The Green Bay Packers have already gotten good mileage from their 2024 draft class. Jordan Morgan, Edgerrin Cooper, Javon Bullard, and Evan Williams are either starters or core rotational players. A handful of their draftmates have put up some nice tape or, at the very least, gotten extended looks.
It’s not a hard-and-fast rule, but we often talk about a Year 3 leap for young players. By that third season, young players have spent enough time in an NFL locker room and have a foundation in the playbook to truly take off and start playing their best football.
The Packers will rely on that internal growth from young players to get them over their recent Wild Card hump. And the team would really benefit if Jordan Morgan steps up. Playing at his preferred position at left tackle, which happens to be one of the most vital roles, an ascending Morgan could be one of the most monumental keys to a deep postseason run this season.
There’s an abundance of pressure on first-round picks due to their rich investment cost, so it’s easy to say wanting a first-round talent to emerge as a team’s top player is a no-brainer. Still, we haven’t seen amazing returns on that investment yet, while other players in the class have been more impactful.
Morgan played in just six games as a rookie, spending most of his 186 offensive snaps in a time share at right guard with Sean Rhyan.
In Year 2, Morgan appeared in every game, starting in 12. However, he had to line up wherever necessary rather than sticking at one position. Morgan got opportunities at both guard spots before settling late season at mostly right tackle.
Predraft evaluators believed Morgan would be a classic collegiate tackle turned NFL guard, but Morgan never quite settled in as a guard. His versatility meant he played plenty of snaps in his sophomore season. However, the performance itself was nothing truly incredible.
PFF measured Morgan’s 2025 season as a guard and gave him a 59 overall score, with a higher pass-protection score (64.3) than his 57.8 run-blocking mark.
But now Morgan is getting the chance to settle in at his preferred position, left tackle. If he can settle into his new-old role, he has a chance to reforge the perception of his career.
Rasheed Walker played solid and meaningful football for a seventh-round pick deployed at the most important position on the offensive line. However, he had a rough 2025. There was already a good argument for Morgan to start over Walker, but the Packers needed Morgan to play snaps at guard. It was theoretically easier to keep Walker at left tackle and utilize Morgan’s versatility as needed.
With Walker gone, Morgan will get every chance to claim that spot for the long term.
Even just sticking to one position and building ideal muscle memory and continuity with the rest of the line puts Morgan in a better position to succeed, something offensive line coach Luke Butkus mentioned this offseason.
Teams win games in the trenches, and Green Bay’s offensive linemen weren’t trench-winners last season.
Even then, Jordan Love had a top-five quarterback season by most metrics playing behind that below-average offensive line. PFF tracked Love as the second-highest-graded passer when kept clean. His 94.2 score was second only to MVP Matthew Stafford (95.6).
Love hasn’t had the same level of offensive line play as Aaron Rodgers, and last year was the lowest-graded group Love has played behind. Still, he put up fantastic numbers, and avoiding sacks is one of his most elite traits.
If Morgan settles in as even an above-average left tackle this season, he’ll raise the ceiling of the entire line. If Love can be that good behind last year’s subpar line, imagine what he can do behind a much better one.
The Packers could have a more pass-heavy offense this season thanks to Love’s proven play and questions at running back. Keeping Love afloat is one of the keys to a successful season. Morgan isn’t the only lineman who needs to be better in 2026. Still, if he lives up to his first-round-level talent, it makes Green Bay’s offense significantly better.
While the Packers have gotten more from Edgerrin Cooper, Javon Bullard, and Evan Williams thus far, by virtue of protecting Love’s blindside and with the offensive line being a weak-link system, Jordan Morgan taking that next-level step could be crucial to helping the Packers compete in January and beyond.
