An under the radar need for Packers, OTs impress at NFL combine
By Paul Bretl
Offensive tackle is an under-the-radar need for the Packers in this year’s draft class, and there are six prospects in particular from the NFL Combine that meet Green Bay’s typical thresholds at the position.
Relative Athletic Score (RAS), as most know, is an important tool that gives us some insights into who the Packers might be interested in. To learn more about RAS, click here. Since taking over as GM in 2018, 30 of Gutey’s 42 draft picks have scored 8.0 (out of 10) or higher on that scale. Of the 16 offensive tackles at the combine who posted a RAS, an impressive 13 of them scored 8.0 or higher.
However, just like at several other positions, there are specific tests and measurements that the Packers also look at as well. Daire Carragher of Packer Report recently wrote that of the 10 offensive linemen that Gutekunst has drafted, seven ran the 40-yard dash, with six of them posting an elite 10-yard split. To take it one step further, 33-inch arms have been the line in the sand for the Packers throughout the years when it comes to drafting offensive tackles.
So if we take the 16 combine prospects and narrow that group down to players who scored 8.0 or higher on the RAS scale, have elite 10-yard splits, and at a minimum, 33-inch arms, here is who is left.
Blake Freeland, BYU
Earl Bostick Jr., Kansas
Jaelyn Duncan, Maryland
Broderick Jones, Georgia
Wanya Morris, Oklahoma
Anton Harrison, Oklahoma
On PFF’s top 10 offensive tackle rankings, nine are within the top 100, with only Harrison, Jones, and Duncan on that list, meaning that if the Packers want to take an offensive tackle early on in the draft, they may have limited options despite this being an overall athletic offensive tackle class. It’s also important to note that this list could expand with top tackle prospects Paris Johnson and Dawand Jones – two players the Packers met with – not having tested at the combine, both have well over 33-inch arms.
Looking at the state of the offensive tackle position for the Packers in 2023, it appears to be in good shape. Gutey has made it clear that David Bakhtiari will be back, and although the right tackle positon will be up for grabs this summer, the Packers have two very capable options in Yosh Nijman – assuming he’s back as a restricted free agent – and Zach Tom. Elgton Jenkins is also another candidate to take snaps if needed, not to mention that Caleb Jones and Rasheed Walker both possess a ton of upside.
However, while we all want draft picks to make an immediate impact, the draft is about planning ahead as well, and next offseason, there could be a lot more uncertainty around one of the game’s most important positions.
Bakhtiari can be released at that point that the Packers save $21.5 million in cap space. Nijman could be playing elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent, and Jenkins is best left at guard. On top of that, we have no idea if Jones or Walker can become starting-caliber players.
In 2023 specifically, while Nijman and Tom are both options at right tackle, Tom did play center at Wake Forest, and recently, Gutekunst mentioned that was where Green Bay thought he was best coming out of the draft. After an up-and-down second season for Josh Myers, the Packers could have Tom challenge him for that starting spot this summer. If that is the case, Green Bay would then, at a minimum, need to bolster their tackle depth, and ideally, find someone to compete with Nijman.
Offensive tackle certainly isn’t the biggest need that the Packers have, and this year’s draft class is good but not great. But it’s a premier position; there is uncertainty at it for the Packers not too far down the road and a lot of players who tested well. If the right player is available within the first three rounds, I would guess that Gutekunst is going to be tempted for all the reasons just discussed.