One of the most dubious units on the Green Bay Packers' entire roster is their offensive line. For a team that notoriously invests in that group as much as any personnel department, the talent across the board leaves a lot to be desired.
Beyond the major question mark at left tackle in Jordan Morgan, splashy free agent Aaron Banks has disappointed to date. Center Sean Rhyan is a jack of all trades, master of none on the interior o-line. Projected right guard starter Anthony Belton was a college tackle who struggled in his maiden pro campaign last season.
A hopefully-healthy Zach Tom is about all the Packers can bank on in the trenches. That is, unless one of their Day 3 draft picks lives up to the lofty prediction posited by one major NFL reporter.
SI senior writer expects big things in 2026 from Packers' fifth-round rookie
On a list of 100 predictions, Sports Illustrated expert Conor Orr went out of his way to mention Jager Burton very early at No. 24, projecting him as PFF's No. 1 first-year blocker:
"PFF’s top-graded rookie offensive lineman will be...Jager Burton of the Packers. While Burton, a fifth-round pick out of Kentucky, is not a locked-in starter at this point, his guard-center versatility and a 100% league injury rate guarantees that he’ll eventually get a window of time to showcase his skills on a down-to-down basis with the Packers."
It's almost like ya boii knows ball a little bit. I've been gassing up Burton as a potential immediate-impact player for a month running, or perhaps even longer.
In the afore-linked piece above, I cited Burton's versatility via his snap count in college (1,097 at left guard, 976 at center, and 477 at right guard), and his exceptional athleticism (9.87 RAS), as reasons he could see the field sooner rather than later. And, of course, the fact that the Packers' alternatives are none too appealing.
Due to the fact that Green Bay paid Banks so handsomely, and spent a second-round pick on Belton in 2025, Burton's easiest pathway to the starting five is Rhyan's spot. Then again, Rhyan just signed a three-year extension worth $33 million this offseason.
That's not as prohibitive as it may seem, however. Rhyan could be a post-June 1 cut next offseason and save the Pack $9 million in 2027 cap room, plus give them an out for the final year of a deal that Rhyan seems highly unlikely to live up to.
On the flip side, Burton is on a team-controlled, uber-cheap four-year rookie contract. Every bit of cap space counts for Green Bay going forward if Brian Gutekunst wants to make the best of his blockbuster Micah Parsons trade and actually capitalize on his prime to deliver another Super Bowl to Titletown.
Whomever starts at guard or center for the Packers may seem trivial in that context. With the uncertainty about Josh Jacobs' future and the value of quality protection for franchise quarterback Jordan Love, though, it's vital for Green Bay to get even the little decisions right. Perhaps Burton is a "win" on the margins who could be a true difference-maker in the intensely competitive NFC North.
Add us as a preferred source on Google