It hasn't been a pretty season for the Green Bay Packers' offensive line, but that doesn't mean their story is written. We're only halfway through the season, and already, we're seeing some level of improvement in their ability to protect Jordan Love and create gaps for running backs to rush through. And at the heart of it is left tackle Jordan Morgan, whom they drafted with the hope of assuming a pivotal role on this offensive line for many years to come.
Now in his third year as a pro and second as a full-time starter, Morgan was a first-round selection by Green Bay in 2024 from the University of Arizona. He's ascended through the ranks over his first three years with the Packers, taking over the role from Rasheed Walker, whom the Packers' defensive line steamrolled in their Week 8 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
Morgan, meanwhile, is learning from every snap and, over the last three weeks, according to metrics gathered by Carson Caldwell, is finally coming into his own. Since Week 6, Morgan has only allowed one hit and one sack. During this time, his PFF grades have gone through the roof: 81.7 in Week 6 vs. Chicago, 76.3 in Week 7 in Detroit, and 83.7 on Thursday Night Football against Carolina.
Although he's still considered a middle-of-the-pack offensive tackle in most regards, Morgan is turning up the intensity for an offensive line that seriously needed a boost approaching the midway mark of the season.
If the rest of the Packers' offensive line can learn from Jordan Morgan's growth, Green Bay has a real chance to make a run down the stretch.
This season has been far from what was expected from the Packers hopefuls, who saw a Super Bowl run on the horizon. And while it doesn't seem to be trending that way as of now, there's still an entire half of a season left for Green Bay to turn things around and make a splash in the postseason picture. But that narrative begins and ends with the offensive line, which has been one of the worst in the NFL for the totality of the season.
Unfortunately, the growth of one player alone isn't enough to fix an entire offensive line, but at least Jordan Morgan can serve as a guiding light for the rest of the big men in the trenches for Green Bay. The start to his season was abysmal, allowing 22 pressures in pass protection for six QB hits and five sacks on the year. However, most of those came in the first few weeks of the season.
Although there was some pressure to evade, Jordan Love was not sacked by the Carolina Panthers for only the second time in their eight games so far this season, and Morgan's improved pass protection played a large part in that. On the flip side, Bryce Young got sacked six times and was pressured even more often than that.
If Morgan can set the tone for his teammates and use his growth in pass protection to develop more as a run blocker, the sky's the limit for his development in the role. That would make all the difference in the world for a Packers team that needs to see week-over-week improvement on the offensive line.
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