The only two certainties on the Green Bay Packers’ offensive line appear to be Jordan Morgan at left tackle and Zach Tom at right tackle. The interior of the O-line is still a mystery at this point in the offseason, and how that sub-group takes shape will be one of the most critical stories to follow over the coming months.
The questions start at center. Elgton Jenkins is a prime cap casualty candidate, and Sean Rhyan, who filled in at center when Jenkins went down for the year, is an unrestricted free agent. It’s hard to imagine the Packers would feel comfortable simply handing the keys to the car over to center Jacob Monk.
There’s a bit more clarity at left and right guard, but, given what we know for now, what level of productivity they can offer is still uncertain.
Aaron Banks figures to be the left guard. However, he ranked 28th last year among the 32 starting left guards in pressure rate allowed. It was a disaster to start the year, and injuries didn’t help the cause.
At his presser in early February, general manager Brian Gutekunst said he expected everyone under contract for next year to be back, including Banks. Gutekunst later noted how he believed Banks played better down the stretch run.
Aaron Banks hadn’t really missed much time in his career, so some of the things he went through were unexpected, but I really thought he played well toward the end of the season once he got healthy.
Maybe Banks will be more consistent in 2026 … but maybe not. How big is the risk for Gutekunst and Co. to run it back?
It’s similarly safe to pencil in Anthony Belton. Still, is he the best choice?
Belton ranked 32nd out of 32 starting right guards in pressure rate allowed at 8.9%. Despite that sounding like the worst-case scenario, he fared much better by the eye test, and he was absolutely not a train wreck at the position despite the pressure rate number.
It’s also important to consider that Belton was also a rookie playing out of position after starting 32 games at left tackle in college. He doesn’t get a full pass, but he deserves a little grace.
After drafting Belton last April, Gutekunst noted that Green Bay saw plenty of versatility in him, making his move to the interior less surprising.
Anthony is a huge man, he’s really versatile as we like. He has the ability to play all four positions. He’s never really done any center, but he probably can play both tackle and both guard spots.
He’s a mauler in the run game, he’s very athletic. Checked a lot of boxes for us all the way through, had a great Senior Bowl. He was one of those guys you never know if you’ll be able to acquire, but he has so much power in his body, fits what we wanna do.
The hope is that Belton will take a step forward in his development as he enters his second season. If the Packers keep him at right guard, he should theoretically be more comfortable after all of last year’s reps.
Still, it’s hard to ignore the ugly statistics involving both guards.
Belton will undoubtedly return to the lineup; he’s entering his second year as a second-round draft pick. However, the Packers could cut Banks and start over at left guard, but that might yield even more questions with few options on the table.
The offensive line historically has been a point of strength for Green Bay. The resources that flooded in via the draft and free agency always put the Packers in a position of power. Last season was a head-scratcher. Between injuries, inconsistency, and players sliding around different spots on the line, the group’s cohesion was never there. You can bet Green Bay’s brass is well aware and is ready to expend more resources to shore things up.
It wouldn’t be a disaster scenario with Banks at left guard, Belton at right guard, and Rhyan at center. But high atop Green Bay’s to-do list this offseason is to determine whether or not that combo actually works together.
The pressure numbers don’t lie, even if they don’t tell the full tale — hopefully not another tale of woe like we watched last season.
