The Green Bay Packers believe they have a potential starter at center or guard in second-round pick Josh Myers.
Both general manager Brian Gutekunst and director of college scouting Matt Malaspina are confident Myers – a starter for two years at center for Ohio State – can handle all three interior offensive line positions at the next level.
“I don’t want to pin him to one exact thing but I know he can play all three,” Malaspina said after the Packers took Myers. “If center is the best spot for him, he’ll play center. If it’s guard, he’ll play guard.”
Gutekunst said Myers is a “really versatility guy” with the ability to “play anywhere inside.”
Myers arrived at Ohio State as one of the top high school recruits at guard, a position he played for four seasons as a prep athlete. His father played both center and guard at Kentucky during the late 1980s.
Over his final two seasons Columbus, Myers started 21 games, all at center.
“He played center at Ohio State, but he’s an athletic kid, he’s big, he’s strong,” Malaspina said.
The versatility to play three different positions attracted the Packers, a team that has increasingly valued offensive linemen capable of playing multiple spots.
Myers is 6-5 and 310 pounds, giving him the size to handle the job responsibilities of a guard. And he bench-pressed 225 pounds 29 times at Ohio State’s pro day, highlighting his strength. His movement ability in short areas completes the package of a versatile interior offensive lineman.
The Packers lost All-Pro center Corey Linsley in free agency, opening a spot in the middle of the offensive line, but with other internal options to fill the vacancy, Myers may get a shot to play both center and guard early in his NFL career to help figure out his best spot for the Packers.
“His size, his athleticism, his power, how smart he is, what they asked him to do at Ohio State, understanding he could handle that stuff here, that was intriguing to us,” Gutekunst said. “He just fit what we’re all about.”
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