The Green Bay Packers have some questions that they need to answer on the offensive line. Center Josh Myers is entering free agency, and the team has yet to announce whether or not he will be re-signed or if he will be allowed to go elsewhere. Obviously, if he signs with a different team, it opens up a starting job on the offensive line.
Internally, the Packers have a couple of candidates who could fill the position. Elgton Jenkins, for example, filled in at center when All-Pro Corey Linsley went down with an injury in 2020. He also played center in college at Mississippi State.
However, reports from last season revealed that another starting offensive lineman, Zach Tom, is viewed by Green Bay as a “potential Hall of Fame” center. He has, however, primarily played right tackle since being drafted by the Packers in fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
What the Green Bay Packers Said About Zach Tom Last Year
The Packers made the decision not to offer Myers a contract extension following the end of the 2023 NFL season, indicating that they had questions about his long-term outlook on the team. If they viewed him as their best option at the center position, they would have given him a second contract then.
As mentioned, Myers is now expected to hit free agency. That second contract may still come, but every day that passes makes it more and more likely it will be from a different NFL team.
Tom, meanwhile, has quietly made a name for himself among his peers as being one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. This is something that Green Bay already knew, and ESPN’s Rob Demovsky revealed just how much they like him during an interview in spring of 2024.
“I was told by a couple of people within the organization, they think Zach Tom is a Pro Bowl right tackle, an All-Pro guard and a potential Hall of Fame center,” Demovsky said.
In other words, he can play anywhere on the line and be an immensely successful player.
Green Bay Packers Right Tackle Zach Tom Gets High Praise from Houston Texans Pro Bowler Will Anderson Jr.
One of the biggest challenges offensive linemen face is that it is difficult for them to gain any recognition unless they are terrible at their jobs. Indeed, it is rare that a lineman gets his name mentioned on broadcasts unless he is giving up sacks or missing blocks.
However, those that know the game best, NFL players and coaches themselves, appear to think incredibly highly of Tom. In a recent interview, Houston Texans Pro Bowl defensive end Will Anderson Jr. named Tom as the best offensive lineman he has ever faced:
I asked Will Anderson Jr. the best offensive lineman he’s faced in the NFL.
The answer?
Green Bay’s Zach Tom. pic.twitter.com/uQF8KaawZO
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) February 14, 2025
“Probably, what’s the dude from, number 50. Tom from Green Bay. Zach Tom. He’s legit,” Anderson said in response to a question about the best offensive lineman he has ever faced. “He’s like a quick setter, and he punches really quick and he has a really good step off the ball. Quick feet, explosive hands, can back really well. I would say he’s up there.”
Anderson was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie in 2023 when he had 7.0 sacks and 45 tackles. Last season, a year that saw Houston lose to Green Bay 24-22, he had 11.0 sacks and 37 tackles while finishing 15th in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Tom is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, and it is a foregone conclusion that he will get one. The question is where he will play. Offensive tackles, by far, make more money than guards and centers, so one can assume he will be looking for tackle money, even if the Packers plan to him to center.
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