Green Bay Packers OL Zach Tom
With David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins both beginning training camp on the PUP list, the Green Bay Packers find themselves quite a bit thin at the offensive tackle position. And with versatility being the hallmark of this unit, that means we’ve seen a number of different offensive line combinations through the first week-plus of practices as Matt LaFleur searches for the “best five,” as he likes to say.
Among those seeing regular snaps with the starters is rookie fourth-round pick Zach Tom, who has primarily lined up at left tackle but has seen some reps at right tackle as well.
Given his size and length, many draft analysts believed that Tom was going to be best suited as an interior player, where he did play center for two seasons at Wake Forest. However, Tom also spent two seasons at left tackle, totaling almost 1,500 snaps, according to PFF ($$).
Despite being “undersized,” Tom has very much held his own early on, in large part because of his athleticism — he would post a RAS of 9.59 out of 10 at the NFL combine — and his strong technique.
There is still a long ways to go and preseason games to be played, but depending on how long Bakhtiari and Jenkins remain sidelined, Tom has put himself in the discussion of being a Week 1 starter if needed.