Green Bay Packers Meet w/ C Cam Jurgens at NFL Combine
By Paul Bretl
When discussing positional needs that the Green Bay Packers have this offseason, the interior offensive line is likely not at the top of your list.
Returning for 2022, and with more experience, are Jon Runyan, Josh Myers, and Royce Newman. At some point, Elgton Jenkins will return from his injury, while Green Bay also has former draft picks Cole Van Lanen and Jake Hanson on the roster as well.
However, with that said, the offensive line is one of those positions where you can never have too much depth–with 2021 being a prime example of this. Also, with Jenkins sidelined for the time being and Lucas Patrick potentially signing elsewhere in free agency, Jake Hanson and Michal Menet are the only backup options at center at the moment–and neither really has any NFL experience.
So in doing their due diligence, I can see why the Green Bay Packers met with Nebraska center Cam Jurgens at the NFL Combine.
Jurgens has been Nebraska’s starting center the last three seasons and has 2.067 career snaps, according to PFF ($$). At the Combine, Jurgens measured in at 6’3″ and weighed 303 pounds. Where he really shined was in the 40-yard dash, posting a blazing time of 4.92 seconds.
During his career, Jurgens allowed one sack and 13 pressures with 11 penalties. While PFF’s grading system is far from the be-all-end-all, it is noteworthy that Jurgens went from being one of their lower graded centers in 2019 and 2020 to ranking 44th out of 163 eligible centers in blocking grade.
Coming from Nebraska, Jurgens had a fairly equal split in zone blocking snaps — which is what Matt LaFleur utilizes — and snaps as a gap or power blocker per PFF.
For more on Jurgens’ game and what he could offer the Green Bay Packers, here is what Lance Zierlein of NFL.com has to say about him:
"“Center prospect with a lack of desired measurables and position versatility that could cap his draft value. Jurgens is quick with above-average athleticism but needs to harness his energy and play with better control in the early stages of the rep to improve his strike zone and success rate. He’s a bit of a leaner in pass protection and could struggle to find his anchor against rugged bull rushers. He can play in a variety of run schemes but has average backup talent.”"
Justin Melo of The Draft Network, who would report the meeting between Jurgens and the Packers, called him one of the top mid-round offensive line prospects available in this year’s draft.