He plays everywhere. Seriously. If you’ve watched any film on the Green Bay Packers over the last few seasons, you’ve seen number 74 lining up at left guard, then suddenly kicking out to tackle, or even snapping the ball at center. It’s rare. Most guys in the NFL are specialists. They spend their whole lives perfecting the "kick-slide" at left tackle or the "power step" at guard. But Elgton Jenkins? He’s basically the human equivalent of a Swiss Army knife.
The Green Bay offensive lineman room has seen a lot of turnover lately. Gone are the days of David Bakhtiari’s peak dominance or the steady presence of Corey Linsley. Now, the unit is a mix of young, hyper-athletic draft picks and reliable veterans. Jenkins is the glue. Without him, the whole structure kinda falls apart.
Honestly, people underestimate how hard it is to switch positions mid-game. Imagine writing a novel with your right hand and then suddenly being told you have to finish the last three chapters with your left. And there’s a 300-pound man trying to tackle you while you do it. That’s what Jenkins does.
The Evolution of the Green Bay Offensive Lineman
The Packers have a "type." It’s not a secret. Brian Gutekunst and the front office love players who played tackle in college but have the frame to move inside. They want athletes. They want guys who can move in space. This philosophy is why the Green Bay offensive lineman group consistently ranks near the top of the league in pass protection metrics, even when they aren't the biggest unit on the field.
Look at Zach Tom. He’s a perfect example. Drafted in the fourth round out of Wake Forest, most analysts thought he was too small. Too lean. But his feet? Incredible. In 2023 and 2024, Tom proved that technique and lateral agility matter more than raw bulk. He shut down some of the best edge rushers in the NFC North.
Then you have Rasheed Walker. He stepped into the massive void left by Bakhtiari. It wasn’t perfect at first. There were some "growing pains," to put it lightly. But by the end of the 2023 season, he was holding his own against elite speed. The way the coaching staff, specifically Adam Stenavich and Luke Butkus, develops these guys is almost legendary at this point. They take mid-to-late round picks and turn them into starters. It's a factory.
Why the "Anchor" Matters More Than the "Star"
We talk about Jordan Love. We talk about the wide receivers. But the reality is that Love’s breakout 2023 campaign happened because the pocket stayed clean. When you look at the advanced stats from Pro Football Focus (PFF), the Green Bay offensive lineman unit often grades out higher in "Pass Block Win Rate" than almost anyone else.
📖 Related: Matthew Berry Positional Rankings: Why They Still Run the Fantasy Industry
Why? Because they don't overextend. They play a specific style of vertical sets that keeps them in balance.
If you watch Josh Myers at center, he’s the one making the "Mike" linebacker calls. He’s identifying the blitz. If he misses a stunt, the whole play dies before Love can even finish his drop. Myers has faced his fair share of criticism—mostly because he was drafted right before Creed Humphrey—but his chemistry with the rest of the line is undeniable. He’s reliable.
The Challenges of Consistency
It hasn't all been sunshine and Lambeau leaps. Injuries have been a nightmare. Losing a perennial All-Pro like Bakhtiari to a relentless knee injury changed the geometry of the offense. For a while, the left side of the line felt like a revolving door.
- Moving Jenkins to tackle left a hole at guard.
- Bringing in a rookie left a hole in experience.
- The run game suffered when the "push" wasn't there.
But they adapted. That’s the Green Bay way. They don't panic-buy expensive free agents. They trust their scouting. They trust that a kid from a small school can learn to handle a bull rush from a Pro Bowler.
The Technical Wizardry of the Trenches
Let’s get nerdy for a second. Playing as a Green Bay offensive lineman requires a specific kind of intelligence. It’s not just about bench pressing 500 pounds. It’s about "independent hand usage."
Most blockers punch with both hands at once. It’s a natural instinct. But the Packers’ coaches teach them to use their hands like a boxer. Jab with the left. Keep the right back to counter the defender’s move. This prevents the defender from grabbing both shoulder pads and tossing the lineman aside.
👉 See also: What Time Did the Cubs Game End Today? The Truth About the Off-Season
Sean Rhyan has been a fascinating study in this. He was a high draft pick who took a while to see the field. Some people called him a bust. Then, he started splitting reps with Jon Runyan Jr. and eventually earned his spot. He brings a "mean streak" that the line sometimes lacks. He’s a mauler. While Jenkins and Tom are finesse players, Rhyan is the guy you want in a 3rd-and-short situation when you just need to move the pile.
Jordan Morgan and the Future
When the Packers took Jordan Morgan in the first round of the 2024 draft, the "draft experts" were split. Was he a tackle? Was he a guard? The answer, as usual in Green Bay, was "yes."
The team doesn't care about labels. They care about the five best players being on the field at once. If Morgan is one of the five best, he plays. Even if it means moving a veteran to a different spot. This creates a competitive environment where no one’s job is truly safe, which keeps everyone sharp.
It’s a brutal business. One bad game can get you benched. One blown assignment can end a season. But this group seems to thrive under that pressure. They’re a tight-knit bunch. You’ll often see them out at dinner together in De Pere or Green Bay, just a bunch of massive human beings trying to blend in at a local steakhouse.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Unit
Everyone thinks the offensive line is about strength. It’s actually about leverage.
If you’re 6'5" and you stand straight up, you lose. Every time. The low man wins. This is why the Packers value "knee bend." A Green Bay offensive lineman has to be able to sit down in a chair, metaphorically speaking, while a defender is sprinting at them.
✨ Don't miss: Jake Ehlinger Sign: The Real Story Behind the College GameDay Controversy
And then there's the communication. The stadium is loud. You can't hear the person next to you. So, they use non-verbal cues. A tap on the hip. A specific hand signal. It’s like a secret language that happens in the half-second before the ball is snapped.
How to Watch the Line Like an Expert
The next time you’re watching a game, don’t follow the ball. I know, it’s hard. We all want to see the touchdown pass. But if you want to understand why the Packers are winning or losing, watch the interior three—the guards and the center.
- Watch the "re-anchor": Does the lineman get pushed back and then suddenly stop? That’s core strength.
- Watch the "pull": When a guard like Jenkins pulls across the formation to lead-block, look at his speed. He’s essentially a 300-pound lead blocker.
- Watch the "stunt pickup": When two defenders cross paths to confuse the line, do the linemen pass them off smoothly or do they both chase the same guy?
When the Green Bay offensive lineman group is "on," the game looks easy. The pocket is a literal circle of protection. Love has time to go through three, four, five progressions. When they’re "off," the offense looks disjointed and panicked.
Key Stats That Define This Group
While I promised no perfect tables, some numbers just stick in your head. In various stretches over the last two seasons, the Packers' line has gone multiple games without allowing a single sack. Not one. That’s incredible when you consider they face pass-rushers like Aidan Hutchinson or Danielle Hunter twice a year.
Their "Adjusted Line Yard" metric, which measures how much of a rushing gain is due to the blockers vs. the back, has stayed consistently in the top ten. This tells us that even when the running backs aren't superstars, the holes are there.
Final Insights for the Die-Hard Fan
The Green Bay offensive lineman room isn't just a position group; it's the identity of the team. They are blue-collar. They are versatile. They are, quite frankly, the reason the Packers have stayed competitive through a massive quarterback transition.
If you’re looking to truly appreciate the game, start by noticing the footwork of Rasheed Walker or the hand placement of Elgton Jenkins. These are the details that win championships.
To keep track of how this unit is performing, pay attention to the weekly injury reports and the "pressures allowed" stats. If the Packers are keeping that number under five per game, they are almost impossible to beat. Keep an eye on the development of the younger guys like Jordan Morgan—their ability to play multiple spots will determine the team's depth through the grueling winter months. Watch for the way the line adjusts to blitz-heavy defenses; their "pre-snap" communication is usually a tell-tale sign of how prepared the offense is for that week's opponent.