Packers 2021 NFL Draft Prospects to Know: OT Brady Christensen
By Paul Bretl
After having by many metrics the best offensive line in football last season, as of now, there are some real question marks surrounding this unit for the Green Bay Packers. They’ll have to replace Corey Linsley, their tackle depth is very thin without David Bakhtiari, and at guard, they might be relying on the inexperienced Ben Braden or Simon Stepaniak.
But if the Packers can land an immediate starter at offensive tackle in the draft, then many of those concerns will be alleviated as they’ll add some needed depth, someone to rely on, and Elgton Jenkins will be able to move back inside.
Whether or not BYU’s Brady Christensen will be that player right away, we will have to see. But he certainly could be, and at a minimum, he can be the swing tackle in 2021, then hopefully becoming the starting right tackle of the future in 2022 and beyond.
Christensen started three seasons as the left tackle for BYU with over 2,500 career snaps, and he is someone who improved every season. During 2018 and 2019, Christensen would allow just two combined sacks and 26 pressures. Going from 14 pressures allowed in 2018 to 12 and 10 penalties to six.
Then from 2019 to 2020, Christensen’s game took a monster step forward as he went from very good to elite. In 409 pass-blocking snaps, he would allow one sack and only three pressures. Christensen was the top-ranked pass-blocking tackle by PFF’s grading system ($$) and third in their pass-blocking efficiency metric, which measures pressures allowed on a per snap basis.
Even as a run-blocker, Christensen was fantastic. He would go on to post the top run-blocking grade in 2020 among tackles as well. It’s also worth noting that about 60 percent of Christensen’s run-blocking snaps came in zone—and as we all know, the Packers run a wide zone scheme under Matt LaFleur.
Standing 6’5” and weighing a little on the lighter side at 302 pounds, Christensen tested incredibly well at his Pro-Day, recording a Relative Athletic Score of 9.84 out of 10. Again, he was among the best in his position group. I imagine these numbers caught some off guard, as several pre-draft reports from PFF and The Draft Network noted average athleticism when watching Christensen on film.
One other important item to mention when discussing Christensen is that he will be turning 24 in September. For reference, Elgton Jenkins, who will be in his third NFL season, is only 25.
Now for more on Christensen’s game, here is what Drae Harris of The Draft Network has to say:
"“He plays the game with average overall athleticism, with regards to his agility and movement skills. He does a good job handling edge defenders in their conference. However, his athletic limitations may be an issue at the next level. Although he aligns at left tackle, he could be better suited at right tackle while also adding value at guard.He plays with the level of football intelligence required to play multiple positions. He has redeeming value in his size, strength, and football IQ, but would likely struggle against athletic rushers in the NFL if he remains at left tackle.”"
On PFF’s big board, they have Christensen as the 12th best tackle in this class and 74th rated prospect. PFF also goes on to say that they believe his best fit in the NFL is as a guard.
The Draft Network has him in a similar ballpark, with a positional ranking of 13th and a ranking of 96th overall. However, as Harris mentions in his report above, while Christensen could struggle at left tackle, he could be suited to play right tackle at the NFL level with the versatility to kick inside if needed.
Meanwhile, the Mock Draft Database, which has compiled over 1,100 mock drafts this offseason, has a third-round projection as a landing spot for Christensen.
If the Green Bay Packers are unable to land one of the top tackles in this year’s class in Round 1, Christensen could become a Day 2 option that would hopefully provide some stability at the position, whether as an immediate starter or needed depth.