The news that everyone feared became a reality for the Green Bay Packers when they put All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari on the physically unable to perform list to start training camp. Head coach Matt LaFleur said back in May he was “hopeful” Bakhtiari would be ready for training camp, but that won’t be the case.
Unlike the question marks that still linger at right tackle, there are no such uncertainties at left tackle if Bakhtiari misses time to start the season.
Green Bay has entered the danger zone of potentially being without their top two offensive linemen in Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins as training camp begins. There is some comfortability on the left side, though. Yosh Nijman played the part and played it exceptionally well last year.
Nijman appeared in 17 games for Green Bay last season and started eight at left tackle. Fans and media were skeptical of how it would shake out. Nijman was an unknown who the Packers launched into a surprisingly effective starter’s role. Nijman brought stability and a presence to Green Bay. He’s a true tackle, having played both tackle positions in college at Virginia Tech. Fans didn’t worry about what was going on on the left side of the line because of how solid Nijman and left guard Jon Runyan were playing.
There’s an adage that an offensive lineman the broadcasters don’t mention is doing his job. That was the case with Nijman. The only time the announcers mentioned him was when he broke out the robot celebration in the end zone.
Nijman played so well during the regular season that it was quite the surprise when the playoffs rolled around and Green Bay opted to go with Billy Turner at left tackle and Dennis Kelly at right tackle. Turner was coming back from injury, but he had played right tackle exclusively for the Packers up to that point. Kelly is a veteran who found a home with the Packers. But, like Nijman, Kelly was a reserve who filled in due to a starter’s injury — in this case, an injury to Turner.
Green Bay’s offensive line wasn’t disastrous against the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs. But there were a few lapses, leaving a lot to be desired. Perhaps it would’ve been the same even if the Packers had plugged Nijman in at left tackle, but we’ll never know.
Nijman’s offseason has been steeped in uncertainty, but none of that had to do with his performance in 2021. It was all about the health of Green Bay’s two best linemen. Bakhtiari tore his ACL in December 2020. After playing 27 snaps last year, the expectation was that he’d be good to go starting with training camp this year.
Jenkins tore his ACL against the Minnesota Vikings last November, and the expectation all along has been that he wouldn’t be ready for training camp. That opened up a door for Nijman.
Green Bay has options at right tackle, including Nijman, Cole Van Lanen, and any number of rookie linemen they drafted this spring. Nijman would figure to be the easy choice, but it would be at right tackle, a position he’s far less familiar with.
The left side leaves no doubt.
Green Bay will certainly go with Nijman at left tackle if Bakhtiari’s recovery drags into the regular season. More doubt will start to creep in if Bakhtiari remains on the PUP list. Still, it would be foolish for the Packers to entertain the idea of rushing him back earlier than they should. Having Nijman slot in is a hell of a backup plan.
Nijman played well enough last year that he’d be starting at left tackle for a handful of teams in the NFL this season. It just so happens that if the Packers were at full strength, he’d be back to second on the depth chart behind two of the best in the league in Bakhtiari and Jenkins.
Opportunities may come knocking for Nijman, though. Where things could get tricky is if Bakhtiari returns sooner than later.
Nijman will get the lion’s share of the reps at left tackle in Bakhtiari’s absence as training camp begins. Meanwhile, Van Lanen and others will be gaining valuable experience at right tackle with Jenkins also on the PUP list. If Bakhtiari comes back before the preseason concludes, does Green Bay slide Nijman over to the right side or go with the horses they have running at the outset of camp? That could be a million-dollar question, but it will only pop up if Bakhtiari misses some time this summer but returns before the opener in September.
There are tons of dominoes yet to fall for the Packers on the offensive line. But left tackle is the least of their concerns. If Bakhtiari is good to go, he’s the guy. If not, Nijman is next in line.
