A Closer Look at Green Bay Packers Draft Pick OL Sean Rhyan

We are now on to Round 3 as we continue on with our in-depth looks at each member of the Green Bay Packers 2022 draft class and UDFA additions. And that means it’s time to discuss offensive lineman Sean Rhyan.

If you’ve missed any of the previous articles in this series, you can find them below:

Quay Walker

Devonte Wyatt

Christian Watson

The Green Bay Packers Need Along the Offensive Line

Maybe I missed it, but there didn’t seem to be a ton of conversation around the Green Bay Packers offensive line prior to the draft. However, it was a major need.

Just one season ago, we all saw the importance of having reliable depth along the offensive line. But if we looked at the state of the offensive line room before the draft, the Packers were severely lacking in that area. Not knowing when Elgton Jenkins will return, David Bakhtiari and Yosh Nijman — and maybe Cole Van Lanen — were the only healthy options at tackle. Along the interior, the backups included Van Lanen, Jake Hanson, and Michal Menet–that’s it.

But with the addition of Rhyan, along with Zach Tom specifically, and possibly Rasheed Walker, the competition along the offensive line this summer is going to be one of the more intriguing positional battles to watch. Bakhtiari at left tackle is the only position that I would sharpie into the Week 1 lineup as of today.

Sean Rhyan’s Potential Role as a Rookie with the Green Bay Packers

Rhyan’s potential role varies quite a bit depending on how training camp and the preseason unfolds. He could be the starting right tackle, providing needed competition for Nijman at the position this summer. After spending most of his career at left tackle while at UCLA, Brian Gutekunst would tell reporters that he thinks Rhyan can play tackle at the NFL level, and Matt LaFleur would also add that we will see Rhyan taking reps there.

However, if he doesn’t end up as a tackle, Rhyan could push for playing time at either guard position as well. Although he has nearly 2,200 collegiate snaps at tackle, where he was very good in both run and pass-blocking, some draft analysts believe that in the NFL, he will be at his best as a guard.

But to earn either of those starting spots, Rhyan is going to have to beat out Nijman, Newman, or Runyan–all of whom were key contributors last season and obviously have experience in LaFleur’s offense. So there is the possibility that he is a backup for much of this season as well.

If Rhyan does end up as a backup to begin the season, I can’t imagine that it will be terribly long before he is a key member of this Green Bay Packers offensive line unit.

Stats to Know about Sean Rhyan

Rhyan measures in at 6’4″ – 321 pounds and posted a RAS of 8.26 as a tackle. However, as a guard, that figure jumps to an elite 9.49–which is one reason why many believe he will be a better interior player.

Rhyan has 2,267 career snaps over three seasons at UCLA with a bulk of them coming at left tackle. He allowed only two sacks over his entire career, which spanned 1,218 pass-blocking snaps, and over the last two seasons, he has allowed only 24 total pressures. Out of all offensive tackles last season, Rhyan finished the year ranked 17th in PFFs run-blocking grade.

What the pre-draft reports say about Rhyan

Lance Zierlein – NFL.com

"“Three-year starter with the potential to offer team options at either tackle or guard,” said Zierlein. “Rhyan has good size and plays with fairly explosive short-area movements, helping him establish early success getting into run-blocking fits. He’s fundamentally sound as a run blocker but a fear of getting beat by speed might play into issues over-setting and giving away too many pressures from inside moves and counters. He has the hand usage, bend and build to transition to guard. Plus, his pass protection experience at tackle combined with dual-position roster flexibility should add to his draft standing and improve his chances of becoming an eventual starter.”"

Drae Harris – The Draft Network

"“Sean Rhyan is a very good athlete with regard to quickness, mobility, and body control,” said Harris. “In the run game, he comes off the ball hard to generate vertical movement. He effortlessly gets out of his stance and can get to the edge and reach block an end. He plays with good natural leverage and has good body flexibility in his hips and ankles. He is a very good helper on combo blocks and easily gets to the second level.“In the passing game, he has powerful and explosive hands in his punch. His lack of ideal length on the perimeter can give him issues against longer defensive linemen. He is fluid moving laterally when handling the cross face by defenders. He plays with good balance and is rarely on the ground. In the NFL, while some may try him at tackle, I believe his skill set is better suited at guard. He lacks the ideal length and this will give him issues in the NFL at tackle but he should grow to be an exceptional guard.”"