Green Bay Packers: Immediate Reactions to Josh Myers Selection
By Paul Bretl
At pick 62, the Green Bay Packers choose to bolster their offensive line — which is never a bad thing — and select center Josh Myers from Ohio State. Here are some initial thoughts on the selection.
– Myers was a two-year starter at Ohio State, and during that span, he allowed six sacks — just two in 2020 — and 26 total pressures. He has excellent size standing 6’5″ and weighing 312 pounds, but decent lateral mobility to go along with it.
– As a run blocker, Myers took nearly 78 percent of his snaps in the zone-blocking scheme, according to PFF ($$), which is what the Packers utilize under Matt LaFleur.
– The only athletic testing that Myers did partake in was the bench press, where he recorded 29 reps.
– Green Bay’s Director of Scouting Matt Malaspina says that Myers could line up at guard as well.
– This addition gives the Green Bay Packers a ton of flexibility along the offensive line–especially the interior. At center they could start Elgton Jenkins (when Bakhtiari is back), Lucas Patrick, or Myers. At guard, potential options include Jenkins, Patrick, and Myers once again, along with John Runyan, Simon Stepaniak, and Billy Turner if they add to the tackle position.
– The Packers suffered a number of injuries along the offensive line last season, yet because of their depth, they still had the best offensive line unit in football. They may have lost Corey Linsley, but they did their best to reload.
– With all of the options that Green Bay has along the interior, the tackle position is still relatively thin. Does this addition mean that we may see Jenkins stick at tackle moving forward?
– If I knew that the Packers were going to take a center at this point, I would have expected it to be Creed Humphrey from Oklahoma.
– Myers will likely be a Day 1 starter for the Green Bay Packers, but will it be at center or guard is the question.
– After just watching a small sample of Myers tape, he does an excellent job of getting to the second level and making blocks downfield.
– I’ve read a few blurbs on what draft analysts have to say about Myers, and the common theme is that they question his athleticism. However, we know that athleticism is something that Brian Gutekunst and the Packers covet, so they obviously don’t have the same concerns–especially with running a wide zone-blocking scheme.
– To wrap up, here is a look at what Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network had to say about the Ohio State center:
"“Explosive blocker at the pivot who displays terrific strength in his game. Fires off the snap, turns defenders from the line, and keeps his feet moving. Gets movement run blocking, fires out to the second level, and seals linebackers from the action. Anchors in pass protection, gets a shoulder on defenders, and takes them from their angles of attack. Effective with the shotgun snap. Effectively quarterbacks the offensive line.”"