For years, the Green Bay Packers didn’t have to worry about their left tackle play, with Chad Clifton holding things down, followed by David Bakhtiari‘s reign. Green Bay passed the torch to Rasheed Walker in 2023, and he has played well as Jordan Love’s blindside protector ever since.
But thanks to the multiple contract situations in play along the offensive line, Walker’s future with the Packers is uncertain. The number of top-30 visits Green Bay has used on left tackles is a sign that change could be coming.
According to Packers Wire, as of Tuesday, Green Bay has used 23 of its 30 visits in the lead-up to the draft. Five of those have been spent on left tackles.
There’s some wiggle room with examples like Cincinnati’s John Williams, who could slide around elsewhere. He started 27 games at left tackle in college for the Bearcats and is most familiar there.
The issue at hand may be head-scratching to some. If Walker is playing well at left tackle, why not give him an extension?
The answer stems from the 2022 draft and a circumstance that the Packers didn’t likely see coming.
In the 2022 draft, Green Bay selected Sean Rhyan in the third round, Zach Tom in the fourth, and Walker in the seventh. All three are now starters on the offensive line. You’d be hard-pressed to find another example of a team that found three starting offensive linemen in the same draft class. The Packers deserve some praise for nailing all three selections — and not even using a first- or second-rounder to do so.
The problem arises from the timing of the contracts. Now all three extensions are due at the same time.
Tom will be the priority at right tackle. He’s developed into one of the best right tackles in football, and Green Bay would be crazy not to fork over a big payday. Walker would presumably be next in line, given he’s a left tackle to Rhyan’s right guard, and tackle is viewed as more critical to the operation.
The expression of having too many cooks in the kitchen comes to mind after Green Bay drafted Jordan Morgan in the first round in 2024. Morgan was a left tackle at Arizona and flirted with right guard as a rookie before an injury ended his season. Matt LaFleur has already said the Packers will give a shot to compete for the starting gig at left tackle despite Walker’s stout play over the last two years.
LaFleur’s revelation signaled what was likely to come. It also begs the question: If the Packers already have competition at left tackle, why would they need to use a draft pick on another tackle?
The answer is simple. The equation changes if Walker isn’t given an extension and leaves next offseason in free agency. And if Morgan, who was a first-round pick and will be given ample opportunity to snag a role, doesn’t flourish, the Packers will find themselves in a pickle.
That’s why they’re bringing in so many left tackles and taking a longer look at the position. It’s not for 2025, it’s for beyond.
It’s worth noting who Green Bay has brought in for visits, too.
Outside of Ohio State’s Josh Simmons, who could go in the first round, the other four tackles the Packers have taken an extra look at are all Day 3 guys, with the possible exception of Anthony Belton out of North Carolina State, who could be a fringe Day 2 selection.
Green Bay is unlikely to use a premium pick on a tackle this time. They just did that in 2024 with Morgan. If, for some reason, the Packers pull a rabbit out of the hat and take Simmons or another left tackle in Round 1, it signals the end of Walker in Green Bay past 2025.
Instead, the Packers are doing their due diligence and, like always, are making sure they address a problem before it becomes a glaring weakness.
We don’t know if Walker will get an extension, or if Morgan will stay healthy and then shine at left tackle. These unknowns create urgency in ensuring a backup plan is in place if things go haywire. The Packers exercising some of these visits on left tackles projected to go later in the draft shouldn’t be surprising.
The Packers deserve a lot of credit for what came to be from the 2022 draft class at offensive line. They ended up selecting three players who became full-time starters. But with great drafting comes great responsibility. Left tackle is the spot you have to be willing to invest in, protecting the blindside of your right-handed quarterback.
Given how the Packers allocate their top-30 visits, this could be Walker’s final year in Green Bay.
