The 10 best offensive linemen in the history of the Green Bay Packers

Former Green Bay Packers quarterback John Roach once called the offensive line the "crown jewel" of Vince Lombardi's team.

Lombardi understood the importance of the offensive line, and his team won championships on the back of their ability to block. Legendary plays like his power sweep couldn't work without players making their blocks.

To this day, even the greatest of passers can't operate efficiently without protection, and the most explosive of running backs can't take over a game without a lane to attack. Even Patrick Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl MVP, could do nothing but run for his life when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' relentless pass rush dominated the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive line in Super Bowl LV.

Winning in the NFL begins up front, and the Packers have enjoyed tremendous success over the decades by adhering to that golden rule.

Criteria for selection

Quarterbacks are judged on their passing yards and touchdowns, while hitting 1,000 yards is a milestone running backs and wide receivers strive for. It's much more challenging to measure an offensive lineman's performance based on statistics. Advanced metrics have come along in recent years, but when revisiting previous eras, we have to rely on other factors.

Individual accolades, such as All-Pros and Pro Bowls, help establish which players stood out among their peers. It's not the be-all and end-all, but it counts. How players are talked about by their former teammates, coaches, and opponents is also valuable. Then, there are contributions to team success. Lombardi's Packers won because of a foundation set by the offensive line. Other Packers teams have also dominated with their blocking.

Stats don't help much when looking back at former Packers linemen from decades past, but other factors help determine individual success.

The top 10 offensive linemen in Green Bay Packers history

10. Bob Skoronski (1956, 1959-1968)

Bob Skoronski was the Packers' starting left tackle throughout the Vince Lombardi era, playing in 146 games with 124 starts during his 11 seasons with the team. He ranks inside the top 10 in franchise history for most starts by an offensive lineman.

With so much talent along Lombardi's offensive line, Skoronski often gets underrated, but he was key to their success. He was a leader in the locker room, with Lombardi making him a permanent captain for five seasons. He protected Bart Starr's blindside throughout one of the most successful and dominant eras of Packers football.

Skoronski won five NFL championships and the first two Super Bowls with Green Bay. He was a Pro Bowler in 1966, and after an incredible career, Skoronski was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1976.

9. Fuzzy Thurston (1959-1967)

Fuzzy Thurston played on one of the NFL's greatest offensive lines under head coach Vince Lombardi. Thurston had an important role as a pulling guard along with Jerry Kramer on the famous power sweep.

Thurston won an NFL championship with the Baltimore Ravens in his first season before moving to Green Bay, where he would win a further five championships and two Super Bowls. He was named a first-team All-Pro in 1961 and earned four second-team All-Pro honors after that.

Having played on the same offensive line as the legendary Jerry Kramer and Forrest Gregg, Thurston hasn't always gotten the credit he deserved. But without his contributions to the Lombardi sweep, the play may not have been as unstoppable as it was.

8. Chad Clifton (2000-2011)

Chad Clifton spent his entire 11-year playing career with the Packers, blocking for two Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. A phenomenal pass-protector, Clifton was an unsung hero over the years, shutting down some of the best edge rushers in the league.

He made two Pro Bowls, one while protecting Favre and the other Rodgers, including in 2010, when the Packers won Super Bowl XLV. No offensive lineman in franchise history has more starts than Clifton's 160.

He overcame a significant injury that could've ended his career to provide consistency, stability, and elite-level pass protection to the Packers' offensive line. Clifton deservedly won a Super Bowl in 2010, starting every game that season. He is now a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

7. David Bakhtiari (2013-2023)

David Bakhtiari deserves to make the Hall of Fame.

For years, the Packers trusted Bakhtiari to play on an island and shut down the best pass rushers in the game. Even after a significant knee injury prevented him from practicing regularly, he still turned up on Sundays and put in an All-Pro performance.

While we're talking about All-Pros, Bakhtiari has five to his name. Only eight players in franchise history have more.

Unlike many of the other linemen on this list, Bakhtiari had the benefit of playing in the PFF era, providing insight into sacks and pressures allowed, as well as more advanced stats.

Between 2016 and 2020, Bakhtiari had PFF's highest pass-blocking grade four times in five seasons. His 94.6 pass-blocking grade in 2017 is PFF's highest ever. He was their highest-graded pass-blocker from 2015 to 2019, even ranking ahead of Hall of Famer Joe Thomas. These grades add further proof that Bakhtiari is one of the best players in this era.

In his final appearance for the Packers, Bakhtiari gave Bears fans the middle finger just moments before the ball was snapped. Iconic.

6. Gale Gillingham (1966-1974, 1976)

Gale Gillingham arrived in Green Bay at the end of the Vince Lombardi era. He was part of the teams that won Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II, but following Lombardi's departure, the Packers would only make the playoffs one more time in Gillingham's career. Despite the team's struggles without Lombardi, Gillingham continued to play at a high level and is one of the most underrated linemen in NFL history.

"He was, quite simply, the best offensive lineman I have ever seen, bar none," said Gillingham's former Packers teammate and current broadcaster Larry McCarren, via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

It's hard to believe Gillingham isn't a Pro Football Hall of Famer, but he is a five-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro. He was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1982.

5. Mike Michalske (1929-1935, 1937)

Mike Michalske played an important role in Curly Lambeau's team, helping the Packers win back-to-back-to-back NFL championships. Michalske lined up at guard but also played on defense. Like many legendary Packers to play after him, Michalske saved one of his best moments for a game against Chicago (the Chicago Cardinals this time, not the Bears), returning a fumble for a touchdown in a 15-7 win in 1932.

Michalske earned the nickname "Iron Mike" because he played on both sides of the ball and rarely came off the field, often playing the full 60 minutes. He made plays both ways. Michalske was an intelligent player and eventually went into coaching, even while still playing for the Packers. In 1935 and 1937, Michalske was an assistant coach for Lambeau and still played in 16 games.

During his time in Green Bay, Michalske became a three-time NFL champion and a five-time first-team All-Pro. He made the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

4. Cal Hubbard (1929-1933, 1935)

Cal Hubbard could do everything. He was a dominant offensive tackle, an excellent blitzer on defense, and even umpired baseball games. Hubbard is now a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Hubbard played at tackle for most of his six-year Packers career, helping the team win three straight NFL championships from 1929 to 1931. During that run, he earned two first-team All-Pro honors and added a third in 1933.

With a rare combination of size and speed, Hubbard could play at a high level on offense and defense, lining up primarily at tackle and linebacker.

In terms of honors and achievements, Hubbard did it all. Along with four NFL championships and four first-team All-Pro honors (including his time with the New York Giants), Hubbard also made the NFL 50th, 75th, and 100th Anniversary All-Time teams, the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team, and is a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

3. Jim Ringo (1953-1963)

Jim Ringo spent 11 seasons as the Packers' starting center. Despite the team's struggles in the 1950s—Green Bay went 20-41-2 in his first five seasons—Ringo still made two first-team All-Pros and Pro Bowl teams.

In 1959, Vince Lombardi took over as head coach, and the Packers' fortunes changed instantly. Ringo continued to play at a high level, but he was now part of a dominant offensive line. Under Lombardi, he would earn another five first-team All-Pro honors and five Pro Bowl selections.

The play of the offensive line helped Green Bay dominate in the 1960s, and Ringo was quite literally right in the middle of it. He won two NFL championships before the Packers traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles in 1964, where he would make three more Pro Bowls before retiring. His dominant play with the Packers and Eagles earned him a spot in the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team.

Ringo spent 15 years in the NFL, including 11 in Green Bay. He is a Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Famer and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

2. Jerry Kramer (1958-1968)

After years of being overlooked, Jerry Kramer was finally inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018, the final piece missing from his legendary resume.

Accolades? Championships? Moments? Kramer had it all, helping the Packers dominate in the 1960s under Vince Lombardi. And there was no bigger moment than Kramer's block that allowed Bart Starr to score on a quarterback sneak in the Ice Bowl. It's arguably the most famous play in Packers history, with Starr finding the end zone in minus-13-degree temperatures to defeat the Dallas Cowboys.

Kramer had one of the most important jobs as a pulling guard in Lombardi's power sweep, helping the Packers win five NFL championships and the first two Super Bowls.

The former fourth-round pick earned five first-team All-Pro honors, made the second team twice, and is a three-time Pro Bowler. Kramer was part of the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team and the NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. And after having to wait for far too long, he is finally a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

1. Forrest Gregg (1959-1970)

One of the most important players for Vince Lombardi's Packers, Forrest Gregg deservedly sits atop these rankings. We could spend all day reeling off the accolades from his legendary career.

Don Hutson is the only Packers player to earn more first-team All-Pro honors than Gregg's seven. Only Aaron Rodgers has more Pro Bowl selections than his nine. Gregg is a Pro Football Hall of Famer, a Green Bay Packers Hall of Famer, and part of the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team as well as the NFL 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time teams.

Lombardi's teams won with dominant offensive line play, and Gregg was the best blocker up front. He primarily played right tackle, where he shut down the best pass rushers in the league. Gregg played a crucial role in the Lombardi sweep, and he selflessly moved to guard when the Packers needed him to, despite his success at right tackle.

Gregg featured in 187 games for Green Bay with 156 starts, helping the team win five NFL championships and two Super Bowls.

After building a Hall of Fame resume on the field, Gregg turned to coaching. He won the NFL Coach of the Year award with the Cleveland Browns in 1976 and led the Cincinnati Bengals to Super Bowl XVI five years later. He finished his career by returning to Green Bay, where he spent four seasons as the Packers' head coach.

The 10 best offensive linemen in Packers history by games started