The Green Bay Packers’ need for more offensive tackle depth going into the upcoming season is highlighted by the loss of one of their former offensive line starters and the swing tackle from the previous campaign in 2024 NFL free agency.
On March 18, the Carolina Panthers said that they had reached an agreement with former Packers offensive tackle Yosh Nijman on a free agent deal. Nijman is inking a $8 million, two-year contract with a $5 million guaranteed and a maximum value of $15 million, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Over the past four seasons, Nijman, 28, has developed into a versatile role player for the Packers’ offensive line after joining the team as an undrafted rookie in the practice squad in 2019. Throughout his career, he appeared in 67 games with 22 starts, starting 1,001 at left tackle and 587 at right tackle. He mostly filled in for starters Zach Tom and Rasheed Walker as a swing tackle in 2023, allowing two sacks on 139 pass-blocking snaps.
The Packers had the option of signing Nijman to a contract extension in 2024 free agency, which would have provided much-needed depth after five-time All-Pro David Bakhtiari was released on March 11. Rather, Nijman is going to Carolina in order to support quarterback Bryce Young and provide depth behind mainstays Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton.
The fourth free agent selected by the Packers in 2024 to sign with another team is Nijman. While running back Aaron Jones, whom they cut, signed with the Minnesota Vikings, left lineman Jon Runyan Jr. (New York Giants), safeties Darnell Savage Jr. (Jacksonville Jaguars), and Jonathan Owens (Chicago Bears) signed elsewhere in free agency.
Packers Need Additional Depth After Yosh Nijman LeavesÂ
The Packers now have a depth issue at offensive tackle that they will probably want to solve before the regular season begins in around six months. They may not have wanted to spend the money required to bring back Nijman for another run in 2024.
The starting offensive tackles for the Packers are Tom and Walker, while the three players in the depth below them—Caleb Jones, Kadeem Telfort, and Luke Tenuta—played a combined total of zero snaps in 2023. It is a bad idea, as the Packers are hoping for more competition in Jordan Love’s second season, even if they think one or more of them will improve next season.
Sadly, the Packers are starting to run out of reasonably priced veteran free agent choices. Trent Brown and Andre Dillard are the best free agents still in the market because the most of the top players at the position have inked new deals. Furthermore, even though the Packers have effective cap space of almost $20 million, it is unlikely that they would want to shell out a lot of cash for an offensive tackle with experience who would only play a swing role.
Cam Fleming, a former Broncos lineman, is one viable choice. He has played right tackle for more than 2,600 snaps and left tackle for more than 1,100 snaps. It’s also unlikely that he’s seeking a bag at 31. Although he would obviously be a valuable acquisition as a backup, his 4,117 career offensive snaps may be helpful.
Packers Are More Likely to Select OL in the NFL Draft of 2024Â
Fleming or another elderly veteran still available in free agency might be signed by the Packers. However, this is Green Bay, a team known for selecting offensive linemen in the draft and turning them into strong starters. To address their depth concerns, they are much more likely to utilize one or more of their 11 selections in the 2024 NFL draft.
Thanks to a combination of trades and compensatory incentives, the Packers have numerous selections in the second, third, sixth, and seventh rounds. That is significant for a team that typically selects its offensive line starters on the second or third day of the draft. For example, on the third day of the 2022 draft, the Packers selected Tom in the fourth round and Walker late in the seventh, landing both of their current starters.
Naturally, with the loss of Bakhtiari, a longtime member of their offensive line, the Packers are ready to launch an even more ambitious offensive campaign. With the No. 25 overall pick, they may be able to select a player similar to Jordan Morgan of Arizona, who only gave up three sacks in his final two years as a starting left tackle. However, it is probably too late in the first round to select one of the top four or five tackles in the class.
Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson is one unheralded prospect the Packers should consider. Although he wouldn’t address their offensive tackle depth problems, he would provide an excellent interior player who could compete with Josh Myers for the center position or add another starter for one of their two guard positions, perhaps right guard, where they lost Runyan.
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