The Green Bay Packers have 26 players enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Only the Chicago Bears (30) have more. Without a doubt, Aaron Rodgers will add to the Packers’ number once his career is over. However, Rodgers may not be the only future Hall of Fame player on the Packers’ roster. All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari also has a great case for enshrinement in Canton.
Bakhtiari Is a Top Five Player from His Draft Class
David Bakhtiari was drafted in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. That year, Eric Fisher and Luke Joeckel, both offensive tackles, were taken first and second overall respectively. Eric Fisher plays for Kansas City and has made one Pro Bowl. Luke Joeckel has retired. Bakhtiari is easily the best offensive linemen from this draft class, and is also a top five player overall from that year. Deandre Hopkins, Zach Ertz, and Le’Veon Bell were also drafted that year. No other linemen, and very few players, have had as many All-Pro seasons as Bakhiari.
If @DavidBakhtiari stays healthy and maintains level of play for several more years, he should be a legit Hall of Fame candidate.
Since entering the NFL, he leads all NFL OTs in Approximate Value. Four-time All-Pro. LT for a QB that often challenges OTs.
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) August 6, 2020
Bakhtiari’s Approximate Value
As seen in the tweet above, Bakhtiari has the highest approximate value of any offensive lineman since he entered the NFL. However, this isn’t the whole story:
Between 2016 and 2019, Bakhtiari had the 9th highest Approximate Value among ALL NFL players. So he's been one of the league's 10 most valuable players over a four-year period now. That's a nice peak for an OT. And the peak might not be over.
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) August 6, 2020
Offensive line is a very underrated position among many football fans. There are few flashy numbers, no amazing throws or diving catches. Their work oftentimes goes unnoticed. However, as seen above, Bakhtiari’s value cannot be denied. Over the last four seasons, he has the highest approximate value of any offensive lineman. In addition, he has the ninth highest value among ALL NFL players. This means he is more valuable than most quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers. More valuable than most defensive linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs.
So valuable is Bakhtiari that when Forbes made a list of the most important players on each team’s roster, Bakhtiari was listed as the fourth most important Packer (the top three have not been released yet). However, he was listed as more vital than Aaron Jones, Kenny Clark, and Preston Smith. (If I had to guess, the top three will be Za-Darius Smith, Davante Adams, and Aaron Rodgers).
Conclusion
It is very common for offensive linemen to be overlooked when it comes to voting for the Hall of Fame. After all, it took Jerry Kramer decades to be enshrined. Over the course of his career, David Bakhtiari has proven that he also is worthy of enshrinement. Here’s hoping that he is able to finish his career with the Packers and that it will not take him as long to get into Canton.
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