Fast-Rising Bernhard Raimann Could Bolster The Green Bay Packers’ Offensive Line

Note: The NFL Draft begins April 28 and the Green Bay Packers have the 22^nd and 28^th pick in the first round. Between now and then, I’ll examine 25 players the Packers could select with either of those picks.

Today, we look at Central Michigan offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann.

BERNHARD RAIMANN, OT, CENTRAL MICHIGAN

THE SKINNY

Raimann is originally from Austria came to Central Michigan after spending his high school days as a foreign exchange student at Delton-Kellogg High School, outside of Detroit.

Raimann arrived at Central Michigan as a 230-pound tight end, and during his first two seasons with the Chippewas caught 20 passes for 164 yards.

Raimann continued to add weight and made the move to left tackle in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Raimann was an all-conference player in 2020, then was named the Mid-American Conference’s Player of the Year by Pro Football Focus in 2021.

After a strong Senior Bowl and impressive showing at the NFL Combine, Raimann has flown up draft boards and now figures to be selected somewhere between picks No. 20 and 40.

MEASURABLES

Height: 6-6

Weight: 303

Bench press: 30

40-yard dash: 5.05

Vertical jump: 30.5

Broad jump: 9’9”

Arms: 32 7/8”

Hands: 10 1/4”

SCOUTING REPORT

The fast-rising Raimann has gone from a developmental project to a potential first round draft pick in virtually no time. Raimann has rare athleticism, something he showed while playing tight end at CMU and during his days as a high school wrestler.

Scouts are amazed how quickly Raimann has become a solid technician. And his athletic ability and movement skills could make him a nightmare for defenders.

Raimann has plenty of power in the run game, terrific quickness out of the blocks and impressive football I.Q. His arm length isn’t great and his instincts need time to develop, but he could be viewed as a steal one day.

PACKERS’ PREDICAMENT

Green Bay had one of the deepest offensive lines in football last season. In the past month, though, the Packers released starting right tackle Billy Turner and starting guard Lucas Patrick signed with Chicago in free agency. In addition, key reserve Dennis Kelly remains a free agent and it appears unlikely Green Bay will resign him.

The Packers have a solid starting five if left tackle David Bakhtiari and guard/tackle Elgton Jenkins can return to past form from ACL injuries. But Green Bay’s current depth is an issue.

If the Packers draft a tackle like Raimann, they could play him on the right side and leave Jenkins at left guard. It also gives them options if Bakhtiari isn’t the same player he was before his knee injury.

THEY SAID IT

Raimann said: “Even now going back watching my film from the last two years, there are many things I made mistakes that I wouldn’t nowadays. But then even throughout the season, I think I really improved my technique every game. Something I take a lot of pride in is I don’t make the same mistake twice. I just learned from that and got better.”

Longtime NFL offensive line coach Paul Alexander told The Athletic: “(Raimann) called me out of the blue and asked ‘I wonder if you could work with me?’ “I answered, ‘Let me pull up your film.’ And after about five clips, I messaged him back and said, ‘Oh yeah, I’ll work with you!’ ”

ESPN’s Todd McShay on Raimann: “Raimann has a powerful upper body and shuts down pass-rushers when he gets his hands inside.”

NFL scout to The Athletic: “He’s the best Austrian import since Schwarzenegger. He was probably a mid-round guy coming into the year, but he just keeps getting better and better. Athletic, strong, driven.”

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