Green Bay Packers: David Bakhtiari is the NFL’s most underrated player

Green Bay Packers All-Pro David Bakhtiari has quietly been doing his job at left tackle for four seasons now, yet few in the NFL are aware just how excellent he is.

Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson, Clay Matthews. This has been the so called “Big 3” that the Packers have had for years. Other names such as Bryan Bulaga, Nick Perry and Morgan Burnett have been among the other “stars” of this Packers team for years, but it is time for the NFL to appreciate David Bakhtiari.

Anthony Munoz was arguably the best offensive lineman of all time. The reason he was so feared by opposing defensive ends was because of his strength, agility and fundamental skill. The Bengals lineman gave defensive ends no place to go, and was an absolute rock at left tackle for his entire 13-year career.

Like so many offensive linemen throughout NFL history, the greatness of the big guys up front is only appreciated once they are no longer there. This was true for other all time greats like John Hannah, Forrest Gregg, and Larry Allen. The Packers themselves have been spoiled over the years with great offensive linemen such as Gregg, Jerry Kramer, and more recently Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton.

In the 2013 draft, Ted Thompson smirked as the rest of the league passed on Bakhtiari 108 times. After eight other tackles were selected, three of which going in the first four picks, Thompson scooped up Bakhtiari and immediately plugged him into the starting left tackle position. Since then, Bakhtiari has slowly become one of the most proficient tackles in the game, even though few may even know his name.

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The Packers have faced some stiff pass rush within their division since Bakhtiari came to town. Jared Allen, Lamarr Houston, Ezekiel Ansah, Everson Griffen and Ndamukong Suh have been coming for Aaron Rodgers‘ head and have all been put on their back by Bakhtiari. Bakhtiari has proven to be as good if not even better than the more publicized names across the NFL such as Trent Williams and Tyron Smith.

Rodgers is the best quarterback in the NFL, but his success over the last four seasons simply does not occur if Bakhtiari isn’t there to consistently provide him with all the time in the world. Bakhtiari combined with Bryan Bulaga on the other side of the line gives Rodgers the most solid pocket in the NFL.

What is stunning however, is that Bakhtiari is not a household name around the league. One Pro Bowl on his resume to this point is a travesty, as the league clearly has not seen just how dominant Bakhtiari is on a mind-blowingly consistent basis. The Packers eight game winning streak from this past season featured Bakhtiari as the team’s best player.

While Rodgers gets all the attention (and rightly so) as the league’s two-time MVP, Bakhtiari has cemented himself as the NFL’s most consistent and best left tackle. A great left tackle in the NFL is only as good as he is consistent. Bakhtiari can be relied on on every single play to absolutely stuff the defensive lineman in front of him looking to get to Rodgers.

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Bakhtiari is in a three-way tie for being the NFL’s fifth highest paid left tackle, a reality that should not last too much longer in Green Bay. Ted Thompson has a reputation for keeping his own players, but even he does not want to step out of his comfort zone and overpay the player in question.

The bottom line is, the entirety of the NFL needs to pay attention to just how good Bakhtiari has been and will continue to be.