The Green Bay Packers hosted official pre-draft visits for a quartet of offensive linemen from the SEC. The team had Darrian Kinnard of Kentucky, Ed Ingram of LSU, Jean Delance of Florida and Jahmir Johnson of Texas A&M in Green Bay for “Top 30″ visits before the 2022 NFL draft, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Kinnard and Ingram could be Day 2 picks, while Delance and Johnson both have the potential to be priority free agents following the draft.
The Packers hosted visits with multiple offensive linemen, suggesting the team will use the 2022 NFL draft to help rebuild the depth up front on offense. Green Bay lost Billy Turner and Lucas Patrick this offseason, Dennis Kelly remains unsigned and Elgton Jenkins could miss a chunk of the season while recovering from an ACL injury.
Kinnard (6-5, 322) started 37 games at right tackle and two more at left tackle for Kentucky. He was a two-time All-SEC and two-time All-American. He has giant arms (35″) and hands (11 1/4″) but tested poorly during the pre-draft process (3.28 Relative Athletic Score), especially in the agility drills, making him an unlikely fit for the Packers. A move to guard is likely.
Ingram (6-3, 307) started 23 games at left guard and 13 at right guard for LSU. He lacks Kinnard’s size but tested better athletically (7.29 RAS), and his movement skills are more befitting of Green Bay’s usual offensive line tendencies. His pass protection ability is a plus. An arrest in 2018 resulting in a year-long suspension might have been the team’s motivating reason for the pre-draft visit.
Both Kinnard and Ingram could come off the board in second or third round.
Johnson is ranked as Dane Brugler’s No. 33 overall offensive tackle in the class. Delance is No. 39. Both got free agent grades from Brugler. Often during the pre-draft process, teams use visits for players down the draft board for recruiting purposes.
Johnson, who weighed in at only 290 pounds, started 11 games in 2021, including starts at left tackle. Delance, a transfer from Texas, started 37 total games over his final three seasons and was a participant at the East-West Shrine Game.
Neither tested particularly well, but Delance has 36.5” arms, creating an intriguing trait for his transition to the NFL. Having the pair come to Green Bay may increase the team’s chances of signing them if they go undrafted.
The Packers have also met with Washington State’s Abraham Lucas, Tulsa’s Tyler Smith, Penn State’s Rasheed Walker, Utah’s Bam Olaseni, Central Michigan’s Luke Goedeke and Wisconsin’s Logan Bruss.
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