The Green Bay Packers shocked many in the football world during the 2020 season, bouncing back from back-to-back playoff-less seasons to win 13 games, capture the NFC North title and advance to the NFC title game during Matt LaFleur’s first season as coach.
Now, the Packers will go into the 2020 season with big expectations.
Over the next few days, we’ll run down a list of 10 different things Packers fans should be excited about as the 2020 season nears. The series rolls on with the left side of the offensive side, which could be elite this season:
Bakhtiari, Jenkins form tremendous left-side tandem
The right side of the offensive line is a question mark, and it’s unclear how the starting five will look in 2021 in beyond, but the Green Bay Packers should have one of the NFL’s best left-side tandems in left tackle David Bakhtiari and left guard Elgton Jenkins this season.
Bakhtiari, a four-time All-Pro, and Jenkins, a second-round pick who didn’t allow a sack during his rookie season, could form a nearly impenetrable barrier for Aaron Rodgers’ blindside.
ESPN’s pass-blocking win rate metric – which measures how often a player blocked successfully for 2.5 seconds or more – had Bakhtiari as the best offensive tackle and Jenkins as the eighth-best offensive guard in 2019.
There’s reason to believe the two could be even better in 2020.
Bakhtiari, who battled injury and the growing pains of a new offense to start last season, is fully healthy entering camp, comfortable in the scheme and entering a contract year. That’s a powerful mix of factors for a player of his talent. Jenkins, who started the final 16 games for the Packers (including playoffs) last season, now has the mix of experience and success from his rookie year to help him take the second-year leap and establish himself as one of the NFL’s best young interior blockers.
The Packers will have to figure out the right side of the line, which is expected to replace stalwart right tackle Bryan Bulaga with Rick Wagner and stage competition at right guard between Billy Turner and Lane Taylor. And with both Bakhtiari and center Corey Linsley having expiring contracts after 2020, big change could be on the horizon upfront for the Packers offense.
This season, however, the Packers can take solace in having the best pass-blocking left tackle in the game and a standout second-year left guard coming off an impressive rookie season – creating a tremendous tandem for one-half of the offensive line.
What to be excited for series
Potentially perfect safety duo