Where Does Jordan Morgan Fit On the 2025 Packers Offensive Line?
By GilMartin
The Green Bay Packers selected offensive lineman Jordan Morgan with the 25th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, injuries derailed his rookie season and limited him to just six games. But with the signing of Aaron Banks earlier this week, the question remains where Morgan will play in 2025 and beyond.
Morgan played left tackle at Arizona. However, most scouts felt he was better suited to play guard in the NFL in part because of his arm length. When the Packers first drafted him, GM Brian Gutekunst said Morgan would get a chance to complete at left tackle but would see action at multiple positions along the line. Gutekunst values versatility in his offensive linemen.
That was clearly part of the reason Gutekunst selected Morgan. “I think he can play all four spots,” Gutekunst said, meaning any position along the offensive line except center. “We're fortunate enough that we've got a lot of guys in our group right now that can do that, and so I think we'll kind of let the best five battle it out and see where that ends up.”
But by the time training camp opened, the Packers coaching staff decided that Morgan would compete at right guard with Sean Rhyan. The logic was this would give him the best chance to contribute the quickest since 2023 starting right guard Jon Runyan, Jr. had signed with the New York Giants as a free agent.
Ultimately, injuries in training camp held Morgan back and Rhyan won the job. The Packers started the season with a plan at right guard that was similar to what they did the previous season. Rhyan would start, but Morgan would be put into the lineup on several series during the game to spell Rhyan and give the rookie some experience.
Morgan played in just six games and started one. The start came when center Josh Myers missed a game due to injury. Left guard Elgton Jenkins moved to center and Morgan stepped in to start at guard.
Unfortunately, the last game Morgan played was November 3rd when the Packers hosted the Lions. He missed the rest of the season after being placed on the injured reserve.
During the offseason, there were changes made to the Green Bay offensive line. The Packers opted not to re-sign Myers, and the former second-round pick signed a one-year, prove-it deal with the New York Jets. The Packers also signed guard Aaron Banks as a free agent. Banks has played left guard throughout his career and is expected to play there for the Packers in 2025.
If Banks starts at left guard, the Packers will most likely move Jenkins to center. Zach Tom remains the starter at right tackle. But where does this leave Morgan in 2025?
There are two logical choices for Morgan as of now. These could change depending on whether Gutekunst selects another offensive lineman in the early rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The first option is for Morgan to continue to battle with Rhyan for the right guard spot. Rhyan graded out as average according to Pro Football Focus. The former third-round pick out of UCLA had a solid first season as a starter but likely remains the most vulnerable starter along the Green Bay offensive line.
The other option would be to have Morgan compete at left tackle with Rasheed Walker. The question is whether Morgan has the physical tools to play tackle in the NFL. He only saw significant reps at left tackle during OTAs and the coaching staff quickly moved him back to guard.
If Morgan can take over at tackle, they can use Walker as their swing tackle this season. The Penn State alum is entering the last season of his entry-level contract, and the Packers have to decide by next year whether he deserves a second deal with the team or not.
This will be a critical season for Morgan. What position he plays and how well he plays there will go a long way towards determining his career trajectory. It will also determine how good the Packers offensive line will be and how much depth they will have.
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Comments (44)
crayzpackfan
March 15, 2025 at 10:20 am
Well, he's a 1st round pick, he damn well better fit in somewhere.
crayzpackfan
March 15, 2025 at 10:31 am
So the person who down voted me likes wasting 1st round draft picks? SMH
TKWorldWide
March 15, 2025 at 10:35 am
Totally agree.
greengold
March 15, 2025 at 11:17 am
I totally agree with your total agreement.
TKWorldWide
March 15, 2025 at 12:46 pm
I find your agreement not at all egregious.
jannesbjornson
March 15, 2025 at 12:53 pm
Preach it !
Coldworld
March 15, 2025 at 10:39 am
I do not care where we picked him one iota now as far as who makes up our best OL. That is all I care about: the best available combination of the players available based on play not origin.
If all Morgan is is merely the best next available man up at T or G, then we’ve got a pretty good OL and some depth, which will be needed. I personally think he stands a good chance of unseating Rhyan based on last year, but if one is genuinely good, it’s a win regardless of who comes out on top.
I hope Stenovich has an open mind and facilitates genuine competition and alternative uses of all players through summer and camp. If one appears out of nowhere to ride from the depths, so much the better.
It doesn’t matter how players are acquired. It matters how good they are collectively. A roster that wins is a good roster assembled, however that is achieved. The draft is just one way and it’s centrality skewed by its media profile.
Loom at the eagles last year. A failed tackle at G and a career special teamer at ILB arguably tipped them over and presumably at the expense of higher profile picks. We have the talent to be better now we’ve addressed C. It’s up to the coaches to deliver.
crayzpackfan
March 15, 2025 at 10:49 am
More than a fair point. I don't want him to play if he isn't good enough either. I was merely stating the point that being a 1st round pick, your expectations are that they become productive starters and if he is not, then what a waste. I wasn't suggesting that he should start regardless just cuz he's a 1st round pick.
Coldworld
March 15, 2025 at 12:15 pm
Understood, and not unreasonable. I’m just pointing out that it’s not the whole picture.
KenEllis
March 15, 2025 at 10:25 am
Sort of a red flag to me when the 1st round pick, who everyone from Gutey to MLF to Jordan Morgan himself, declared was going to play Left Tackle ended up battling Sean Rhyan for playing time at Right Guard.
The signing of Banks to play Left Guard and move of Jenkins to Center does not exactly indicate that the team was eager to insert Morgan into the starting 5.
Walker is not a stud at Left Tackle, but not horrible either, so maybe Morgan battles him for the job? Or again competes with Rhyan at RG?
Kind of deflating that 2024's first round pick does not yet have a defined role along the offensive line, but oddly I have more hope Morgan will contribute in 2025 than I do for the 2023 first round pick after watching LVN do next to nothing for two seasons.
greengold
March 15, 2025 at 11:19 am
Them not even trying him there pissed me off immensely. The Packers coaching staff, including LaFleur, seriously need to focus on getting their heads out of their asses.
Jordan Morgan had historically ELITE numbers his last two seasons at Arizona, where he started at LT for his entire career.
How do you not give him those reps? Take some lumps while he adjusts to the Pro level of play? I think Morgan will prove to be Tom-level of effectiveness at LT if given the opportunity.
stockholder
March 15, 2025 at 11:39 am
So that makes him a starter in college.
Not the NFL.
How--Didn't Gute think he was versatile?
The Packers have a history of first,
moving people from right to left.
Baptism by Fire, isn't always whats best.
jannesbjornson
March 15, 2025 at 01:00 pm
He had the best feet of all the LTs in college ball as a senior. He's not a 340 # RT who gets whipped by speed rushers and was drafted in the middle of round one. This guy and La Fleur are on a short leash, unless you want to settle for "good enough."
Coldworld
March 15, 2025 at 01:12 pm
It starts with letting him play T in summer and particularly camp. For some reason we did not really. Perhaps because G was a bigger concern than they had let on (though they could have shored up depth there). Instead Dillard took the snaps, which proved of dubious value last year and is now a negative I suspect.
stockholder
March 17, 2025 at 05:51 am
He's going to be a bust-
Think about it-
With all the move Walker talk.
He didn't show enough where they could.
Gute should have taken St Jean!
GregC
March 15, 2025 at 12:29 pm
It would be a red flag if Rasheed Walker was not a good left tackle, but as long as Walker is playing well, I'm going to file this dilemma under the heading, "Good Problems."
KenEllis
March 15, 2025 at 04:53 pm
If the Packers concur that Walker is playing well and is a good left tackle, it begs the question why invest a 1st round pick in Jordan Morgan? Especially with needs elsewhere, especially along the defensive line and at CB?
Using a 1st round pick on a position where a "good" players is already playing "well" is not a "good problem" in my book unless the team is so stacked it has no immediate needs.
stockholder
March 15, 2025 at 05:18 pm
They were using Te's more, to help his blocking.
And like you saw last year - No quality Back-ups .
Jenkins may well be on his last contract,
if he doesn't play center.
IMO- Gute didn't want DeJean. Because most wanted a OL.
LLCHESTY
March 16, 2025 at 09:18 am
"IMO- Gute didn't want DeJean. Because most wanted a OL."
IMO that's just more crazy talk. Gutey has proved time and again he doesn't give a shit what the fan consensus pick would be.
jannesbjornson
March 16, 2025 at 09:30 am
Q.Mitchell should have been the move UP target, when he fell past Indy and now the Colts are scrambling for CBs from the scrap heap.
GregC
March 16, 2025 at 05:32 am
Because they needed an O-lineman, and if Morgan could not win the starting LT job they figured he could play somewhere else on the line, which is what happened. Also, they figured if he didn't start at LT right away, he might start there after a year or two.
Coldworld
March 16, 2025 at 01:43 pm
I seem to recall that was almost exactly what Gute said at the time and has since. Nothing last year suggested we didn’t have such a need. I wanted a true G or C early (Frazier preferably) at the time. What is frustrating is that we never got to see if Morgan looks like a tackle in practice, which makes the flexibility purely speculative at the nfl level.
Bitternotsour
March 16, 2025 at 02:31 pm
you're ignoring contracts. both he and Tom are coming due in the same year, and you must plan for it.
stockholder
March 17, 2025 at 05:58 am
After the $$$$$ thrown at Bahk.
I say Gute learned his lesson
and won't ever break the bank.
Both Tom and Walker are not All-pros.
ricky
March 15, 2025 at 10:31 am
The first question about Jordan is whether he can stay healthy. Was his rookie year a fluke, or the beginning of a pattern? The second, larger question is whether the OL coaching staff is capable of properly developing these players. Under Stenavich, you knew you had one of the best at motivating and molding of the players. There seems to have been a decline since Butkus took over.
Turophile
March 15, 2025 at 10:49 am
you have a point Ricky, regarding how good Butkus is at coaching and motivating the o line.
In my mind, at the end of last season, there were three question marks among the position coaches.
One is at WR where the young players did not seem to advance as we hoped......and they were underwhelming when it comes to the most important thing, catching the ball.
Second is D line. again the players failed to improve as we hoped. That has already been addressed by La Fleur, since the D line coach was canned.
Third is the O line. I don't know if Stenavich is still devoting some time to the OL room - I suspect not - and maybe Butkus is another coach where the Packers could look to upgrade.
My long-time bee-in-the-bonnet is that La Fleur should look to upgrade AT LEAST one coaching spot every year in order to get the best staff on the roster........and if necessary more than one. This does assume they can find someone better, which is almost never a sure thing.
La Fleur's attitude should be like the old 49ers mantra before the existence of the cap - "The way we will treat you (while here) will always be first class, but you will only be here until we find someone better". When that was said, it was referring to players, but it could equally apply to coaches.
the_gavia_pass
March 15, 2025 at 11:45 am
the packers have been very good in developing o-linemen in the past 15 years and stenavich is a real #1 offensive line coach.
but sometimes the GM ruins coaches plans...
ted thompson made some mistakes...he released josh sitton in an infamous way, he kept don barclay for years even if he was one of the worst lineman in the league. he let tretter go...
on top on this we know in green bay you can't release a 1st round before his 4 yrs rookie contract.
jordan morgan could be a bust..but even if they know that they will keep him for 4 years trying to make him play somewhere in the line.
but until stenavich is there I am not too worried about our o-line. love ha just 15 sacks in 2024...
so the biggest problem is we have a bust QB not the line
Leatherhead
March 15, 2025 at 11:46 am
It's probably moot, because the first injury is going to move people around, but I'd start with keeping Tom where he has done very well at RT, Rhyan at RG,the least important position, move Jenkins to Center, put Banks at LG and leave Walker at LT for one more year. Morgan is our first guy off the bench.
Until somebody gets injured. Then Glover will be the first guy off the bench.
Guam
March 15, 2025 at 11:56 am
Let's hope either Glover takes a BIG second year leap or they spend some draft capital on the O-line. You usually need seven........
ko40489
March 15, 2025 at 12:48 pm
Another first round pick from Gutey that's really questionable. His last 5 first rounders are Morgan, Van Ess, Wyatt, Walker and Stokes. None of them have had the impact that you'd expect from a first round pick. Seems like Gutey prioritizes athleticism and versatility over pure football skills. Maybe it's time he re-assesses his approach.
crayzpackfan
March 15, 2025 at 01:43 pm
Drafting high RAS guys with high ceilings is fine as long as you have good enough coaches to develop them. I have questions about this at certain positions here in GB. Sometimes you need to draft the high floor guy who was very productive in college, plug them in and you get someone who has a nice 7-10 year career with near pro bowl numbers most years. Nothing wrong with that.
the_gavia_pass
March 15, 2025 at 02:02 pm
cooper dejean ras: 9.89
he did not draft him.
so may be the problem is only gutey can't draft great players.
CanPackFan
March 15, 2025 at 02:29 pm
Just another questionable 1st round pick, argh! If a 1st round pick can't come in and win a spot immediately, I have to question the pick. Can he beat Rhyan or Walker out? Maybe. I realize injuries are what they are. But we need immediate production from 1st and 2nd rounders, not more developmental projects that take years to develop.
PBacker
March 15, 2025 at 11:43 pm
The end justifies the means. The 2022 Packer starters played a total of 25 Rookie starts. Are they a colossal failure? You obviously have not paid very good attention to how GB applies young players or you wouldn’t act so surprised. You’re arguing both negative sides of a coin instead of letting the coin dictate the direction. You say you “realize injuries are what they are” but you expect him to come in and play injured or he’s a failure? I’d hate to be your kid! Lol
Dorsey25
March 15, 2025 at 02:49 pm
I' as a longtime fan since 1963 and a team owner is starting to question some of are GM picks .LVN was a pick we didn't need at the time. Especially when JACKSON SMITH NJIBA was there for the Packers to take ,he would be the Packers WR1 right now and not be looking for one .It did take R Gary his3rd year to come on .So this willbe LVN YEAR to be a inpack player orits timeto considered he's another bust . GM Guty didn't get WR1 or Improve the pass rush Department. Waiting for the draft to fill are teams need . If the Packers get knocked out off the playoffs again or not even make it there .THEN IT MIGHT BE TIME THATTHE PACKERS START LOOKING FOR A NEW GM .
NFLfan
March 15, 2025 at 03:58 pm
NM
Alberta_Packer
March 15, 2025 at 04:30 pm
There may be hope for Morgan yet - as I did a quick simple analysis - relative to the other Ts the Packers could have taken in the '24 draft. - starting with Jordan at #25
1. @ 25 Jordan Morgan (G) - 186 snaps - 59.2 pff grade
2. @ 29 Tyler Guyton (LT) - 668 snaps - 49.4 pff grade
3. @ 55 Patrick Paul (RT/LT) - 338 snaps - 44.9 pff grade
4. @ 59 Blake Fisher (RT) - 337 snaps - 50.4 pff grade
5. @ 62 Roger Rosengarten (RT) - 933 snaps - 66.9 pff grade
Obviously Rosengarten is the clear 1st year winner. Tyler Guyton played in 15 games - starting in 11 at LT with a pff grade of below 50 - which is considered bad or below average. Of course it must be factored-in that he was a rookie starter. As for Paul and Fisher - they both were part-time players - with unimpressive pff grades.
So Morgan - had a low snap count - but a relatively high pff grade. It should also be noted that he played at Guard. However his limited performance line does provide some promise for a better 2nd year. At least it is enough for me to project him - still - as a LT.
TOMMY'63
March 15, 2025 at 05:52 pm
To mr Gutey, your 1st round pick at lt to replace Backthiari? With all respect, do me the favour and fuck on off home! You wasted a 1st pick ,like so many! You've done FUCk ALL!
SDPack
March 15, 2025 at 05:56 pm
There is logic to this. We know Rhyan and Walker will be free agents after this year. Neither one developed to be good enough for a second contract so they will depart via free agency. Tom is really good and will get a contract. So we know two holes are going to be there in 2026.
First, Gutey is banking on Morgan to step into that LT role. Perhaps this year. Maybe next. If he fails, it is a big problem for us. Then, on the guard opening, I have seen nothing in Glover, Monk, or any other roster fillers that lead me to believe they can start. That all means another hole.
So if Morgan fails at tackle, he will default to guard. This all means that Gutey MUST draft a starting caliber offensive linemen in the draft. If it all falls right, our first 3 picks wlll be DL, WR, and OL. In a two year view, we replace Wyatt/Clark, Watson, and Walker.
PBacker
March 15, 2025 at 09:55 pm
imo if Jordan reaches 85% of his projected play level coming out of college, he’ll supplant Rhyan. At 90% he’ll finish in the top 1/3 of Guard ranking. At 95% he’ll get a Probowl bid. He’s a highly underestimated player. Most of the 1/2 dozen scouting reports I read across the league had him playing at Probowl level at Guard within 2 seasons. I just think the vast majority of fans don’t have any clue what we have. Gute has been highly successful at OL cross a dozen selection. Cole wasn’t ya fault he was a no show. Van Lanen and Stepaniak were really the only missed and there were I believe both late 6ths. People in here act like Jordan is a 6th rounder. We only draft players we think deserve to be drafted AHEAD of our board. That means our staff had Jordan at minimum several spots ahead of where he was selected.
SDPack
March 16, 2025 at 07:56 pm
I agree that Jordan Morgan can turn into a good guard. He was already pushing Rhyan for PT as a rookie. But I think he was drafted that high to be our LT long term and create value with that position on a rookie contract. If he flames out as an LT and Walker gets over paid by somebody else on a second contract, we have nobody to play LT in 2026. In that case, we end up splurging on free agency then or draft one high and hope for the best. As they say, hope is not a strategy.
HarryHodag
March 16, 2025 at 08:17 am
Yet again a column dissing R. Walker. All the guy has done is protect J. Love's backside for two seasons yet some unproven rookie can take his spot and Walker could be the 'swing' tackle.
Look at Walker's numbers. He's done better than average.
Morgan might well replace Walker but it won't be until next year. As a starting left tackle Walker could command a big contract somewhere and could leave. But lets not make the assumption that he can sit down because some injured rookie(with short arms) is ready to take his place.
Depth is the issue. The Packers would do well to draft another guard/tackle in April because the playoff game proved none of the current back up players can do the job.
SDPack
March 16, 2025 at 11:23 pm
Agreed. Walker did his job. Perhaps Morgan steps up to the moment and emerges as a great left tackle. But if not, they better have drafted a good one this year because this roster has no tackle in waiting otherwise. Walker has been a revelation as a late round pick doing a good job in the role, but he is limited and I would not want to see the Pack over pay him next year out of desperation. If Morgan flops at LT, I’d rather see him replace Rhyan at guard, let Walker sign elsewhere, and get a new LT in on a rookie contract.
WD
March 16, 2025 at 01:16 pm
The jury is still out but beware the maxim: a player at all trades but master of none.