Green Bay Will Be Looking For Offensive Linemen

The NFL Draft begins April 24 and the Green Bay Packers have the 23rd pick in the first round. Between now and then, I’ll examine Green Bay’s current situation at each position and how likely the Packers are to take a player for that group.

Today, we’ll look at the offensive line.

Part 5: OFFENSIVE LINE

PACKERS DEPTH CHART

Green Bay has six starting caliber offensive linemen in Zach Tom, Elgton Jenkins, Aaron Banks, Sean Rhyan, Rasheed Walker and Jordan Morgan.

Tom and Rhyan make a formidable duo on the right side of the line and Jenkins will move to center this season after spending most of his career at left guard. Banks, who signed a four-year, $77 million deal in free agency, slides in at left guard while Walker and Morgan are expected to battle for the left tackle job.

As the Packers discovered in their playoff loss to Philadelphia, though, depth is a major issue. Travis Glover, who was the top reserve at guard last season, had three penalties in 13 plays against the Eagles. Kadeem Telfort and Jacob Monk weren’t ready either.

So adding quality depth will be a priority this draft.

OVERALL NEED: 6.0

Tom, Walker and Rhyan are entering the final year of their rookie contracts. While the Packers will almost certainly give Tom a second contract, they probably can’t afford to keep both Ryhan and Walker — and perhaps neither player.

In addition, the salary cap number for Jenkins balloons to $24.8 million in 2026.

Gutekunst drafted three offensive linemen in 2021, 2022 and 2024. Don’t be surprised if he adds two more this year and the Packers’ line looks dramatically different by 2026.

THEY SAID IT

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst on the offensive line: “I think historically and I think with our group right now, we’ve worked really hard to be versatile so that whatever comes, whether it’s injuries or whether we’re going through this period of time and we have to make some decisions, we have a lot of guys who can play multiple positions. I feel good about our offensive line, but we’ll always continue to address it because it’s such an important part of what we do.”

Packers coach Matt LaFleur on the offensive line: “We’re excited about Banks coming in and then moving Elgton back to center. We feel like we have a lot of pieces. There’s going to be some good competition at a lot of spots, but you got to re-create it each and every year, and the only way you do that is you get to work.”

Gutekunst on Green Bay’s offensive line: “I like the versatility of our guys. We’ve got a lot of guys that can play four spots – a couple guys who can probably play all five. So, we work really hard on the guys that we bring into that building to have the versatility to do that, whether that’s because we have injuries or we have to shuffle the lineup to get the best five guys out there. So, I feel good about that right now.”

POSSIBLE PACKERS?

With immediate needs at wide receiver, defensive end and cornerback, Green Bay is unlikely to select an offensive lineman in the first two rounds. But here are five players the Packers might consider selecting at some point between rounds three and five.

• Marcus Mbow, Purdue (6-4, 302) — Terrific athlete who helped lead Wauwatosa East (Wis.) to a state basketball title his senior year. Can play tackle and guard. Suffered a fractured led in 2023, then missed the second half of that season. Questions linger if he can hold up against bull rushers inside. Projection: Round 3

• Charles Grant, William & Mary (6-5, 309) — Small school project who has the athleticism to succeed at the next level. Started 3 ½ seasons at left tackle, but versatile enough to play other spots. Strength an issue after he did just 19 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. Arm length (34 ¾) and hand size (10 ¼) are what scouts long for. Projection: Round 3

• Anthony Belton, North Carolina State (6-6, 336) — Four-year starter at left tackle with the Wolfpack, but many scouts see him as a guard. Nicknamed “Escalade.” Mammoth human, but his toughness and urgency have been questioned. Packers used one of their 30 NFL Draft prospect visits on Belton. Projection: Round 4

• Myles Hinton, Michigan (6-6 ½, 325) — Played right tackle during his two years at Stanford, and left tackle at Michigan in 2023-‘24. Ideal size for left tackle, but must improve strength. Father, Chris, was the fourth pick in the 1984 draft and made seven Pro Bowls at tackle during his 13-year NFL career. Projection: Round 4

• Eli Cox, Kentucky (6-4, 302) — Made 35 starts at center and 12 at guard with the Wildcats. Positional versatility will be a positive. So-so athlete, but a tremendous leader who was voted captain by his team each of the last two seasons. Projection: Round 5

Previous Stories

Part 1 — Quarterbacks

Part 2 — Wide Receivers

Part 3 — Running backs

Part 4 — Tight ends