2. Zach Tom in pole position to win right tackle job
Early indications seem to show that Zach Tom is the Packers' preferred choice at right tackle ahead of Yosh Nijman. It's far too early for Matt LaFleur to choose his starting five, but Tom took the majority of the starting reps in the opening two days of training camp.
If you watched Tom play last season, this isn't all that surprising. He looked comfortable whenever the Packers asked him to step into the starting lineup, regardless of position. Tom can play across the line.
And he has impressed five-time All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari.
David Bakhtiari on Zach Tom: "He always was pretty calm, had an arrogance to him, which is good. You've got to have a little shit to you to come in as a rookie. I mean, Elgton had a lot of shit to him. I definitely did too. I had older guys making fun of me. So he looks good."
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) July 28, 2023
"The moment was never too big for him," said head coach Matt LaFleur when discussing Tom's rookie season.
Tom's starting position isn't necessarily right tackle. He has taken backup reps at center, giving the Packers another option if they aren't convinced about third-year Josh Myers in the starting lineup. But right tackle is the most likely landing spot for Tom.
The competition is nowhere near over. Yosh Nijman is still in the mix, as he should be. But it's clear Tom deserves to make the Packers' starting lineup, and right tackle is where he fits best. Tom is off to a strong start at training camp.