Math

Usually, 9 OL make the 53. Sometimes, 10. You have the five starters, and you have the backups. Sometimes, you keep a project like Caleb Jones on the roster so he doesn't get poached, so you're really only suiting up 8 OL

The three backups.....these are guys that are on the field playing for us in the playoffs, every single season. When Love threw the interception against SF that ended our season, we had a backup on the field in place of Tom. Against Philadelphia, we had a backup after Jenkins got hurt. This year, we had backups on field.

I'm not as concerned about our starting five....which I think is actually pretty decent (not horrible). My concern is about what happens when we have that second injury. Who is going to be lining up for us then ?

I'd like to see the Packers cut ties with Jenkins, use a Day 2 pick on a starting caliber lineman, and get a veteran OL in Free Agency. If that veteran is Rhyan, that's fine.

So this article states that we need at minimum 4 new O Linemen and lets say we bring in 3 CBs. That leaves one draft pick left. Yes I know we can pick up our own FAs but remember the FAs we get will be at best the ones we sign from the second wave because we have no money for the first wave. That means we have to sign UDFAs and generally speaking you are lucky to get 2 of 15 to work out to be good players and usually that is in year 2 at best but usually year 3.

So how can anyone say we will be better next year?

Kalani, you pretty much said what I'm thinking. (You didn't mention Belton in your fourth paragraph, and I really wonder what Gute was thinking when they picked him--He SEEMS like a good RT candidate, but they kept playing him at LT in the preseason...)
The big X-Factor question is, "What do they really think about Monk, Glover, and Williams?"
We fans really know almost nothing about them.

Personally, I would cut Jenkins, Walker, and Banks.
I would re-sign Rhyan and Kinnard.
I would VERY seriously consider taking Connor Lew or Brian Parker (centers) as early as our first pick (52). That allows us to play Rhyan at center for 26, if the rookie needs time, (and then Rhyan moves to guard in '27).
It's also quite possible that they see Monk as their next center, backed up by J Williams...it's impossible for us to know.

I anticipate GB offering Rhyan a certain amount that they won’t exceed. If he can do much better as a FA, adios!

Let’s keep this simple, stop the so call cross training OL. Morgan was drafted in the first round to play left tackle. Two years later he has not played one snap at the position. This up coming season we will see if he’s our left tackle of the future.

Whatever the FO does at the draft and FA, come preseason, and possibly before, this team will reign supreme on paper. Then reality starts to rear its often too truthful head, and the screams start, and the paper tigers burn themselves once again at the stove they likely didn't deserve to be near in the first place. This team needs much to be even, an on paper beast, because the stock it's being written on is not close to standard paper. Yes, the weak entries into the playoffs is a not a positive when it bites you every year, it's a warning that is ignored every year come August. We are not good in the trenches on either side, convince yourselves otherwise, but they simply aren't. It's the reason they lose every year, the games that matter.

Yes the Packers need to invest some draft capital in their OL. I just wish I had more confidence in Butkus being able to coach and develop them. I would prefer a new OL coach before they draft anyone.

The problems with the Packers OL is a situation of Gute's own making. He significantly overpaid Banks for no reason and the musical chairs with the OL players is absurd since some of them have yet to become solidified in their best position,e.g. Morgan at LT. I realize that some of the problem rests with the coaching staff particularly Butkus and Stenovich but MLF is culpable also. I would have moved Tom to Center in 2025 instead of Jenkins and left Jenkins at LG wit Morgan at LT and Walker moved to RT. I still believe that would have resulted in a much better OL for the 2025 season and beyond especially since the Packers own OL coaches saw Tom as a potential HOF Center. But that's water under the bridge now.

The Packers need to figure out who they have as their 5 best OL and get them through training camp and onto the field when the season begins. Musical chairs needs to stop with the OL unless and until injuries leave the team with no choice.

I agree with the author that the most likely starting 5 in 2026 with be Morgan, Banks, Rhyan, Belton and Tom. We'll see what the Packers come up with especially if Banks is a cap casualty and Rhyan leaves in FA. In any case figuring out the OL is the biggest issue the Packers face during this offseason. The offense goes as far as their OL takes them and essentially that is true for as far as the entire team will go. Thanks, Since '61

I see the Packers sticking with Banks . I mean it is the Packers way under current regime . Keep players or fill in the ______ blank that don’t live up to their contracts .

Agree Since 61. "The problems with the Packers OL is a situation of Gute's own making. He significantly overpaid Banks for no reason and the musical chairs with the OL players is absurd since some of them have yet to become solidified in their best position,e.g. Morgan at LT. I realize that some of the problem rests with the coaching staff particularly Butkus and Stenovich but MLF is culpable also."

The Banks acquisition, and for that matter the Hobbs-CB contract as well, were really huge mistakes that everyone was questioning last year. I remember reading many times that both were essentially 1 year contracts that GB could easily get out of. I am calling BS on that as saving only $4 million by releasing Banks, and even less by cutting Hobbs is not even worthwhile.

When we signed Banks to this boat anchor of a contract, with the idea we could easily get out of it if need be, my immediate thought was "Why don't we just sign Brandon Scherff-Jaguars OG who was coming off another solid season and was said to have been available for $5 to $7 million for a year? He hadn't missed any time in years. We would be looking now, maybe, but we would have $$$ available.

I have asked this question before with no answer yet. Is Sean Rhyan a better center than Josh Myers was? Did we effectively get an upgrade? I think he is and we should try to resign him if the money is what is being predicted, $6-$7 million per year. Rhyan is still young, and can play OC & both OG spots. That is worth something. He isn't getting worse either, maybe he has found his permanent spot. Solid Centers are hard to find. Last year only a few FAs were available and got big bucks. Don't even get me started on Creed Humphries. The Raiders have all new management & coaching and they won't be tied to former picks. Maybe they would trade Jackson Powers Johnson, last years best OC. He has been playing some OG instead for them. Maybe a 4th or 5th round pick pries him loose.?

Monk is a big question mark. If he isn't even a fair backup then we need to move on.

Maybe it's time to start drafting OL that actually play the position we are looking for.

That said, OL that I like in this draft where we will be picking them:
J C Davis-OT-Illinois
Febechi Nwaiwu-OG-Oklahoma
DJ Campbell-OG-Texas
Dave Iuli-OG-Oregon
Ar'maj Reed-Adams-OG-Texas A&M
Fernando Carmona Jr.-OG-Arkansas
Diego Pounds-OT-Ole Miss
Alex Harkey-OT-Oregon
Jake Slaughter-OC-Florida

If Tucker Kraft and Micah Parsons come back strong and stay on the field, the 2026 Packers will in the thick of contention for the Super Bowl. Tucker Kraft gave the offense a passing dimension and run blocking it was not able to replace after he went down. Micah Parsons made opposing teams game plan blocking schemes that limited their pass receiving threats.

In many ways, overcoming injuries is the name of the game in the NFL today, but there are just some injuries no team can overcome. For the 2025 Packers, that was the story.

I think coaching staff that can develop our linemen is more urgent than acquiring more linemen.

"Drafting another tackle convert to fit in there in the near future should absolutely be on the table"

Or maybe just draft the best actual IOL and play him at IOL and stop trying to fit square pegs into round holes on the OL all the time. We need to get some mauling, brawling, mean ass, meat heads inside moving people back. In other words, we need to draft or find guys from that position who have shown vast amounts of production. This moving people around all over the line tells me one thing only, that they don't have "THE" guy who can do it. Taking a finesse tackle in the draft and trying to make him a mauler inside is not a method, it is mere madness.

What would TT do-
I'll just come out and say it.
He'd Dump Banks and Jenkins.
And wouldn't resign R. Walker now.
He'd draft a center and offer a contract to Rhyan.
Thats what cheap TT would do.

Tom must move.
Did he help last year? - No
But moving him.
Might keep him off the IR.
(And the versatility is there.)
I'd put him at LG /LT now.
Because he can protect Love better than anyone.

Belton stays on the Right side.
And Morgan is either the RT/LT

Regardless these guys all have versatility.
The ones cut don't. Draft the OL....

Spend the money on Defense.

At present - with salary cap issues, thin depth and expected departing players - the O-line is less than status quo. Nor should any 2026 drafted players be relied upon for any significant contributions. Thus leaving free agency (with limited funds) and the hopeful progress of Tom, Belton, Banks and Morgan. Also whatever a new O-line coach can bring in terms of scheme and attitude. So more 'unknowns' than not - making any short and long-term O-line projections a large question mark. In other words - the 'problem child' ain't going nowhere for a while.

Great article, Kalani. You've hit the nail squarely on the head. Upgrade O-Line by addition and subtraction--- Or you get more of this year.
Here's my thumbnail sketch: Gotta cross our fingers and move Morgan to LT. That's why he was drafted #1.
Walker must go. Mediocre season. Let somebody else pay him. Jenkins, too. Same reasoning. I'd make a reasonable tender for Rhyan, but we can't break the bank. And speaking of Banks, what were we thinking with $77 mill deal? Because of that, we can't take the hit for cutting him this year. But if he doesn't play a LOT better, cut our losses. Kinnard's a keeper. Decent backup with experience. Can he start? Good question. Tom, of course, is solid. Moving him makes no sense to me. But can he stay healthy? Belton's a 2nd round pick. Time to start earning his money at RG. Even if all that holds together, we still got big trouble with depth. Monk is an enigma. Can't count on him. Same with Williams and Glover. So we have to draft another versatile Bahktiari in later rounds. I hope the football Gods smile on GB again.
GPG
The Szotman

"......the 2026 starting lineup is already mostly set. From left to right, Green Bay’s line will almost certainly be Jordan Morgan, Aaron Banks, Sean Rhyan, Anthony Belton and Zach Tom." - K J
********
Is everyone comfortable with that?
Is that the new secret sauce to the SB recipe?
******
KJ..You described Elton Jenkins as 'rock solid' (Left guard)
PFF surely agrees with you.

So should we dump him for money savings, or try to rework something (kick the can?) and keep him around?

Not so sure Morgan Jordan is our LT of the future, although he'd have a better chance with Jenkins next to him, imo.

A potential reclamation project is former Browns #10 pick in the 2020 draft, Jedrick Wills-OT. He was selected over Tristen Wirfs that year. Wills was a 1st team All-American RT or Alabama. The Browns started him right away switching him to LT where he struggled. Wills allowed 1 sack in 930 pass attempts @ Alabama so he was a solid player for them. He started 52 games for the Browns mainly @ OT and OG so he has versatility.

GB has very little cap space so I thought this might be relevant because we will be scraping the lower 1/4 of the barrel this year to have a solid OL room. The Browns misused Wills, hard to believe because they have been such a great organization. Ha Ha. Wills should be fully recovered from knee surgery that sidelined him in 2025. Just a low cost/possible big return option on a prove deal.

There are lots of hypotheticals in evaluating GM's draft selections, but an undeniable verdict on Gutekunst was him selecting Myers immediately before Humphrey was chosen. He was wrong, catastrophically so. I hope he and his staff did a review of what led to that decision.

Gutey has done well in FA overall, but last year Dobbs and Banks were puzzling from the start. Both are oft injured, that alone makes you scratch your head. Gutey what were you thinking?

1000% Murf, Both of those signing were quick and grossly overpaid. I said in an earlier post that signing veteran FA OG Brandon Scherff instead last year to a $12 million 2 year contract seems like a no brainer since he is still solid and rarely misses games. Do that and then add $4 million to the $12 million we paid Hobbsand just buy one of the best CBs available would have changed our outlook. We knew we were going to lose Alexander, so why not upgrade the position with a true outside CB, Hobbs isn't even a true outside CB.

Posters bitch when anyone brings up hindsight, but rating services alone are somewhat in agreement on prospects usually. It would be very easy to name a bunch of examples of us over drafting lower rated players because we knew something that justified it, Creed Humphrey being the worst ever. Obviously there is a big flaw in talent evaluation, Some choices are just very easy and don't need to be overthink. Just pick the best one.

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