The Green Bay Packers ended their two-game skid with Sunday's 27-20 road win over the New York Giants, but it took some late heroics from quarterback Jordan Love and some clutch plays by the defense to seal the victory. There are still concerns regarding the offense, especially the disappointing play from offensive lineman Jordan Morgan, who continues to fail to meet the expectations that come with being a first-round pick.
Zach Kruse, managing editor and writer for The Packers Wire, was left unimpressed by the second-year lineman on Sunday, which went hand-in-hand with TitletownTalks' suggestion that head coach Matt LaFleur needs to bench Morgan because he is getting dominated every single rep and allows immediate pressure.
It is clear that Morgan is not a guard, but if the hope is solely for him being a better fit at tackle, a position he has not played at the NFL level and has not beat out anyone in Packers camp to earn, then it is a major red flag for the offensive front. It is certainly a dangerous spot to be in for Green Bay with a first-round pick who was expected to help improve the offensive line, something he has not come close to doing so far.
Jordan Morgan Still Looking to Make an Impact for Green Bay
According to Pro Football Focus, Morgan is 52nd out of 80 qualified guards with a 56.2 overall grade. His pass block grade (61.2) is slightly better, but his 54.4 run block grade is the worst out of the three, which is not encouraging for a team that averages the 19th-most rush yards per game (113.5) and saw its running back, Josh Jacobs, exit Sunday's game with a knee injury.
There is a chance the Packers could move on from tackle Rasheed Walker, who is in the final year of his rookie deal. They could simply be betting on Morgan and putting him at guard before moving him to the left tackle position if they let Walker go. His questionable play up to this point, though, makes that far from a sure thing, especially if you consider the uptick in performance from Aaron Banks in Week 11 after experiencing his own struggles and the lack of improvement from Morgan.
It is no secret that pressure has been mounting on Banks and Morgan for a while now. Not to mention Elgton Jenkins, who also struggled in his new role at center before suffering a lower leg fracture in the Week 10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Banks rose to the occasion in Week 11 and gave the Packers some hope on his end, but given the injuries to Green Bay's offensive line and the lack of improvement from Morgan so far, the Packers are in a precarious position, making any progress from Morgan that much more important toward their success down the stretch.
The plan may eventually be to move Morgan over to the tackle position with Walker set to be a free agent at the end of the season. Regardless of the route the Packers take, Morgan has not performed anywhere close to the level expected of him when he was drafted. Even if he does switch to tackle at some point, it is still going to be a risk given the lack of success he has had in his NFL career so far.