The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL draft.
David Bakhtiari, Yosh Nijman, Zach Tom, Rasheed Walker, Caleb Jones, and even Elgton Jenkins in a pinch. In Bakhtiari, the Green Bay Packers have one of the best left tackles in the league. They have quality options at right tackle and have good depth at one of the most important positions in football.
With those names on the roster, it would not appear that the Packers have a pressing need at offensive tackle.
Let’s jump in the time machine and fast forward a year. Will Bakhtiari’s legs hold up the entire season? Even if they do, will the Packers bring him back for another season? As long as Bakhtiari stays healthy and he’s willing to stay in Green Bay, one can imagine that the Packers will do whatever they can to keep one of the best in the business.
What about at right tackle? Will Nijman be back a year from now? Do the Packers view Tom as a long-term answer at right tackle, or do believe his best fit is inside?
With those questions looming, it would not be surprising to see the Packers select an offensive tackle in the 2023 NFL Draft.
A player that Brian Gutekunst could target is Anton Harrison. The Oklahoma offensive tackle checks in at No. 29 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.
When it comes to offensive tackle with first-round talent, I think we should be talking more about Oklahoma's Anton Harrison (No. 71). pic.twitter.com/8myzt5drXO
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) December 14, 2022
A four-star recruit, Harrison finished his career as a Sooner with 23 starts at left tackle and one start at right tackle.
Standing at 6-4, 315 pounds, with good arm length, Harrison looks every bit the part of an NFL offensive tackle. The Oklahoma offensive tackle turned heads at the combine when he clocked a 4.98 40-yard time, which was tied for second fastest among offensive linemen.
“I would say his pure physical makeup is the strongest part of his game or at least the most important foundational quality,” Ian Cummings, an NFL Draft analyst for profootballnetwork.com said. “He has great size and natural leverage at 6’4”, 315 pounds, but he also has the reach to keep himself clean and generate power on extensions. Along with that size, he’s also an excellent athlete. His 4.98 40-yard dash is evidence for that, but his short-area athleticism on tape is just as good.”
Harrison fires out of his stance and he’s coordinated in his movements. He has quick feet with the lateral mobility to match edge quickness. With his long arms, he extends his arms into the chest of oncoming traffic. He has some thunder in his hands to jolt edge rushers. According to Pro Football Focus, Harrison gave up one sack and eight pressures this past season.
Those OU tackles man… Anton Harrison was hid in that Sooners offense but I love his game. Clean feet with nasty intentions.
KState/TCU tape was fantastic. pic.twitter.com/j237pBmwUy
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) March 11, 2023
“For his age, Harrison is already very proficient at keeping synergy with his hands and feet, and using independent combative hands to stymy opposing moves,” Cummings said. “He can keep his hands a bit tighter and be more disciplined with his timing on occasion. But overall, Harrison is a very promising hand-fighter who molds violence and precision together to gather rushers, and he also has the foot speed, athletic freedom, and knee bend to tempo up and wall off opponents at the apex. His blend of physical talent and operational effectiveness is what makes him such a great pass protector, and he’s only trending up.”
Harrison’s athleticism really shows up as a run blocker. He has excellent movement skills and looks more than comfortable on the move. When he latches on he stays on his block to create movement.
“Harrison is underrated as a run blocker,” Cummings said. “He’s not quite at the level of Paris Johnson Jr. or Broderick Jones, but he has similar potential with his athleticism, length, and drive energy. With his explosiveness, he can launch off the ball and cover ground quickly in space, and he’s a physical finisher when he’s able to stay latched. For Harrison, his issues in run blocking are centered around consistency. He sometimes struggles to manage his pad level on the attack, and his grip strength fails him at times. That said, he very much has the tools worth investing in.”
Fit with the Packers
The Oklahoma offensive tackle is a sleeper pick for the Packers in the first round. He checks all the boxes. Harrison recently turned 21 years old. He’s athletic and he plays a premium position.
Full send on Anton Harrison. I'm in. pic.twitter.com/y7Lu6Ob0r1
— Cory (@realcorykinnan) December 2, 2022
“I’d draft Harrison to get a talented, ascending, and well-rounded two-phase tackle prospect in my locker room,” Cummings said. “His size and athleticism is what separates him from the pack as a first-round player. But beyond that, he also has stellar physicality, active hands, strong footwork, and the ability to drive and channel power as a run blocker. He’s my No. 2 offensive tackle only behind Johnson, and I think he can be a high-level starter at left tackle in the NFL.”
The last time the Packers selected an offensive lineman in the first round was 2011 when they drafted Derek Sherrod with the 32nd overall pick. Harrison may or may not be the pick at 15, but if he falls to the Packers in the second round, it would not be shocking to see Gutekunst pull the trigger on the athletic offensive tackle.
In the short term, the Packers don’t have a pressing need at offensive tackle. In the long term, they could have a whole bag of questions.
If Harrison were to land in Green Bay, he could battle for the starting right tackle spot during his rookie season. In the long-term, he has all the tools to take over for Bakhtiari at left tackle whenever the Packers decide to move on from the 10-year veteran.
