The Green Bay Packers have ample reason for enthusiasm regarding the future of their team. Their youthful offensive core has demonstrated its capability to compete at the highest level, not just within their conference but across the entire league. In fact, the strength of this young core, along with considerations of the salary cap, could significantly influence the Packers’ decision to make an unexpected selection in the first round of the draft.
Ross Uglem of The Packers Report pointed out how the presence of two promising young players could alter the Packers’ draft strategy in 2024:
While not conducted with rigorous scientific methodology, it’s worth noting that Green Bay’s primary starting tackles for a significant portion of 2023 were Zach Tom and Rasheed Walker. Their combined average overall PFF grade of 73.0 placed them 11th out of 32 tackle tandems. Additionally, with these two players at offensive tackle for most of the season, the Packers achieved the 2nd highest Pass Block Win Rate in the league. Both Tom and Walker were selected in Green Bay’s 2022 draft class. Considering a typical development trajectory, it’s reasonable to expect both players to show improvement in the upcoming year compared to their performance in 2023.
In 2024, Green Bay has financial obligations of $1.1M to Tom and $1.2M to Walker for 2025, with Walker’s amount being even less. Given that the Packers are investing minimal amounts for what is undeniably an above-average tackle duo, it’s difficult to accept the notion that they are committed to selecting a tackle in the first round simply because they’re releasing a player who had limited playing time in 2023.
Personally, I find this reasoning unconvincing. While it’s possible that they might opt for a tackle in the draft, it’s not a certainty.
