Three games into the regular season, it was clear that the Green Bay Packers needed to make upgrades to their offensive line. The issue was painfully obvious in the heartbreaking loss to the Atlanta Falcons, and it was concerning enough that general manager Brian Gutekunst signed veterans Laken Tomlinson, Mekhi Becton, and Kevin Zeitler.
All three are grizzled veterans who could give the Green Bay offensive line an immediate boost.
Head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters that there's a chance two of them could start in Week 4. If that's the case, they'll get a favorable matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Packers will get a first look at their revamped offensive line vs. the Buccaneers
It's hard to tell what the starting five will look like, but Jordan Morgan is firmly entrenched at left tackle. The same is true for Sean Rhyan at center. For his part, Aaron Banks appears to be safe (when healthy) at left guard, so Kevin Zeitler should start at his familiar right guard spot, and Anthony Belton could get the nod at right tackle.
Knowing that, here's how the Packers' starting offensive line could look come Week 4:
- LT: Jordan Morgan
- LG: Aaron Banks (depending on his injury status)
- C: Sean Rhyan
- RG: Kevin Zeitler
- RT: Anthony Belton
That could leave Mekhi Becton and Laken Tomlinson as reserves for the moment, but either one could step into the lineup at any moment. In fact, Belton hasn't fared particularly well this season, so he could be phased out in favor of Becton if he underperforms. Tomlinson is past his prime but adds much-needed depth.
Circling back to the Buccaneers, they've yet to win a game this season and will be without Baker Mayfield when they play Green Bay. Beating them could turn out to be the bounce-back performance that the Packers desperately need to get back on track.
They couldn't have gotten a better matchup in the trenches to get going.
Tampa Bay is the perfect opponent to test the Packers' new offensive line
Nick Ercolano of BDGE posted on X (formerly Twitter) that before the Packers beefed up their offensive line, they ranked 32nd in pass protection, while Tampa Bay ranked dead last in pass rush. That's the kind of matchup that will allow the Green Bay offensive line to gel.
Rookie Rueben Bain Jr. was supposed to turbocharge the Bucs' pass rush, but he's barely had an impact. It doesn't help that he's dealing with a groin injury and could sit out the Week 4 matchup. If the 2026 first-round selection is unavailable, the Packers' odds of setting the tone in the trenches will only go up.
That said, you would think that even without Bain, the pass-rush group of Calijah Kancey, Vita Vea, and Alex Anzalone would be enough to bring the heat, but that hasn't been the case three weeks into the regular season. In that span, Tampa Bay has registered a rather middling six sacks, with a top-three blitz rate (39.6 percent) and a pressure rate that ranks only 22nd (21.7 percent).
This doesn't by any means guarantee that the Packers will suddenly have a decent offensive line in the near future. However, their latest additions and their Week 4 matchup most definitely give Cheeseheads a reason for optimism.
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