Packers select Georgia OT Broderick Jones in mock draft
By Paul Bretl
In a mock draft from Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire, he has the Green Bay Packers going a bit outside of the box with their first-round pick by selecting Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones.
Jones is listed at 6’4″ and weighs 310 pounds, with the majority of his 1,147 career snaps coming at left tackle. He played just 392 snaps in 2021, followed by 730 this past season, and allowed only one sack and 11 combined pressures during that span. In 2022 specifically, Jones ranked second among all offensive tackles in pass-blocking efficiency. He also ranked 26th out of 127 eligible tackles in PFF’s run-blocking grade.
Jones is ranked as the second-best offensive tackle in this year’s class, behind only Paris Johnson of Ohio State, and the 10th-best player overall by The Draft Network. For more on Jones’ game, here is what Damian Parson wrote in his pre-draft report:
"“In all, Jones is a strong, physically gifted, and talented offensive line prospect. As good as he is entering the league, there is more potential and upside for Jones to elevate his game. I can see him starting at left tackle early on if the void is there. Although, I do believe he can slide into guard if a team needed him to. The long-term outlook? He will be a multi-year starting OT.”"
Addressing offensive tackle has not been common for the Green Bay Packers in many mock drafts this offseason, but I do see it as a route that they could very much go, given its importance and the state of the position not too far into the future.
The outlook of the position for 2023 is pretty good, although there will be a battle for the starting right tackle job this summer, but there are two capable options in Zach Tom and Yosh Nijman.
Looking ahead, however, there becomes quite a bit more uncertainty in 2024, and after all, the draft is about planning ahead. A year from now Nijman will be an unrestricted free agent and could be playing elsewhere. David Bakhtiari could be released in favor of salary cap savings, while we have no idea if Rasheed Walker or Caleb Jones can be starting-caliber players, even if they may have a lot of upside.
Injuries early on in the 2022 season along the offensive line played a big factor, but in short, the Packers’ offense went as the offensive line did. When there were running lanes, and Aaron Rodgers had time, the offense found success. But when the run game couldn’t get going — just like in Week 18 against Detroit — or Rodgers was under duress, the offense sputtered. Improved play in 2023 begins with more consistency along the offensive line.