The Packers’ offensive line is slowly taking shape and is expected to feature the team’s first-round pick at a new position. Jordan Morgan has returned to training after a shoulder injury and is well on his way to working as a guard.
Drafted shortly after the Packers’ dismissal David BakhtiariMorgan was only the second first-round pick the Green Bay Packers took on offense in the last 12 years. The Arizona product began training as a left tackle during the Packers’ offseason program and appears to be a long-term solution for one of the team’s tackle spots. For now, however, the team wants to see its rookie on the field.
Despite Morgan’s arrival, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic notes Rasheed Walker And Zach Tom are locked in as left and right tackle (subscription required). Tom recently returned from a torn pectoral muscle in the offseason and has reclaimed his RT post. Morgan may be used sporadically as a tackle for preparation purposes, but Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes that the team used the No. 25 overall pick as right guard. It’s likely Morgan will stay there, which looks like a “best five” scenario for a Packers front that also holds Pro Bowler titles. Elgin Jenkins as left guard and Josh Myers in the middle.
Tackle-to-guard transfers from college to the pros are certainly not uncommon, and Morgan’s move inside would be another move that brings with it a 2024 first-round tackle. If Duke tackle Graham Barton If you count the numbers, nine college tackles were selected in this year’s first round. Of that group, most are changing positions. Joe Alt (Chargers) slides from left to right tackle, while JC Latham moves from right to left tackle for the Titans. The Saints have traded Oregon State RT Taliese Fuaga to the blind side while the Steelers prepare Washington LT Troy Fautanu for an RT role in Week 1. The Cowboys postpone Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton from right tackle to left tackle. The Bucs are moving Barton from left tackle to center, even though that was widely expected.
Walker and Tom both have contracts through the 2025 season. While two teams (the Cardinals and the Steelers) have flipped 2023 first-round tackles (Paris Johnson Jr., Broderick Jones) to left tackle before her second season, the Packers could use Morgan as a guard for several years. However, it is still early here. Morgan’s position inside opens the door for a swing role, and André Dillard — after starting as right tackle in Green Bay’s season opener — could be in the lead on Caleb Jones and 2023 UDFA Kadeem Telfort, Schneidman adds.
Elsewhere in the Packers rankings, second-round pick Edgerrin Cooper will probably not start at linebacker in Week 1. Cooper is rumored to be a candidate to take over one of Green Bay’s ILB spots, but has missed several weeks with a hip injury. The Texas A&M product has not yet Eric Wilson or in the fourth year Cog Isaiah McDuffie as he trained, according to Schneidman. While Cooper will undoubtedly get an extended chance to earn a starting position alongside Kai Walker Finally, he could be benched as a substitute for the season opener.
