The left tackle rotation for the Green Bay Packers has tapered off in recent weeks with the elevated play of Rasheed Walker, who saw 100 percent of the offensive snaps in Carolina.
The rotation at left tackle, as well as right guard, really started for the Packers back in Week 9. At the time, it was a healthy 50/50 split in terms of snaps between Walker and Yosh Nijman, with the two alternating series at one point.
Although rotating among a position group where continuity is important is somewhat unconventional, the decision to do so created additional competition and elevated the play of the entire offensive line unit.
“It’s created competition, and everybody in that room is getting better because of the competition,” said offensive line coach Luke Butkus prior to the Carolina game. “Am I happy with it? Definitely. I think everybody is buying in, seeing it, and competing their butt off every week. Just trying to get better, and that’s our goal, to get better every week.”
However, over the last three games, that snap count pendulum has swung in Walker’s direction. Coming into Week 16, Nijman had averaged just over 14 snaps during the previous three-game stretch and didn’t see the field at all against Carolina.
More than anything, this result is a product of how well Walker has been playing as of late. Over the last four weeks, Walker has surrendered just one sack and seven pressures, including only two in the last two weeks. He has done this while going up against some blitz-heavy defenses as well.
Andy Herman, owner of the Pack-A-Day podcast, grades every play for every Packers player over the course of the season. With zero considered neutral, Walker had a grade of -4.35 from Weeks 1 through 10, but from Weeks 11 through 15, he graded out positively by Herman’s metrics at +1.80–illustrating the growth and strides he has made this season.
“At the beginning of the year,” said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich last week, “there was always a false start penalty or a mental lapse, and he’s done a lot better job recently controlling those. I think he’s become a more veteran player. More dialed into certain situations that are happening.
“I’m fired up about Rasheed and what he’s been doing on the field. He plays hard. He’s got really good athleticism. All he just needs is the game reps, and he’ll be a left tackle in the NFL.”
In general, the improved play of the entire offensive line unit over the second half of the season has been a catalyst behind the offense’s overall success. Although not dominant, Green Bay has been able to lean on the run game more, opening up opportunities in the passing game, and Jordan Love has been able to throw from a clean pocket on 68 percent of his dropbacks, the ninth-best rate in football since Week 9.
We will see if the Packers’ decision to give all the left tackle snaps to Walker was just a one-off or if he will be taking all of the offensive snaps over the final two games. Based on how he’s played over the last month-plus, the latter should be the answer.
At one point through the early and middle portion of the season, the future of the tackle position was very much an unknown, and it looked like it almost certainly was going to have to be an early-round selection for the Packers in the upcoming draft.
Perhaps that still ends up happening; it is a deep offensive tackle draft class, but with Walker’s recent play and Zach Tom at right tackle, it does appear that Green Bay could have some flexibility in that regard, where taking a tackle is more of a luxury rather than a must.