Once a staple of Green Bay Packers football, the strong offensive line has since fell on hard times. In 2007, the combination of a young, inexperienced interior, coupled with an aging exterior struggled at times. There was hardly any consistency among any of the starting lineups, and Brett Favre ended up on his back multiple times. If the Packers want Aaron Rodgers to be able to succeed at all, they must be able to keep him upright and that all starts at the offensive line.

The Packers currently have 16 offensive linemen on their roster. Eleven of the 16 were on the roster in 2007. Thirteen have less than seven years of experience. This is a young and talented group. I’ll work from the outside in.

On the outside, the Packers offensive line is bookended by ninth-year veterans Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher. These two are the only two remaining from the 2003 offensive line, when Ahman Green ran for a Packers record 1,883 yards. Both have spent their entire careers in Green Bay, but each seems to have only two-to-three years left in the league. The repercussions from the devastating hit Clifton suffered from Warren Sapp are starting to affect him and his durability may be a question in the future. As for Tauscher, he played the last few games of last season with a badly sprained left ankle, suffered on November 11. There is no question about his toughness, but age may start to catch up to him this year.

The Packers also have Tony Moll, Orrin Thompson, Joe Toledo, and Cliff Washburn at the tackle position. Moll and Toledo are each going into their third year while Thompson and Washburn have one year of experience. Each has shown flashes of brilliance while showing their growing pains. In my view, Thompson has the most potential. At 6-6, 325, he has great size for his position and he is young and raw. Although the Packers have had trouble getting their young offensive linemen to reach their potential, they can definitely achieve this with Thompson.

Since the days of Mike Wahle and Marco Rivera are now gone, the Packers have a deep stable of young guards to turn to. The guards currently on the roster are Allen Barbre, Daryn Colledge, Junius Coston, Ryan Keenan, Tony Palmer, Chris Patrick, Cameron Stephenson, and Tyson Walter. In 2007, Colledge, Coston and center/guard Jason Spitz saw the most time at the guard position. Colledge, who was in his second season out of Boise State, was expected to establish himself this season. Unfortunately, that happened for neither him nor Coston. The coaches are in love with Barbre and say he has limitless potential.

Center was manned by Spitz and Scott Wells. Their performance was mercurial; successful some nights, unsuccessful on others.

2007 Grade: B

2008 Outlook
The offensive line needs to improve if the Packers want Rodgers to have a successful season. He must be kept upright and it is necessary for the younger players to develop and that Tauscher and Clifton to stay solid. It remains to be seen if they will be able to do it. Expect Barbre to have a great year and become a mainstay at one of the guard positions. Given that Colledge has been a bit of a disappointment, Coston should begin to assert himself at the other guard position, leaving Colledge out in the cold.

2008 Projected Grade: B

Draft Needs
The Packers will most definitely pick an offensive lineman in this draft. The only question again is when. I expect them to take a tackle relatively high, in the second or third round. If the Packers are looking offensive tackle in the first round, they would most likely go for Gosder Cherilus out of Boston College, USC’s Sam Baker, or Carl Nicks from Nebraska. In later rounds, the Packers could draft UTEP’s Oneil Cousins, Toledo’s John Greco, Texas’ Tony Hill, or Rutgers’ Jeremy Zuttah. I’m not an offensive line expert, but anyone would help them. Although it is less likely, the Packers could definitely throw another young guy into the competition for the guard position. Robert Felton (Arkansas), Andrew Crummey (Maryland), and Kerry Brown (Appalachian State) highlight this possibility. The center position will remain as it is most likely. The Packers offensive line needs help. They will get some relief in this draft.