For a position group where competition was crucial in what ended up being a second-half surge, where by season’s end, the Packers had one of the top offensive line units in football, there is really no competition currently along the interior offensive line.
But with five picks in the top 100 and a loaded offensive line class, the Packers will have their share of opportunities to add to that position group come April. Following the NFL Combine, here were the top athletic performers from the interior offensive line.
Although the Packers aren’t using Relative Athletic Scores (RAS) as part of their evaluation processes, there has been a strong connection between Brian Gutekunst’s selections and how those prospects performed on the RAS scale.
In fact, 74 percent of Gutekunst’s 54 RAS-eligible selections scored 8.0 or higher, with just shy of 50 percent above 9.0. On the flip side, only 18 percent of his picks have scored below 7.0, with almost all of them being Day 3 picks.
To learn more about RAS and its connection to the Packers’ draft classes, click here.
Under Gutekunst, the Packers have drafted eight offensive linemen who have posted a RAS and six of them were above that line in the sand of 8.0, including Zach Tom and Elgton Jenkins above 9.0. Cole Madison and Jake Hanson – a pair of Day 3 picks – scored below 7.0.
Following the NFL Combine, below you will find all of the centers and guards who posted a RAS of 8.0 or higher–and there were a lot.
Brandon Coleman, OG, TCU: 9.98
Mason McCormick, OG, South Dakota State: 9.97
Jarrett Kingston, OG, USC: 9.93
CJ Hanson, OG, Holy Cross: 9.87
Dylan McMahon, OC, NC State: 9.86
Matt Lee, OC, Miami: 9.85
Beaux Limmer, OG, Arkansas: 9.80
Tanor Bortolini, OG, Wisconsin: 9.79
Jacob Monk, OC, Duke: 9.78
Christian Mahogany, OG, Boston College: 9.59
Trevor Keegan, OG, Michigan: 9.39
Nick Gargiulo, OC, South Carolina: 9.37
Cooper Beebe, OG, Kansas State: 9.30
Brady Latham, OG, Arkansas: 9.16
Karsen Barnhart, OG, Michigan: 9.13
Christian Haynes, OG, UCONN: 9.11
Dominick Puni, OG, Kansas: 8.27
Charles Turner III, OG, LSU: 8.12
Prince Pines, OG, Tulane: 8.10
On the roster at the moment at either guard or center are Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Sean Rhyan, and Royce Newman, who could end up being a cut candidate, with the Packers saving around $3 million in 2024 cap space by moving on from him.
The Packers clearly like what they have in Rhyan. He went from playing one or two series per game early on in the right guard rotation with Jon Runyan to being on the field for about 50 percent of the offensive snaps in those final games. Runyan is also set to be a free agent and is likely to end up elsewhere.
However, while entirely possible that Rhyan enters training camp as the favorite for that starting role, it won’t be guaranteed as he will have to earn it. Where Rhyan was at his best was as a run-blocker, but as offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said late last season, he has a ways to go as a pass-blocker if he is going to be a consistent starter in this league.
“He’s still got a ways to go,” said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich late in the season. “I like what I’ve seen from him from a physicality standpoint. He does a good job in the run game at the point of attack. But he still has a ways to go in pass protection would be his biggest thing moving forward.
“If he wants to be a staple guard of this league, you obviously have to excel in this realm. So that’s one thing we are going to focus on with as we move forward just to elevate that part of his game.”
At center, at a minimum, the Packers need a backup to Myers because that player currently isn’t on the roster. But again, harking back to the Packers’ desire to have competition in each room, something Gutekunst spoke about recently at the NFL Combine, they’ll likely want someone on the roster this summer who can push Myers for playing time.
For Myers last season, there were solid stretches and not-so-solid stretches. Overall, he was able to hold his own in pass protection, ranking seventh in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric, but struggled to create steady push as a run-blocker.
With that said, where Myers did consistently receive praise from the coaching staff was in the leadership role he took on within the offensive line room and in his ability pre-snap to get the right protection calls communicated to all the blockers–two important elements of being a center that can go unnoticed.
“From a locker room standpoint,” said Stenavich about Myers, “he’s really taken a big leadership role in the offensive line. As a center, that’s a very, very important thing. He’s done a really good job getting the table set, the calls, all that stuff. Him and Jordan working together, you can see they have a really good relationship, communication, things like that.
“From a leadership standpoint, that’s been awesome. Then on the field, he’s playing with good physicality. He’s moving really well. Doing a better job in pass pro, using his hands, and playing in good phase. He’s going a good job.”
With added salary cap flexibility this offseason, perhaps the Packers look to make an addition in free agency. However, even if that is the case, which I’m not sure that it will be, the draft is likely where Gutekunst takes a swing at bringing in an impact player, especially with how deep this year’s class is upfront.
