Could the Packers Move Zach Tom to Center in 2024?
By GilMartin
The Green Bay Packers have some question marks along the offensive line as we get closer to the 2024 NFL Draft. The team let go former All Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari while swing tackle Yosh Nijman and starting right guard Jon Runyan, Jr. left in free agency. That leaves the team with little depth along the offensive line and some question marks in the starting lineup as well.
Are the Packers set with Rasheed Walker at left tackle? Is Sean Rhyan good enough to be the starting right guard? Rhyan struggles in pass protection and grades out as an average run blocker when he played last season in rotation with the injured Runyan. Is center Josh Myers good enough to hold down the job in the final year of his contract. Through three seasons, Myers has been inconsistent and never lived up to his second-round draft status.
So, how will the Packers address this issue? Certainly, GM Brian Gutekunst will select multiple offensive linemen in the draft. But will the team emphasize tackles or interior linemen? And how early in the draft will they begin to address the offensive line?
Friday afternoon, Rob Demovsky of ESPN appeared on the “Wilde and Tausch Show” with the following nugget, “I was told by a couple of people within the organization, they think Zach Tom is a Pro Bowl right tackle, an All-Pro guard and a potential Hall of Fame center.”
Does this mean that Matt LaFleur and the coaching staff would consider moving Tom to center this season? If they do, that opens up a number of possibilities.
With Tom at center, Myers could slide to right guard and battle Rhyan for that starting job. If he doesn’t win the starting job at either center or right guard, Myers would provide the Packers with a big upgrade over Royce Newman to give the team depth along the interior offensive line.
Any draft picks at the position would also compete although they would likely need some time to adjust to playing in the NFL before earning the starting job.
Rasheed Walker could stay at left tackle or slide to right tackle depending on who else the team brings in during the draft. It would not be surprising for Gute to add a left tackle in the first round of the draft. He even has the ammunition to trade up for a specific player if he wants it. The Packers presently have 11 picks overall including five in the top 100. That includes one in the first round and two each in the second and third.
Joe Alt of Notre Dame could be a strong candidate for the Packers although the Pack would have to trade up many spots from 25 to be in position to draft him.
Alt has excellent blood lines as his father, John Alt, earned All Pro honors with the Chiefs. He also has an elite relative athletic score (RAS) or 9.91. The Packers highly value RAS which makes Alt an excellent target for the Pack.
Penn State’s Olumuviwa Fashanu is another target the Packers likely have to trade up to get at tackle. Fashanu is only 21 and also has an elite RAS with 9.59. He is also a former teammate of Walker’s who was at Penn State in 2021. He also helped block for Packers backup quarterback Sean Clifford who played at Penn State through 2022.
Fashanu is a better pass blocker than run blocker and needs some work on his technique. He may need a little more time to be ready to play than Alt, but he’s still extremely highly regarded.
The Packers could still stay at 25 and draft a tackle with Georgia’s Amarius Mims as a possibility. They could also draft a college tackle with the goal of moving him to guard and keep Tom at tackle for at least one more season.
Changes will be coming to the Packers offensive line this year. Whether LaFleur and company follow up and move Tom inside remains to be seen. The Packers have options and prize versatility in their linemen. The next few weeks will tell us a lot about the future of the Packers offensive line.
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Comments (29)
Coldworld
April 13, 2024 at 12:08 pm
They could just as easily move him to LT, depending on how they evaluate both him and Walker. If the draft doesn’t fall right for Ts but favors C and G, then that maybe what we are talking about in a week or so.
If we do take a premium tackle, by pick or in the summer, or they really like Jones/Tenuta at RT and feel Walker is better remaining on the left, then he may well end up at C. The claim that he could be an All-Pro C doesn’t inherently suggest not seeing him being an All-Pro T.
The draft will answer many of these questions. It may show Gute’s intent, or it may frustrate it, but the roster thereafter will shape where Tom plays this year more than anything.
Turophile
April 13, 2024 at 03:05 pm
This is the point. We don't know if the Packers prefer to move Tom and draft an OT high, or leave him where he is and perhaps take a quality IOL like Barton/JPJ/Fautanu.
Gute could easily go in either direction (or even a totally different direction (like Edge, DL, CB or trade the pick). Does he prefer the IOL or the OT options in the draft and how does he view moving Tom ? We will only know on 25 April.
jhtobias
April 13, 2024 at 12:44 pm
You do understand things are leaked for a reason . Green Bay never leaks information . I would say this is nothing more than a smoke screen to have other teams panic and jump up to grab the tackles in this draft so green bay has a better shot to get whoever they are targeting at pick 25 .
Leatherhead
April 13, 2024 at 03:40 pm
Thanks for the reminder, you're right on here.
crayzpackfan
April 13, 2024 at 01:04 pm
This is the 2nd Tom article on the very same subject within hours of each other. Did you two show up at CHTV wearing the same colored shirt today?
Spock
April 13, 2024 at 03:17 pm
Actually, it's the THIRD! Packers Daily, Cory's corner, and now this. Yikes, a lot of tread on one tiny 'leaked' comment!
Leatherhead
April 13, 2024 at 03:41 pm
Dance, Puppets.
skydancer506
April 13, 2024 at 11:51 pm
Fourth - PackersWire also covered it within hours.
TKWorldWide
April 14, 2024 at 07:21 am
Now you’re opening Pandora’s box.
PS: What is a skydancer? I’m hoping it’s a reference to parachuting! Parasailing would also be cool.
gsd3
April 13, 2024 at 01:07 pm
They can move him wherever they want to. Taking a big risk once he hits free agency though . Tackles are paid much better. I for one would rather draft a center with all pro potential.
Coldworld
April 13, 2024 at 01:29 pm
If they move him after last year, the secret is out and they will be paying him regardless. I doubt we can pay 2 non tackles that way, so it may mean he takes the money that currently goes to Jenkins.
dobber
April 13, 2024 at 02:22 pm
As I said before: they've got four starters on rookie contracts on the OL...but one comes up after 2024 and three more after 2025. They can't pay them all.
TKWorldWide
April 13, 2024 at 04:57 pm
I am a huge fan of all pro potential.
I am an even huger fan of all pro recognition.
(I am not sure, however, if “huger” is actually a word.)
CoachJV
April 13, 2024 at 02:00 pm
Another Tom article huh?
Well I guess the chess match is on... let's see if we can bluff our way into a good LB or Safety...
crayzpackfan
April 13, 2024 at 02:17 pm
We have come a long way however. Remember a few weeks ago it was 28 articles on Aaron Jones over a 5 day period? I'm not hating though. I love it here. Just some good old constructive criticism. Nobody likes to lift the lid off the Tupper Wear for three straight weeks and smell the same thing each time.
LLCHESTY
April 13, 2024 at 03:57 pm
How does this make any sense? There won't be a LB or S drafted in the 1st round.
CoachJV
April 13, 2024 at 04:42 pm
Trades, my man... trades... there's good LBs and Safeties on other teams. And nobody said it had to be for 1st rd pick...
Oppy
April 13, 2024 at 09:59 pm
You're really doubling down on this draft-day player trade idea, huh?
CoachJV
April 14, 2024 at 11:58 am
I think it's a good a possibility as any... I know big trade usually happen before draft day, but the Packers like to play things close to the vest. And I don't think that Gute thinks the answer at LB is in the draft.
I know that there's other times we could pluck, like after cut downs, post-June 1 stuff and all of that, but things just seem ripe for a draft day player trade. Maybe not even on day 1... but in 2nd or 3rd it could happen too.
TKWorldWide
April 13, 2024 at 04:59 pm
Oh, and did I mention, wide receivers are also looking good this year? Probably going to nab one in round one.
Unexpectedly. 😉
splitpea1
April 13, 2024 at 02:04 pm
You know they're going to select at least one tackle and least one of something else with the intention of playing him on the IOL. The tackle will probably come first (though not necessarily in the first round), but there's always an outside chance (probably wishful thinking) that they select a pure guard or center earlier. But since our line does lack overall depth, it might be wiser to select the more versatile player, especially if it's in the first round.
I'm not very enthusiastic about Mims due to his lack of experience and very small sample size. I keep reading he has Pro-Bowl potential, but how long is that going to take? Maybe he would be a better pick for a rebuilding team that can afford to wait a while for his development. You always have to be careful about these high-risk/high-reward types.
Tom is probably going to be a winner no matter which position he plays, and I guess I would trust the coaching staff to make the right decision with him. So I'm not worried here.
LLCHESTY
April 13, 2024 at 02:28 pm
This is too much Tom for one day, much as I like the guy.
TKWorldWide
April 13, 2024 at 05:00 pm
He should go by his initials. Some of the most amazing folks here do that.
Tundraboy
April 13, 2024 at 02:59 pm
Methinks that Gute is setting things up nicely. I don't think anyone has a clue as to what they're going to do and that's what he intended.
barutanseijin
April 13, 2024 at 03:47 pm
Enough already! How many “Hmmm maybe they’ll move Tom to C” articles and “Wellakshully, Tomzbestpositionizzecenterrrrr” comments do we need?
Leatherhead
April 13, 2024 at 03:48 pm
Lots of stuff could happen. Most of it doesn't. Tom is under contract for two more seasons at a bargain rate. Do you realize he isn't making as much as Newman?
A team can certainly afford to pay for at least one good offensive lineman. The rest can be on rookie contracts. For the next two seasons, that guy is Jenkins. However, after two more seasons his cap hit escalates to $25M. Coincidentally, after two more seasons Tom would be a FA. So would Walker. That's too many guys to pay on the offensive line.
He's a good RT, and if we play our cards right, he'll be a good RT for a while, throughout the "Love Window". If we want a better Center, then let's draft a better Center.
GregC
April 13, 2024 at 07:57 pm
I wonder what this looks like from Zach Tom's point of view. He busted his ass and played lights-out at OT for an entire season, and now they would be moving him to an interior OL position where his second contract would be about half of what he would earn as an OT. Seems like that would be an insult to him. I think they will keep him at OT, as they should.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
April 13, 2024 at 09:52 pm
I'd say the Packers are in a great position whether they draft an OT (many options), or an IOL like say JPJ, or maybe Graham Barton in round 1.
I certainly thought the Packers would draft an OT last year and they took Van Ness. I was completely caught off guard and hope Van Ness has a breakout season. Once again I just do not see how the Packers will not draft an OL in round 1, so of course Gutey drafts defense. :)
Guam
April 14, 2024 at 08:18 am
"Once again I just do not see how the Packers will not draft an OT in round 1, so of course Gute drafts defense."
Cookie for Knock!
I feel exactly the way you do about OL Knock and I have no idea what Gute is going to do either. The only guarantee I can give you is the Gute will NOT pick the guy I think he should. I've never gotten one right yet.