The Green Bay Packers have been doing some different things during this year’s free agency period. Seeking an elusive championship, the Packers have signed some older veterans to add experience to a team that started hot but faded down the stretch, and they even went ahead and signed a former Minnesota Vikings player as Javon Hargrave came aboard at defensive tackle.
Hargrave’s signing is interesting in that it is usually former Packers jumping the Mississippi River to join the Vikings. But he may not be the only one who heads through that pipeline in reverse. With Green Bay’s need for depth along the offensive line, there could be another former Viking in play, and it could lead to a decision to add offensive tackle Justin Skule in the coming weeks.
Packers Could Target Former Viking Justin Skule to Add O-Line Depth in Free Agency
Packers fans who may have caught some Vikings games last season may not be interested in adding Skule. According to Pro Football Focus, the 29-year-old had modest results, posting a 65.7 overall grade in a career-high 578 snaps. But the biggest problem was his performance in pass protection, allowing 29 pressures and seven sacks on 331 pass-blocking snaps.
The Vikings relied on Skule more than they intended, as Christian Darrisaw struggled to return from a multiligament knee injury suffered in October 2024 and Brian O’Neill suffered an ankle injury that lingered throughout the 2025 campaign. But Skule also played much better in 2024 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, posting a 69.2 overall grade from PFF, and allowing 12 pressures with four sacks in 203 pass-blocking snaps.
While Minnesota has replaced Skule by signing former Buffalo Bills tackle Ryan Van Denmark, the Packers use him to create competition for the depth tackle spots.
The Packers brought back Darrian Kinnard in free agency, but he’s far from a rock-solid option. While Kinnard and Skule had almost identical overall PFF grades, with Kinnard posting a 65.6, he also had issues in pass protection when called upon, allowing 11 pressures and a sack in 132 pass-blocking snaps.
This may be nitpicking, but not when you look at the Packers’ entire situation at tackle. Jordan Morgan will take over at left tackle after Rasheed Walker’s departure in free agency. However, he’s a relative unknown despite the vote of confidence the Packers have given him this offseason. Zach Tom is one of the best right tackles in the league, but he’s coming off an injury-plagued season that included a partially torn patellar tendon that ended his season last December.
In addition to Kinnard, the Packers have unproven options around him, including 2024 sixth-round pick Travis Glover, who posted a 35.1 overall grade in 41 offensive snaps his rookie year and did not play in 2025 due to a severe shoulder injury. Brant Banks is also on the roster but spent last season on Green Bay’s practice squad before signing a futures contract this offseason.
The Packers could also slide 2025 second-round pick Anthony Belton to tackle if disaster struck, but it would be a giant game of "Whack-A-Mole" that created an opening at his new position of right guard.
The Packers learned how important depth can be after their 2025 season fell apart due to injury, and they would be foolish not to throw darts hoping to land better solutions next year. While Skule is not an elite tackle, he could push some incumbents and a potential draft pick to help put the Packers in a better spot and bring another former Viking to Green Bay.