The Green Bay Packers are going to experience a new offensive perspective starting in 2023. Without Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, the team will inevitably need to surround Jordan Love with more and extract production from the young QB. Realistically, he won’t immediately elevate every piece around him as Rodgers did for most of his tenure.
The good news for the Packers is that the offensive line is in place, and that’s a priority for general manager Brian Gutekunst. Since Green Bay promoted him to GM in 2018, he has drafted offensive linemen every year:
- Cole Madison in 2018
- Elgton Jenkins in 2019
- Jon Runyan, Jake Hanson, and Simon Stepaniak in 2020
- Josh Myers, Royce Newman, and Cole Van Lanen in 2021
- Sean Rhyan, Zach Tom, and Rasheed Walker in 2022.
There are hits and misses, but that’s his modus operandi. Gutekunst stockpiles mid- and low-round picks at the unit and ends up being able to find great value. Zach Tom and Jon Runyan are two clear examples of this logic.
That’s why the Jordan Love era is set to start under a good line situation, both in the short- and long-term.
According to PFF metrics, the Packers are expected to have the second-best pass-protecting offensive line in football in 2023, right after the Philadelphia Eagles.
But the most impressive factor is how good the Packers line is if we apply the weak-link logic. According to PFF’s projection, right tackle Tom is the weakest link for Green Bay, and he’s in the 74th percentile at the position. No other team has the weakest link graded that high. For example, the Eagles have right guard Cam Jurgens in the 71st percentile.
The Chicago Bears, for instance, don’t have any offensive linemen beyond the 71st percentile. The worst Packers starting lineman is a better pass protector than the Bears best one — left guard Cody Whitehair.
The situation is particularly good because most of the players are under contract — not just for 2023, but beyond. Because of how much Gutekunst invests draft capital there, the players offer four years of cheap labor during their rookie contracts. And when it’s time to re-sign them, the Packers are not afraid to pay. Since Gutekunst became the GM, Green Bay has given extensions to David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins. They have also signed multiple veteran tackles to patch up when needed, but that hasn’t been the case since last season.
Bakhtiari is under contract through 2024, and Jenkins through 2026 after re-signing during last season. Center Josh Myers is in his rookie deal through 2024. Tom is not a free agent until 2026. The only free agent this year was swing tackle Yosh Nijman. As a restricted free agent, he got a second-round tender, which will probably make him come back to Green Bay for one more season.
Next offseason, the free agents are right guard Runyan and Nijman. And the Packers have multiple young options waiting for opportunities and trying to develop — last year’s third-round pick Sean Rhyan, and physical tackles Caleb Jones, Rasheed Walker, and Luke Tenuta are still in Green Bay’s plans.
“For an offensive line, you’re usually in the single digits this time of year,” Gutekunst said about his depth during the combine. “We have some really young, promising players that are going to step into new roles, probably. So I really like the nucleus of this team.”
Right now, the Packers seem to have six capable starters for five positions. If everyone goes right, another one could emerge for the Packers to achieve what Gutekunst considers an ideal scenario.
“If I’ve learned anything over my time, it’s that you better have seven (starter-caliber linemen),” Gutekunst mentioned. “You’re going to need all seven before the end of it. Whether you call them starters or not … you’re going to need seven by the time it’s done, and he’ll be one of those guys.”
Bakhtiari is the biggest long-term question. Even though he’s under contract through 2024, he’s 31, has a serious injury history, and didn’t agree to add void years to his contract. That means his cap hit in 2024 is projected to be $40.4 million. The Packers can’t go into next season with this number on their books, so they will have to extend, trade, or release him by that time. Jenkins, Tom, and Nijman (if he gets a long-term deal) would be the alternatives.
It won’t be surprising if Gutekunst invests even more draft capital in offensive linemen, especially because of Bakhtiari’s uncertain future. The results of that philosophy have been impressively good, and Jordan Love can have a strong supporting cast upfront while the young receivers develop alongside the new quarterback.
