The Green Bay Packers have historically been reluctant to hand significant responsibilities to rookies. However, fifth-round pick Jager Burton looks like he will break that trend, as Matt LaFleur has consistently praised him throughout the offseason.
“I see a really young guy that’s extremely coachable, athletic, and is maximizing the most of his opportunities,” LaFleur said, via ESPN. “So I think every practice he gets a little bit more comfortable, a little bit better, and I can see him, he’s definitely going to be in the mix to compete for playing time this year.”
Burton could potentially provide value at three different positions along Green Bay’s offensive line: both guard spots and center. While it would be surprising to see Aaron Banks lose his starting job, Burton has a realistic path to competing for snaps at right guard or center.
Anthony Belton allowed the highest pressure rate among starting right guards last season, and it’s important to remember that guard is not his natural position. Burton, on the other hand, is a natural interior offensive lineman, which should give him an advantage in any competition at guard.
Green Bay could also move Sean Rhyan back to guard and allow Burton to take over at center, the position he mastered during his college career.
“Whatever is going to help the Packers win games,” Burton said about potentially moving back to guard or continuing to develop at center. “Coach Zach Yenser and coach Eric Wolford at Kentucky did a great job of making sure guys were ready to play numerous positions and putting us in a good situation for trying to get to the point that I’m at right now, and just knowing how important that is at the next level.”
It’s not hard to believe that Burton could end up being Green Bay’s 2026 draft pick who is closest to earning a starting role. The interior of the line has been one of the offense’s biggest weaknesses for years, creating a direct opportunity for the rookie to make an impact.
Meanwhile, it’s difficult to envision Brandon Cisse opening the season ahead of Keisean Nixon, Benjamin St-Juste, or Carrington Valentine on the cornerback depth chart. The same applies to Chris McClellan, who faces a much steeper path to playing time behind veterans Devonte Wyatt and Javon Hargrave along the defensive line.
Dani Dennis-Sutton will most likely be part of Green Bay’s pass-rush rotation. He should still see a healthy number of snaps and will also likely contribute on special teams. The same can be said for Domani Jackson, who could carve out a role in certain defensive packages while also handling special teams duties early in his career.
I’m not including Trey Smack in this discussion because he should be Green Bay’s starting kicker from Day 1. The focus here is on offense and defense, where the competition for playing time is much steeper.
So, when looking at the full picture and considering the weaknesses on Green Bay’s roster and Matt LaFleur’s comments throughout the offseason, Burton appears to have the clearest path of any rookie to open the season as a starter. The Packers have several talented first-year players, but most of them face established veterans and crowded depth charts at their respective positions.
Meanwhile, Jager Burton plays a position where Green Bay has been searching for more consistency, and his versatility could make it difficult to keep him off the field. If he continues on his current trajectory, he has a legitimate chance to become the first rookie from this class to earn a starting job.
