Green Bay Packers 2019 training camp preview: Tackle
Have the Green Bay Packers got enough depth at tackle?
The Green Bay Packers could potentially have one of the best offensive lines in the league this season.
Pro Football Focus ranked the line eighth in the NFL for 2019.
The starting tackles are key to the offensive line’s success, and it’s a position of strength for the Packers entering training camp.
Starting tackles a strength in Packers offense
The Packers’ starting duo at tackle is the same as it has been since 2014: David Bakhtiari at left tackle and Bryan Bulaga at right tackle. Since then, together they’ve been one of the top tackle duos in all of football.
Entering training camp, there will only be two things to consider for the Packers’ starters at tackle. The first is how they adjust to a new offense. The two have only played in Mike McCarthy’s offense together. How will Matt LaFleur’s scheme change how they play?
Even more important is whether they can both stay healthy. The Packers can’t afford to lose either player, especially their All-Pro left tackle Bakhtiari. Which brings us on to the second topic.
Do the Packers have enough depth?
The Packers addressed their concerns at the guard position by bringing in Billy Turner and Elgton Jenkins, but some questions remain at tackle. Have the Packers got enough depth?
The question can only really be answered when we know the starters along the offensive line, and also which player would need to be replaced due to injury.
The reason for that is because Billy Turner can play at any position, but he’s also potentially in line to start at guard. What if, for example, Turner starts at right guard, but Bulaga goes down with an injury? Would Turner be the top backup for Bulaga, or would the Packers turn to Justin McCray or Jason Spriggs?
If the answer is the latter, then the Packers haven’t improved their depth all that much. The other option would be to move Turner to tackle, and bring in either Jenkins, Lane Taylor or Cole Madison to cover at guard, depending on who is a starter and who the backups are.
Overall, I think depth remains an issue at tackle. Yes, Turner’s versatility is great as he can cover at various positions, but what if Turner gets injured?
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The Packers passed on many of the draft’s top tackles in the first round, including Jawaan Taylor, Dalton Risner and Cody Ford. All three went just ahead of the Packers’ second-round pick.
One has to wonder whether they’ll regret not selecting one of them.