A strong case can be made for offensive lineman Zach Tom as the Green Bay Packers’ most underappreciated player entering the 2024 season.
Tom Blair of NFL.com made that argument in a post of NFC players who “just don’t get the love they deserve.”
“So many young Packers stepped up in so many key positions in 2023 that it might be easy to gloss over Tom’s emergence at right tackle,” Blair wrote.
Tom, in just his second NFL season, played a near Pro Bowl level at right tackle. He survived a gauntlet of elite pass-rushers and gave up just two sacks and two quarterback hits over 17 games. Among all offensive tackles that played at least 600 snaps in 2023, Tom’s overall grade at Pro Football Focus ranked 13th. He committed only three penalties.
The next hurdle for Tom will be going from under-the-radar to universally known as a great player. The start of his third NFL season hit a snag after he tore his pectoral muscle and needed surgery. The Packers are hopeful he’ll be ready for training camp. Once back, Tom will be expected to start somewhere along the Packers offensive line come Week 1 in Brazil against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Tom is the definition of underappreciated. He’s fairly unknown across the league in terms of fan recognition despite coming off a terrific season at a premium position. In terms of skill, performance and importance, Tom is entering 2024 as one of the most valuable players on a potential Super Bowl contender.
What about underrated? In a recent post from Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire, second-year defensive lineman Karl Brooks was the pick. Pro Football Focus took second-year receiver Dontayvion Wicks.