Yosh Nijman’s steadiness at left tackle will elevate rest of Packers offense

While we all wonder when we will see David Bakhtiari back on the field, Yosh Nijman continues to quietly go about his business, providing the Green Bay Packers with a steady presence at the left tackle position.

Last season, Nijman played 590 snaps at left tackle for the Packers over 10 games. Overall, he held his own, but it wasn’t without some needed assistance from the quick passing game and tight end chips. Unlike in 2020, Matt LaFleur had to game plan for how he was going to help his offensive line.

This year, however, there is an added level of comfortability with Nijman at left tackle for the Packers, allowing him to provide some needed steadiness to one of the game’s most important positions.

Through two games, Nijman has not given up a sack and has allowed only three pressures. And keep in mind many of his snaps have been up against Robert Quinn of the Chicago Bears, who logged 18 sacks in 2021, along with Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter of the Minnesota Vikings. We all know how disruptive Smith can be, and Hunter finished the 2021 season ranked 19th out of all edge rushers in PFF’s pass-rush productivity metric.

Nijman currently ranks 20th out of 68 offensive tackles in pass-blocking efficiency, and he has the third highest pass-blocking grade, up 18 points from last year’s mark.

"“I have a lot more confidence,” said Nijman when asked about the difference between this season and last. “Anxiety levels are out the window. (I’m) Really confident in my techniques and what I’m doing now. I would say that’s the biggest difference, the experience, and playing a lot of snaps with Aaron (Rodgers).”"

Improved play from Nijman creates a positive trickle-down effect to the rest of the Packers’ offense. Of course, that means more time for Aaron Rodgers in the pocket, but it also can improve his confidence with navigating the pocket and going through his progressions–which we saw the impact of on Sunday against the Bears with the return of Elgton Jenkins.

This can also lead to an improved running game. So far, Aaron Jones has rushed for 72 yards on only eight attempts when running towards Nijman’s side of the offensive line. With success on the ground comes a more balanced run-pass mix and the ability for Matt LaFleur to dive deeper into his playbook.

We also can’t forget the impact on the tight end position. In part, Robert Tonyan was off to a slower start in 2021 — at least from a production standpoint — because he was more often tasked with helping out with blocking responsibilities.

However, with more trust in Nijman to handle those duties on his own, that can allow Tonyan to be more of a pass-catching threat in this offense, which is where he is at his best. According to PFF, Tonyan is averaging seven run-blocking snaps per game this season. Prior to his injury in 2021, there was a four-game stretch with Nijman at left tackle, where he was averaging 17 run-blocking snaps per game.

This week Nijman will face another tough test — unless Bakhtiari returns — going up against a stout Tampa Bay front-seven that has wreaked havoc on the Packers in recent years. But based on what we’ve seen out of Nijman in these first two games, he is ready for the challenge, and his elevated play will help elevate the rest of the offense in a variety of ways.