Packers: David Bakhtiari was one of league’s best run blockers in 2019

Packers tackle David Bakhtiari was dominant in run-blocking in 2019.

If you’re a Green Bay Packers fan, you know how dominant left tackle David Bakhtiari is in pass protection.

Many elite edge rushers have had no answer when one-on-one against Bakhtiari. However, what we don’t hear about all that often is his work as a run blocker.

Well, not any more. ESPN has a new metric called run block win rate, ranking offensive tackles in the NFL for their success in run blocking. Last season, Bakhtiari ranked second in the NFL among all tackles with a run block win rate of 79.2 percent. Only Carolina Panthers tackle Taylor Moton (81.1 percent) ranked higher.

This highlights why Bakhtiari has been an All-Pro for the past four years. Not only is he dominant in pass protection, but he’s also one of the best run blockers at his position.

There aren’t many weaknesses to Bakhtiari’s game and the Packers are lucky to have a dominant left tackle in the prime of his career. This season, he’ll be aiming for a fifth straight All-Pro selection.

One player the Packers will miss this season is Bryan Bulaga, their starting right tackle for the past decade who signed with the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency. Bulaga ranked inside the top 20 of ESPN’s run block win rate metric.

Given the team’s uncertainty at right tackle ahead of Week 1, having Bulaga in the starting lineup would’ve been ideal. With Billy Turner dealing with an injury, one has to wonder whether GM Brian Gutekunst will give free agent Jared Veldheer a call after he filled in for Bulaga so well last year.

Bakhtiari continues to prove why he’s one of the best tackles in the NFL and has been for a half-decade. Dominant against the pass, and as ESPN’s new metric shows, equally as strong in the run game.