Packers: Predicting tackle depth chart in 2021 season
The Green Bay Packers have great depth along the offensive line, and part of the reason for that is the versatility many of their players have.
The likes of Billy Turner, Elgton Jenkins, and Lucas Patrick can all play multiple positions, which is especially helpful when the Packers are hit with injuries.
They are currently hit with an injury at tackle with David Bakhtiari recovering from a torn ACL. Once he’s healthy, what could the Packers’ depth chart look like at tackle?
Packers T depth chart predictions in 2021
- David Bakhtiari
- Billy Turner
- Elgton Jenkins
- Royce Newman
- Yosh Nijman
- Cole Van Lanen
While some feel like Elgton Jenkins should make the switch full-time to tackle — and I’m certainly not against this — my prediction is that David Bakhtiari and Billy Turner will remain the starting tackles when both healthy.
Both were inside the top 10 among tackles in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric last season, and Bakhtiari also made the top 10 for run block win rate.
Jenkins, who made the top 10 among guards, will likely be one of the top backups at tackle. His versatility to cover at every position makes him so valuable, and it won’t be surprising if he’s starting the season at tackle if Bakhtiari is out.
Beyond the top three, it’s difficult to predict the order of the depth chart, and training camp will answer many of those questions.
Yosh Nijman is a good backup tackle, while rookies Royce Newman and Cole Van Lanen both have the versatility to play at tackle and guard. They could begin their NFL careers as backups and end up playing wherever they’re most needed when an injury hits.
With the addition of Newman and Van Lanen in the draft, depth is far less of a concern than it was a year ago at the tackle position, although the Packers have lost Rick Wagner.