3 Potential offensive line combos for Packers with Elgton Jenkins out
By Paul Bretl
![Sep 10, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Green Bay Packers guard Elgton Jenkins (74) blocks against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports Sep 10, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Green Bay Packers guard Elgton Jenkins (74) blocks against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/91922ce2de051f7feb6298cc9c89b5580b1232bda2a7efa9904e09c1579b8ba5.jpg)
Packers Offensive Line Combination No. 1
Without Elgton Jenkins:
David Bakhtiari – Royce Newman – Josh Myers – Jon Runyan – Zach Tom
This is the lineup we saw on Sunday – minus Bakhtiari – once Jenkins exited the game. LaFleur said on Monday that Newman did a “nice job” stepping in for Jenkins. PFF didn’t credit Newman with any pressures allowed, although, like the others on the offensive line, he took some lumps as a run-blocker.
The concern with Newman is his consistency. While there have been stretches of fairly steady play from him, when things go awry, they really go awry. He has experience and versatility, both of which are valuable, but he seems best suited to come off the bench and to help the Packers get through a game when needed, as he did on Sunday, versus someone Green Bay should be relying on heavily on a weekly basis.
Perhaps the Packers could look to have Sean Rhyan start at left guard as well, although Newman is clearly ahead of him on the depth chart for the first two games. With that said, I thought Rhyan outplayed Newman in training camp and the preseason. If the above is option one of three options that the Packers have, we will call putting Rhyan at left guard option 1.5.
Without David Bakhtiari:
Rasheed Walker – Royce Newman – Josh Myers – Jon Runyan – Zach Tom
As already alluded to, this was the lineup that the Packers went with against the Falcons when they were without Jenkins. There were some shaky moments early on from Walker, but he settled in, and going back to the early preseason, he has been ahead of Yosh Nijman on the depth chart.