Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has a strong track record as a scout, and the amount of talent he has added to the roster since taking over is impressive. However, one of the most prominent mistake he has made in his evaluations has become evident as the careers of the two players involved have progressed. The Packers drafted Josh Myers with the 62nd-overall pick, and the exact next pick was fellow center Creed Humphrey, who turned out to be an All-Pro center for the Kansas City Chiefs. Myers is not a bad player, but he’s been inconsistent.
The answer for that mistake, though, might be Zach Tom, a big hit by Gutekunst in last year’s fourth round.
Even though Tom played 1,156 snaps at center in college, that was the only position on the offensive line where he didn’t play as a rookie for the Packers. Tom combined 489 offensive snaps in 2022 — 295 at left tackle, 96 at left guard, 14 at right guard, and 84 at right tackle. During his press conference at the NFL Combine, Gutekunst admitted he saw Tom primarily as a center when he made the selection.
He’s versatile, like we like. I thought coming out that his best spot might be center. I think he could do that very well. The way he played at tackle and guard this year maybe opened my eyes that he’s got maybe more potential there as well. Certainly, he’s going to be in the mix and competing for not only a starting spot, but if I’ve learned anything over my time, it’s that you better have seven. You’re going to need all seven before the end of it. Whether you call them starters or not-starters, you’re going to need seven by the time it’s done, and he’ll be one of those guys.
Tom played well as a rookie tackle, finishing up the season as PFF’s highest-graded pass-blocker among first-year players at the position (19th out of 87 in the entire league). His run-blocking wasn’t great, but he was productive immediately, well ahead of Sean Rhyan, who the Packers drafted one round earlier.
Left tackle David Bakhtiari will be back in 2023. Gutekunst confirmed his intentions of restructuring the veteran’s contract.
Tom could play on the right side, but it looks like the Packers will tender restricted free agent Yosh Nijman. Playing at right tackle is a possibility for Tom, but Matt LaFleur has stressed his idea to play the best five, regardless of position. That might give Tom a shot to play at his original spot, with Myers going to the bench.
In total PFF grade last season, Tom was the best among these three players, with 68.3. Yosh Nijman followed him with 63.1, and Myers finished the year with a 60.4 grade.
An offensive line formation with Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, Tom, Jon Runyan, and Nijman would be promising.
Tom’s versatility impressed the Packers early. Gutekunst mentioned it to justify his choice immediately after last year’s draft.
“That (versatility) drew him to me. He’s not the biggest guy we would take, but his ability to play all five spots from center to left and right tackle and both guard spots was something that really intrigued us,” Gutekunst highlighted. “He’s an exceptionally smart kid. Has ability to handle that physically and mentally, which is a tough challenge. He fits that versatility we like so much.”
Even though he’s relatively undersized, Tom is an elite athlete — he had a 9.92 relative athletic score. His agility to explode from the line of scrimmage is particularly important for centers in an outside zone scheme.
The Packers have depth and alternatives in the offensive line. Tom’s versatility helps them figure out the best path, and his track record as a center might be an indication of what the future holds.
