Cory's Corner: Don't Forget Green Bay's Best OL
Zach Tom has solidfied Green Bay's offensive line into a pretty solid unit heading into the stretch run.
The Packers look like a team that can be a challenger deep into the postseason.
Josh Jacobs, Jordan Love, Jayden Reed, Tucker Kraft and Christian Watson are being talked about. But there’s one guy on offense that is being forgotten.
That’s the best player on the offensive line: Zach Tom. The third-year right tackle is not only very good but he’s also consistent. After playing all 17 regular games last year, the fourth round pick out of Wake Forest has played in all of Green Bay’s 14 games this year.
He has only allowed 15 quarterback hurries and has been penalized six times — not more than once a game. Among all tackles, Tom is ranked No. 5 behind Philadelphia’s Jordan Mailata, Miami’s Terron Armstead, the Chargers’ Rashawn Slater and Detroit’s Penei Sewell.
Tom is the epitome of why the Packers continue to hit the jackpot at offensive line. He’s just a guy that is in it for the team. That’s why so many Packers offensive line draft picks are fine with playing anywhere on the line.
The Packers draft offensive line guys based on versatility and fill in gaps where there is a need. There weren’t many expectations for Tom when he was drafted 140th overall in 2022. But he just continues to impress and solidify an offense that is really coming into its own.
Jacobs has proven that he is perfectly fine carrying the ball over 20 times a game and Love looks a lot more confident. He was pressured 64 times in his first five games of the season and he’s been pressured 52 times in the last five.
So go ahead and praise Jacobs and Love and the cacophony of Packers wideouts, but just don’t forget where it all starts. The offensive line was a question mark heading into the season, but Tom has provided plenty of answers.
Many think that Tom should be a Pro Bowler. He’s better than that. He deserves to be an All-Pro. He’s that good. And in usual fashion, many probably don’t know that, but what Tom is doing this season is holding an offensive line together and quickly becoming a leader in his third season.
The Packers’ offense isn’t much without a capable offensive line. Without Tom being one of the best at his position, I don’t think the Packers would be 10-4 with a real shot to get a road playoff win along the way.
At the start of the season, nobody would’ve said that the Packers offensive line would’ve been the fulcrum to carry them through. But it’s true. This group is playing very well thanks to the leadership of the unit’s best player.
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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn
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Comments (54)
PeteK
December 21, 2024 at 07:09 am
He's not big as tackles go, but his agility and technique are extremely sound. However, I think the line still needs some improvement to carry us to a SB win.
dblbogey
December 21, 2024 at 09:21 pm
Gute hit it big with Rasheed Walker in the 7th round as well. He's not great, but he's been excellent as a pass blocker. Imagine where we'd be without him. Next up - move on from Myers, hope Morgan stays healthy next year and is solid, and we need a swing tackle.
SicSemperTyrannis
December 22, 2024 at 07:51 pm
GB has cap space to keep good players. It'd be nice to have Josh Myers as depth and veteran leadership, but I'm not sure he's ever played a game without struggling with an injury.
stockholder
December 21, 2024 at 07:14 am
Yep - He's pretty Good.
I'm surprised Gute
didn't extend him yet.
jannesbjornson
December 21, 2024 at 08:13 am
See if he makes the Pro Bowl.
LLCHESTY
December 21, 2024 at 07:38 pm
You mean see if he's the popular kid is school? A Pro Bowl nods is meaningless these days.
Oppy
December 21, 2024 at 08:48 pm
Yup, that's a rare swing and a miss from Jannes.
Assuming he meant all-pro.
jannesbjornson
December 22, 2024 at 02:02 am
Yes, I generally respect the ALL-PRO designation.
DoubleJ
December 21, 2024 at 09:16 am
The CBA doesn't allow those on rookie deals to sign new deals until the off-season of their 4th year. Therefore Tom cannot get a new deal until after this season.
stockholder
December 21, 2024 at 10:34 am
Yep- thanks for the reminder.
Guam
December 21, 2024 at 07:47 am
The O-line has been playing well and lets hope they all stay healthy because the depth is uncertain. Jordan Morgan is done for the season (reported in the local paper this week) so the remaining depth are guys that haven't ever played much in the NFL or Dillard who has largely been inactive. Fingers crossed........
BadfishRadio
December 21, 2024 at 08:13 am
Cacophony? That made me smile.
LambeauPlain
December 21, 2024 at 08:13 am
"Josh Jacobs, Jordan Love, Jayden Reed, Tucker Kraft and Christian Watson are being talked about. But there’s one guy on offense that is being forgotten."
Cory, one guy you have forgotten is Tom's draft classmate...Romeo Doubs. Remember him? "The Silent Assassin"? Ken Lass wants to have a word. I guess Ken's articles are "silent too". Ken wrote an informative article, BTW.
Another narrative I don't agree with: "nobody would’ve said that the Packers offensive line would’ve been the fulcrum to carry them through." Really?
I have read many, many articles and comments here about the need for a top OL to have a winning season. Tom is well known to fans here, ever since his rookie season...so is Walker, Jenks, Myers, Rhyan, Morgan....we talk about the OL all the time. Most know the OL is a key to a successful season.
LLCHESTY
December 21, 2024 at 07:48 pm
He also forgot Rasheed Walker. Tom has PFF 3rd highest run blocking grade among Ts this year but have Walker(12th) ranked higher than Tom(14th) in pass blocking. We won't talk about Walker's run blocking right now. 😁
Leatherhead
December 21, 2024 at 09:26 am
""'Another narrative I don't agree with: "nobody would’ve said that the Packers offensive line would’ve been the fulcrum to carry them through." Really?"""
I'm with you on this, LP. Many of the old timers here thought we had a real good line returning, but were concerned about the depth. Fortunately...and almost unbelievably...we've remained remarkably injury free . Knock on wood.
Nothing good happens on offense unless people get blocked. We have a real good, young QB, an exceptional group of RBs led by Jacobs, and a receiving corps that gets into the endzone more often than most. And none of that matters if you can't protect the QB, or open holes for the RB.
You want a young QB to play with confidence? Then start by making him confident he's not going to get crunched by a 250-300 lb man. Chicago doesn't get that, Green Bay does, and that's why we have a shot.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
As regards Tom, he's been a great pick. If they had a re-draft, he'd certainly be a late first, early second day pick. He was so versatile that as a rookie, we moved him around to several spots and he played well, but he's ended up at RT and really played well against the Hutchinsons and Bosas and Parsons of the world.
Of all the guys we took in the draft that year......Quay, Wyatt, Watson, Doubs, Rhyan, Walker, Tom......I'd consider Tom the priority resigning. He's been the most consistently dependable player in that group.
Ya_tittle
December 21, 2024 at 11:37 am
I agree on the resigning priority. He's #1 in my book.
DoubleJ
December 21, 2024 at 11:15 pm
" If they had a re-draft, he'd certainly be a late first, early second day pick."
He is probably the best OT to come out of the 2022 draft. Based on that he is probably a top 15 pick.
Packman60
December 21, 2024 at 09:59 am
As DoubleJ posted, Tom is not eligible for an extension until after this season concludes. I would expect that to be on the top of Gute's priority list for this offseason. I wouldn't be surprised if he also extends Walker. It would be awesome to have those bookend tackles signed for the next 5 years.
LLCHESTY
December 21, 2024 at 07:55 pm
Jacobs is making the line look much better than it is as far as run blocking, like Jones did as well albeit in a much different way. LaFleur called Jacobs an animal this week for a reason, without him people would realize the line is below average when it comes to run blocking.
As a comparison Barkley is averaging 3.8 yards before contact per attempt, Gibbs 3.4 and Henry 3.0. Josh Jacobs is averaging 2.0, the lowest among the top 10 rushers. Chubba Hubbard is averaging 2.2 YBC for the Panthers for cry sakes. Breece Hall is averaging 2.1 for the Jets and I think he's been stopped for a loss more than any other RB this season. Imagine what Jacobs' numbers would be like if he was getting another yard before contact like those players as hard as he runs. Yet another reason I really hope Myers is playing in a different uni next year.
Oppy
December 21, 2024 at 09:01 pm
This, 100%.
Also, a little further on Jacobs; not only is his yards before contact the second in the league at 2.0, but he actually has a higher yards after contact than before (2.4). He's 2nd in the league in broken tackles (28) and he breaks a tackle every 9.5 attempts (good for 4th in the league.)
Jacobs is absolutely taking it upon himself to make a lot of those yards regardless of the blocking in front of him.
Side note.. I don't expect it, but wouldn't it be a great surprise if Marshawn Lloyd got activated for a run into the playoffs and just clicked? With fresh legs and the ability to make run defenses respect the edges?
Again, I can't expect a rookie back who hasn't proven anything to come in off of season-long injury and make a splash, but It would feel a bit like James Starks' coming out party in the 2010 SB run, wouldn't it?
Fun to think about.
LLCHESTY
December 22, 2024 at 02:52 pm
I was really high on Lloyd in the draft and think he could be a valuable piece in the playoffs as well. I think he could have a big impact in the passing game as well, LBs will struggle to cover him and if he gets to speed in the open field he is extremely wiggly.
Oppy
December 22, 2024 at 04:37 pm
His ball protection in College was atrocious. That's my concern with Lloyd as a pro- but we haven't had a chance to see if it'll be an issue or not. I'm hoping during his rehab they've had a chance to focus on ball security with him.. maybe have identified some poor technique/habits that contribute to it, or focused on strengthening his grip.. anything.. I just hope when he does get his shot to play significant snaps it's not an issue.
SicSemperTyrannis
December 22, 2024 at 05:55 pm
No. Trusting Marshawn Lloyd with the rock before proving his fumbling habit is a thing of the past is NOT a good idea.
GregC
December 21, 2024 at 09:55 pm
I'm not sold on this. Maybe it has something to do with Jacobs' running style and the fact that he is running up the middle so much. He is a power runner who does not shy away from contact. RBs who run to the outside a lot are bound to have some carries where nobody contacts them until several yards past the line of scrimmage. Jacobs has almost none of those. We saw what happened last year when Jacobs had a TRULY crappy O-line: He averaged 3.5 yards per carry, by far the lowest of his career.
LLCHESTY
December 22, 2024 at 02:43 pm
So last year he averaged 1.9 yards before contact, about what you'd expect behind a bad line, but 1.4 yards after contact. Probably from being worn down a bit from the year before and playing injured. This year 2.0 and 2.4. Give the OL credit for that extra yard after contact if you want.
Leatherhead
December 22, 2024 at 02:48 pm
If you get to the LOS clean with a head of steam you've got a better chance of slipping tackles than if you're getting hit before you really get going.
GregC
December 22, 2024 at 04:00 pm
That's exactly what I was thinking. Instead of getting met head-on and stuffed near the line of scrimmage, he's running through tacklers who aren't getting clean shots at him. I don't see why Jacobs would be that much better at breaking tackles this year than he was last year.
Oppy
December 22, 2024 at 04:11 pm
He had a contract dispute with the Raiders (they didn't give him the 5th year option and refused to sign Jacobs to a long term extension) which led to Jacobs holding out for training camp/preseason. They finally threw a ton of money at Jacobs for a single year; but the disrespect damage was done.
Jacobs was probably not in the best condition coming into 2023 as a result of his hold out, and he suffered a number of nagging leg /ankle injuries. He also was probably not really interested in busting his ass and playing through said injuries for a team that he felt disrespected him.
Probably all contributed to his lower after-contact output for the Raiders in 2023.. and his general career-low stats.
GregC
December 22, 2024 at 05:16 pm
That is a possible explanation. I haven't watched any extensive footage of Josh Jacobs last season. Andy Herman watched a lot of it (maybe ALL of it) after the Packers signed Jacobs, and his verdict was that there was nothing wrong with how Jacobs was running in 2023 because he was simply getting buried by multiple defenders time after time and was often getting hit behind the line of scrimmage. Maybe Andy was mistaken and Jacobs really was not running as hard, or maybe it was a combination of worse blocking and worse running by Jacobs. I'm inclined to believe Andy because he's the only person I know who took the time to watch all of those plays, and his judgment seems pretty sound to me.
I think the Packers' O-line has done a good job opening holes for Jacobs to squeeze through. They seem to have good chemistry with him. I also think the O-line has good chemistry with Jordan Love. He gets pressured fairly often but he is usually able to slide away from it while keeping his eyes focused on what's happening downfield.
Oppy
December 22, 2024 at 04:02 pm
You seem to be side-stepping or missing the point that LLCHESTY was making that Jacobs' average yards before contact was only *3.6 INCHES* less with the Raiders last year behind a bad OL than with the Packers in 2024.
Bitternotsour
December 21, 2024 at 10:43 pm
yeah. ok. has nothing to do with the fact that he runs between the tackles. Has nothing to do with Barkley getting outside and breaking multiple runs for huge gains. sure.
the line sucks, all the good things that are happening on offense are despite the line, not because of it. i look forward to your next treatise on the earth being flat.
Oppy
December 22, 2024 at 07:52 am
Sometimes it seems you can only decide in binary. 1 or 0, True of false,
Good or bad.
It’s an analog world, most everything exists and is measured on a scale.
Saying that Jacobs’ talent makes the OL’s run blocking look better than it actually is doesn’t necessarily mean the OL is trash.
I absolutely believe the OL can stand to make big improvements in its run blocking, though.
Bitternotsour
December 22, 2024 at 08:09 am
the fact is it's not binary for me. it's a whole. in isolation parts can be improved. Jacobs could be Saquon Barkely, Pennei Sewell could be the left tackle, whatever flavor of the moment could be the edge rusher.
I see the team as a whole, realistically, not as a video game. your problem as i see it is discontent. nothing is good enough. your entertainment is to find fault. it's fucking tedious.
Oppy
December 22, 2024 at 10:04 am
That's the nature of -competitive- sports.
You are always seeking to find weakness and improve it.
If you don't, you're falling behind.. because everyone else in the league is trying to get better.
I don't get bent out of shape because the Packers don't have the best offensive line in football, or because they have sub-par players at certain positions.. but I don't hide from it, either. If there are weaknesses that can be improved upon, I identify them and look forward to seeing them upgraded. It's that simple.
If that is somehow causing you discomfort, maybe pro football isn't your speed.
Bitternotsour
December 22, 2024 at 03:25 pm
Pro football is plenty entertaining to me, bitch merchants...not so much
LLCHESTY
December 22, 2024 at 04:08 pm
And yet you were the one doing the the bitching just the other day. Hypocrite much?
Oppy
December 22, 2024 at 04:41 pm
Excuse me, sir.. I don't appreciate being called a bitch merchant.
You've already called me a racist once in the past.
I don't really appreciate the nasty name calling and unwarranted attacks on my character. I don't recall ever attacking you like that.
This is me being an adult about this.. Please return the courtesy.
Leatherhead
December 22, 2024 at 10:28 am
Oppy, apparently, not only is Jacobs making the offensive line look better, but it appears the other guys are too. Wilson is averaging 4.8 yards per carry. Chris Brooks is averaging is averaging 4.6, both better than Jacobs 4.3
And as a team, we're averaging 4.7, which is 7th in the league. I'm not seeing room for "big improvement".
And of course, our QB is the most protected QB in the league.
At some point, I truly believe sanity will set in for most of us and we'll realize that our offensive line has done a great job for us this year. We have the fourth most yards rushing and you're talking about "big improvements".
Oppy
December 22, 2024 at 11:42 am
How is our QB "the most protected in the league"?
That's just not the case. See my other posts on that topic.
As far as our other RBs.. Sample size, it's a thing.
Oppy
December 22, 2024 at 11:59 am
My other post about the Packers protection of Jordan Love is found in the article, "Maggie’s Pre-Game Six Pack - 2024 Week 16".
I'd link to it - CHTV individual posts used to be linkable, but now that doesn't seem to be the case.
It's the post that starts "Something to consider about the total sacks given up..."
LLCHESTY
December 22, 2024 at 02:45 pm
Big surprise it's the two that don't believe more turnovers by the defense lead to more points by the offense. They should form a group, Counterintuitives Anonymous.
Wasn't it just last year the OL got a lot of credit once Jones was back healthy? Maybe it was just the quality of the RB. Hopefully they realize and also realize if they're going to be an offense that leans on the run more they need improvement up front.
Oppy
December 22, 2024 at 04:31 pm
I don't take any umbrage with Leatherhead's football takes, I just think that he's a little more homer-ish than myself. I respect the every-day joe schmoe lunch pail player who punches the clock everyday, too. I just believe those guys, while they play pivot roles on a roster, aren't the guys you want as starters. Teams find themselves in positions where they rely on those guys to get through a season or two because you can't have stars at every position on the roster at all times, but teams should be (and are) always looking to improve at those positions, too. Leatherhead seems to feel as though acknowledging a player isn't a long term answer is somehow blasphemous. I look at it as honest.
Leatherhead
December 22, 2024 at 02:53 pm
I'm sorry, that should have been "most protected in the conference", since we're #2 in the NFL behind the Bills;
Our QB has been sacked 16 times this year, 2nd best to Buffalo. We have the 2nd lowest sack % this year. He rarely gets hit or pressured.
So yeah, he's well protected, compared to every other QB.
LLCHESTY
December 22, 2024 at 04:09 pm
Yeah, don't give Love any credit at all for being hard to hit.
I agree with Wahle, it's a decent line but if look at teams like the Eagles or Lions the Packers aren't at that level. Especially run blocking. They need one more body mover.
Bitternotsour
December 22, 2024 at 04:20 pm
No other quarterback moves in the pocket, right?
You want to use analytics when it suits you, but then discount numbers that don't agree with your world view. Aggregate numbers are aggregated, not judged on sliding scales. You either scored 30 or you didn't, the fact that they were scored against wounded opposition doesn't come into play. The team is 10-4 and going to the playoffs. Does all your gnashing of your teeth diminish being a fan of a playoff team or is this somehow preparing you for saying "I told you they weren't good enough" - I guess you get to live in your own skin (as miserable as that appears from here), but your world view pretty much sucks ass.
LLCHESTY
December 22, 2024 at 05:43 pm
Whose being bitchy now? I'm miserable because I think this year's defense is much better than last year's? Try harder ace. You're just a grumpy ass that can't admit being wrong.
Oppy
December 22, 2024 at 04:15 pm
Well, it's clear you didn't go read my other post I pointed you to (and that's fine), but if you had you'd see that I took a bit of a deeper dive into those statistics than the surface level toe-dipping you and bitternotsour are taking.
Packers OL, in terms of real protection, sitting a little outside of the top 1/3 of the league. As it turns out, Love is pretty good at avoiding getting sacked when he gets hit.
Leatherhead
December 22, 2024 at 07:27 pm
And he doesn't get hit very much.
I would question the validity of the metric that says they're average. I've seen a lot of offenses, and a lot of offensive lines, and this is a good one. It's the best line I've seen in Green Bay in 20 years. The metrics back that up.
The QB doesn't get pressured, doesn't get hit, doesn't take sacks, and has one of the highest average yards/pass in the league. Our ground game is one of the league's best.
And you're asking me to believe this is being accomplished with an average line. I'm sorry, but I don't think that adds up.
Oppy
December 22, 2024 at 08:21 pm
So, I guess you're just not going to read my other post and pretend like there's no data?
Okay, boss. I'll hunt it down and re-post it for you.
Oppy
December 22, 2024 at 08:24 pm
Here you go LeatherHead. If you want to discuss how the data works, I'm free for questions:
December 21, 2024 at 08:44 pm
Something to consider about the total sacks given up...
Only the Eagles have fewer passing downs on the season than the Green Bay Packers in 2024. Less passing downs = less opportunity to be sacked..
Packers OL allows pressure on the QB on 21.3% of all dropbacks, good for 13th in the league (13th best).. So just outside of the top 1/3. (Best in league is 14.7%)
Packers QBs have been hit 40 times.. 12th most in the NFL.. despite having the second lowest passing snaps. (Lowest in league is 18..!)
Interestingly, in the above two stats (Pressure %, hits..) the team that is lowest in league in both cases is Tampa Bay. Packers have 16 sacks and 40 hits, that's a total of 56 times the OL allowed pressure to physically get to the QB. For Tampa, it's 33 sacks and 18 hits, that's a total of 51 times they allowed pressure to physically get to the QB.. But Tampa has run 70 more passing plays than the Packers.
I bring that last tidbit up because it also shows how just looking at total sacks doesn't tell the whole story about effective OL play.. Tampa has almost double the total sacks allowed than Green Bay, but when looking at the amount of times the Packers have allowed their QB to get hit compared it Tampa, it becomes clear that the QB's ability to escape sacks is a bigger factor than the OL's ability to keep defenders out of the backfield in this case.
Also, technically a side note, the Bills have given up the least sacks in the NFL, not the Packers. Packers are 2nd. They've (The Bills) run 30 or so more passing plays than the Packers and given up 3 fewer sacks.
At the end of the day, my point being is there's context to all of this data, and just throwing out the total number of Sacks, while a very popular stat used by media and fans to asses OL play, does not remotely tell the entire story. Packers OL is probably better than average, but just outside the top third of the league. They are not, IMO, great, and there is plenty of room for improvement. The weakest link IMO is Meyers, although I'm not entirely sold on Sean Rhyan either - he's a very good run blocker but not so sharp in pass pro.
Advanced Passing > Pressure
.pro-football-reference.com/years/2024/advanced.htm
Oppy
December 22, 2024 at 08:37 pm
In response to your comments in your last post to me, Leatherhead:
And he doesn't get hit very much. (No, Not a lot, but only one team in the NFL has fewer drop backs than the Packers, and when you look at the rate at which he gets pressured/hit, it puts our OL just outside the top 1/3 all things considered)
I would question the validity of the metric that says they're average. (I said they're just outside of the top 1/3rd. I didn't say they were average).
I've seen a lot of offenses, and a lot of offensive lines, and this is a good one. It's the best line I've seen in Green Bay in 20 years.(You are plain out of your mind. Bakhtiari, Sitton, Linsley/Wells, TJ Lang, Bryan Bulaga?? You have a very short memory. Technically, I could have thrown the Clifton, Wahle, Flanagan, Rivera, Tauscher line up in there, too- that was the 2003 season.)
The QB doesn't get pressured, doesn't get hit, doesn't take sacks, (You should read my other post) and has one of the highest average yards/pass in the league. Our ground game is one of the league's best.
And you're asking me to believe this is being accomplished with an average line. (Never said it was average, but go ahead and get angry I'm not agreeing they're elite.) I'm sorry, but I don't think that adds up.
SicSemperTyrannis
December 22, 2024 at 05:54 pm
When has Josh Myers played in a game without being hampered by injury? GB has cap space to keep good players; by all means don't let him go anywhere, but draft a bully at C. Monk might develop into someone serviceable, but we're not talking a first round pick here. CB is the priority, but it would be nice to have Myers as depth and veteran leadership.
SicSemperTyrannis
December 22, 2024 at 05:07 pm
I definitely said our O line "was the fulcrum" before the season started, I just wasn't sure if they could do it. And I'm still not; how many Lombardis since Favre was drafted?
I'm not sure I'm ready to say #50 is better than Jenkins, but both are our best, with the rest doing admirably. Our LT is maybe the biggest surprise ...
GPG!
LambeauPlain
December 23, 2024 at 10:54 am
Tom is definitely better than Jenks this year. Jenks had been the Rock of the line since Bakht fell apart physically. But he's having a down year.
I hope it is due to him, as usual, playing through nagging injuries and not the inevitable decline every player faces. He's a warrior...always being so dependable and available, even when hurt.