, and center this season, which that in itself is incredibly valuable. Jenkins also currently ranks 10th among all guards in Pro Football Focus’ pass-blocking efficiency rating, which measures pressures on a per snap basis and is weighted more heavily towards sacks, and 32nd among all offensive linemen who have taken at least 92 snaps.

Jumping to right guard, Lane Taylor began the year as the starter, but an unfortunate injury ended his season. That left Lucas Patrick to take over, and he has proven that he is much more than just positional depth on this roster. Patrick is yet to allow a single sack or quarterback hit this season and ranks 11th in pass-blocking efficiency among all guards.

Due to injuries, we’ve even seen sixth-round draft pick Jon Runyan several times this year, and he’s looked like a future NFL starter at the guard position. In 58 pass-blocking attempts this season, Runyan hasn’t given up a sack or a quarterback hit, and he’s allowed just two total pressures. As Ben Fennell points out, there is a lot to like about his game:

The one bit of uncertainty is with Linsley at the center position. As mentioned above, he is in the final year of his contract, and at the moment, there doesn’t appear to be an extension on the horizon. If Green Bay can find a way to retain him — which I have my doubts about — they will have one of the best centers in football locked up for the foreseeable future. However, if they cannot, both Jenkins and Patrick can take over at center while Runyan slides into the open guard position.

The offensive line certainly isn’t the sexiest position to talk about, but it is one of the most important. Rarely do we see successful teams have bad offensive lines, and winning a Super Bowl with poor play upfront is nearly impossible. When it comes to the Green Bay Packers, they’ve had one of, if not the best offensive line this season, and the outlook heading into 2021 looks pretty good as well.