The Green Bay Packers may see major changes this upcoming season depending on what happens with Aaron Rodgers. His decision will determine the Packers’ cap situation and positional needs, sending ripples throughout Green Bay’s plan of operation over the next few months.
Regardless of the quarterback situation, the offensive line largely shouldn’t be affected. After a rough start to the season, the Packers’ offensive line eventually settled into their preferred five and mostly played well down the stretch. Elgton Jenkins received a bountiful contract extension, meaning all of their preferred players will return, barring any anomalies.
Green Bay shouldn’t have to make any major changes this off-season, but there are still some questions that need to be answered and some tweaks can be made to maximize their effectiveness in trench warfare. What’s working and what needs fixed along the offensive line?
With David Bakhtiari and Jenkins recovering from ACL injuries, the Packers struggled to field a dominant offensive line early in the 2022 season. Royce Newman and Jake Hanson stumbled, and the coaches were reluctant to throw rookies Zach Tom or Sean Rhyan into the lineup or test Yosh Nijman at right tackle.
Eventually, Jenkins made his way back but struggled at right tackle. As he shook off the injury rust and moved back to left guard, the position he’d made the Pro Bowl at, he once again became a fierce competitor.
Bakhtiari eventually made his way back, too. Initially, the All Pro left tackle split snaps with Nijman as he readjusted to the lineup, and a later appendectomy cost him some snaps. But when on the field, Bakhtiari was the same dominant player we saw in previous seasons, and he was the best lineman on the field.
With the left side figured out, Josh Myers inconsistently manned the center spot, Jon Runyan Jr. did a mostly solid job after moving from left guard to right, and Nijman was mostly good at right tackle. When injuries struck or Nijman’s performance waned, they called Tom, a promising rookie, up and he impressed.
That grouping led the Packers to PFF’s third-ranked offensive line for the 2022 regular season. Their grades had Bakhtiari as the best player, while Josh Myers (and notably not Nijman, who was benched in the season finale) was their weakest link. Andy Herman’s rankings saw a similar trend. Bakhtiari was the highest-graded offensive lineman and the only one to crack top-five offensive players, while Myers and Nijman made the bottom-five offensive players.
Looking to the future, that’s a solid group to build upon. But could there be improvement?
Bakhtiari’s last few years have been tough. The freak practice injury and complications kept him out of the game for a long time, all while he commanded a large cap hit. His knee will need to be monitored, especially on turf. Still, there’s no question that No. 69 is one of the league’s best tackles when on the field. While the Packers could restructure his contract, he’ll most certainly be back.
Likewise, Jenkins needed some time to get back into the swing of things and to switch back to his best position, but he proved his mettle and earned a big second contract. Jenkins’ place is the most stable of anyone on the line.
Myers was wildly inconsistent and will forever be compared to Creed Humphrey, who the Kansas City Chiefs drafted one pick later. As a second-round pick, Myers will have a longer leash than some other players. After missing most of his rookie season and struggling in his sophomore year, you’d hope Myers can take a big Year 3 jump. But this is the position the Packers most need an upgrade from. It’s unlikely they’ll sign a free agent or bring in a high-round pick to start right away, but Green Bay needs to at least explore an upgrade.
Jon Runyan Jr. is another example of Green Bay’s uncanny ability to find quality starting offensive linemen late in the draft. Runyan had a mostly solid if not spectacular year, often excelling in pass protection but struggling in run-blocking. Runyan is a reliable starter, but the Packers absolutely could upgrade.
Right tackle is probably the biggest uncertainty. Nijman is a free agent, but the Packers could easily add a second-round tender on the big robot and make a team give up a pick to acquire him. Nijman is a fantastic diamond-in-the-rough player that Green Bay’s coaching staff found and developed into a starting player. But Nijman was inconsistent at times, especially when facing some late-season injuries. It remains to be seen if the team views Nijman as a dedicated starter or a high-caliber backup.
Most importantly, the Packers must find a way to get Tom into the starting lineup. Tom needs to build strength and improve as a run-blocker. However, he was fantastic in pass protection, and he’s already clearly one of Green Bay’s best five. Right tackle is probably the path of least resistance, though he may be better on the left. But with his center experience, he should absolutely get a test there.
Ideally, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich can make a Year 2 leap as well. Stenavich did an excellent job as offensive line coach in his previous seasons, but he may need to take a bigger role with that group again in the future to better prepare them. With the offense on the whole struggling last season, the Packers need a change of approach.
The Packers are in a much better situation with their offensive line than most of the league. But that doesn’t mean they can’t upgrade. Complacency has killed this team in the past. While the left side is set, center and the right side could all be improved. They could shuffle through who they have or bringing in some new talent. Regardless, the coaching staff has been notoriously slow in making necessary changes, but hopefully, they’ve learned a lesson after a disappointing 2022.
