In order to bolster the competition at the offensive tackle position, the Green Bay Packers will need to make an addition or two this offseason. If GM Brian Gutekunst chooses to do so through free agency, 13 offensive tackles made PFF’s top 200 free agents list.
Even if the Packers move on from David Bakhtiari this offseason, which would save them $20.94 million in cap space, they are in a good spot at the tackle position.
Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom still have two years left on their rookie deals. Luke Tenuta will return healthy, along with Caleb Jones, as an exclusive rights free agent.
The play of the overall offensive line unit through the first eight weeks of the 2023 season contributed to the ups and downs that Jordan Love and the Packers’ offense as a whole faced early on in the season. However, beginning in Week 9, a rotation at left tackle and right guard sparked a turnaround in performance. The competition that was created elevated the play of the entire unit.
Walker will enter training camp as the favorite to be the Packers’ starting left tackle, but I wouldn’t say he’s guaranteed to be the starter, either. My expectation is that he will have to again earn that role this summer.
“He’s getting all this experience under his belt,” said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich prior to Week 18. “He’s doing a good job. I’m really impressed with how he goes about his business. How he competes. He’s still got a ways to go. He’s got a lot of room for improvement, but I’m impressed with how he works.”
Perhaps Tenuta and/or Jones can provide that competition. I’m sure, to some degree, that’s the hope from the Packers’ perspective after developing each of them for the last two seasons. But solely relying on two players with seven combined NFL snaps comes with obvious risks.
This is where an experienced addition could be valuable. Adding to the offensive tackle position will elevate the competition during training camp and hopefully, at a minimum, give the Packers an experienced option off the bench.
Bringing in another offensive tackle – or even two – this offseason would give the Packers the flexibility to move Zach Tom inside if they choose. However, while Tom has that ability, with how well he played at right tackle in 2023 and doing so against some very good competition, it sounds like he will stay put.
“I think we’ll get to that,” said Brian Gutekunst when asked about Tom staying at right tackle, “but I think we’re gonna try to get the five best guys we can out there at all times and again, I think it’ll be our job to bring in some guys and have healthy competition in there.
“He played really well at right tackle this year, you know what I mean, and so to move him around I think, on the coaching staff, will be hard, but at the same time he’s probably a guy that can play all five spots and I think he could be really good at all five of ’em, so it’ll be just dependent on what we have and where we need him.”
With all of that said, even though the Packers may have the means to be more active in free agency this year, my guess is that they will address the tackle position in the draft.
For one, this is a very deep class at the position, and the Packers already have a strong foundation on the roster at the position, where it’s not necessary to bring in a veteran. Not to mention the value of getting a potential impact player on a rookie deal.
For more on the Packers’ current salary cap situation, click here.
But nonetheless, if Gutekunst does decide to add to tackle through free agency, there are 13 players who made PFF’s top 200 list, along with contract projections from Spotrac when applicable.
14. Tyron Smith ($7.4M per year)
22. Trent Brown
25. Mike Onwenu
47. Mekhi Becton
54. Jonah Williams ($10.8M per year)
61. Jermaine Eluemunor
114. Josh Jones
117. Donovan Smith
124. George Fant
143. Cam Fleming
160. Chukwuma Okorafor
164. Andrus Peat
190. Yosh Nijman
