Green Bay Packers: A Look at Josh Myers & What he Adds to Offense

The Green Bay Packers had what was the best offensive line unit in football last season. However, losing Corey Linsley left a hole at center that presumably was going to be filled by Lucas Patrick—or at least that’s what I thought.

With Patrick, as well as Elgton Jenkins, as on the roster options at center — I don’t believe Jake Hanson is ready — I thought that tackle was going to be the early-round selection along the offensive line given the severe lack of depth. But the Packers went in a different direction, choosing Josh Myers from Ohio State.

Myers was a two-year starter for the Buckeyes at center, and by just purely looking at his numbers as a pass-blocker, they were fine. In 2019, he would give up four sacks and 15 pressures over 460 pass-blocking snaps. Then this past season, in only seven games, Myers would allow two sacks and 11 pressures in 264 pass-blocking snaps. He was also credited with eight blown blocks in the run game this past season as well, according to Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated and Sports Info Solutions.

While PFF’s grading system isn’t the be-all-end-all, it is a helpful tool for gauging where a player’s performances rank, and as both a run-blocker and a pass-blocker in 2020, Myers was average by this metric. In 2019, he was considered above average.

Going one pick after Myers was Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey, who was selected by Kansas City. If we knew in advance that the Green Bay Packers were going to select a center early on, my guess is that just about everyone would have assumed Humphrey was going to be a Packer. He was rated by most draft analysts as the top-center in this class, didn’t allow a sack in his three seasons as a Sooner, and he scored a very rare 10 out of 10 on the Relative Athletic Scoring Table (RAS).

With that said, while from a numbers standpoint, Myers doesn’t exactly leap off the page, as Brian Gutekunst explained after the selection, they were intrigued by his 6’5″ – 312 pound frame, and he “fit what we’re all about,” as Gutey put it.

Like his predecessor Corey Linsley, Myers has the ability to also play guard if needed, he is well-versed in making pre-snap calls, and if there was a big run by an Ohio State running back, then there was a good chance that Myers was at the second level and downfield making blocks–he did an excellent job of this in college.

It’s also worth noting that almost 80 percent of Myers’ run-blocking snaps at Ohio State came in zone — which is what the Packers utilize under Matt LaFleur — while, for comparison’s sake, a majority of Humphrey’s snaps came in the gap/power scheme.

With Myers, for the most part, the Green Bay Packers know what they are getting. He will likely be the Green Bay Packers’ starting center right away, and he’s someone who can fill that role for the next 8+ seasons–again, much like Linsley.

Now for more on Myers and what he can add to the Green Bay Packers, here is a look at what several draft analysts had to say in their pre-draft reports.

Kyle Crabbs – The Draft Network

"“Josh Myers projects as a starting center at the NFL level—but his fit is going to be dependent on the key responsibilities his offense requires of him to execute. Myers is a big-bodied center with a pleasant level of lateral mobility to play along the line of scrimmage, but he lacks the dynamic short-area quickness to consistently win isolated reps climbing to the second level or pulling and working out in front of plays that stretch to the boundary. Myers, with his boxy frame, is best suited to work in the phone booth. This isn’t to say he can’t work wide zone concepts or climb off of double teams to pick off linebackers, but he’s not an overly dynamic player in space at this point and his lack of balance and control on the B-level of the defense will allow crafty defenders to take advantage and test him to shoot gaps and attack the front.Myers is predominantly a right-handed shotgun snapper, but he has been given reps at OSU that allow him to snap to a quarterback under center and he’s handled those situations well in short yardage. Myers’ functional athleticism may cap his ceiling as a player, but he’s got the build and strength in his game to serve as an average starter at the pro level. If he’s able to uncover some additional quickness, he could become a more scheme-diverse target for the 2021 NFL Draft and his ceiling could grow; though that would likely require some reworking of his body composition.”"

Pro Football Focus ($$)

"“Myers was a two-year starter for the Buckeyes who took all 1,539 of his snaps in his college career at center. However, the 6-foot-5, 312-pounder could very likely kick out to guard with little issue. What is an issue is the lack of improvement we saw on tape this season. Myers can deliver a crushing blow on contact, but he all too often goes for the “home run,” so to speak. That led to far too many whiffs on his tape, and it’s a big reason why he allowed six sacks and 27 total pressures over the past two seasons. That would give me pause from an interior lineman.”"

Lance Zierlein – NFL.com

"“Future starting center with proportionally broad frame and good lean mass. Myers is battle-tested and has experience in most run-blocking schemes. He’s functional working into lateral positioning but is at his best on double teams and working up to linebackers to free the Buckeyes’ interior rushing attack. He’s not a natural bender and has trouble with contact balance when allowing defenders to get up under his pads. His size works to his advantage against power rushers but protection will become a little leaky when asked to slide and mirror against athletic edge attacks. Myers is solid but unspectacular with the talent to become an early starter.”"

Tony Pauline – Pro Football Network

"“Positives: 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.Negatives: Stiff and doesn’t play like a nimble or overly athletic blocker. Struggles to adjust.Analysis: Myers was a terrific center for Ohio State and comes with growth potential. While he’s effective at the second level, I do not project him as a pure zone-blocking lineman. However, Myers could be a longtime starter in the NFL in the proper system.”"