There are still more than two months before the Green Bay Packers take the field for their Week 1 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. A lot can happen between now and then. Still, Green Bay has a pressing need to address the interior offensive line.
Aaron Banks and Anthony Belton both ranked among the bottom-five starting guards in pressure rate allowed when combining both left and right guards across the league. Belton, in particular, allowed the highest pressure rate of any starting right guard.
Once Elgton Jenkins went down with an injury, it became clear that this group had little chance of consistently holding up in pass protection. Jordan Love managed to be a highly productive quarterback despite the circumstances. Still, Green Bay’s issues along the offensive line were simply too significant for the unit even to deliver average pass protection.
Now, Jenkins is gone. Meanwhile, Belton and Banks will continue handling the guard spots despite little evidence that either will suddenly take a step forward as pass protectors. Meanwhile, Sean Rhyan is spending the offseason transitioning from guard to center.
Sure, the Packers made a nice addition in Jager Burton, but Green Bay’s interior offensive line depth remains a legitimate concern. In fact, I dare you to look through some of the names currently on the roster and tell me they don’t sound like randomly generated players from Madden franchise mode.
Karsen Barnhart, Dylan Barrett, Josh Gesky, and Dillon Wade are all listed as guards on Green Bay’s official roster. The problem is that none of them has any meaningful NFL experience. Meanwhile, we still have no evidence that Green Bay trusts Jacob Monk enough to give him a significant role on game days. Outside of Burton, this is the depth behind Banks and Belton, two players who performed more like backups than average starters last season.
The Packers are treading on some very thin ice along the interior offensive line. They are one injury away from having what could legitimately be the worst interior offensive line in the league. For quarterbacks, pressure up the middle is far more difficult to deal with than pressure off the edge.
Keeping Jordan Love clean has to be a top priority for Matt LaFleur and this front office. Last season, Love was the second-best quarterback in the NFL when operating from a clean pocket. That makes the state of Green Bay’s interior offensive line even more concerning when you consider that he threw only one touchdown compared to four interceptions when under pressure.
I have previously suggested Kevin Zeitler as a potential late free-agent addition for the Packers, and there is a strong argument that he could walk into training camp and immediately be Green Bay’s best guard despite only being with the team for a few weeks. Mekhi Becton is another available veteran option. Brian Gutekunst can also explore the trade market, as he did last year when he acquired Darian Kinnard, who stepped in and played well when the Packers called upon him.
Hopefully, Banks and Belton can prove me, and a lot of Packers fans, wrong. However, I am very concerned about Jordan Love’s safety entering the season. Green Bay’s offensive line delivered its worst pass-blocking performance of the last decade in 2025, and the overall outlook heading into 2026 does not feel improved.
