One of the big reasons why the Packers are 11-3 this year is because of the good offensive line play every week. The Packers are indeed experts when it comes to the offensive line. This group despite all of the injuries has shown up to play every week. They are top ten in pass blocking and have done a good job keeping Aaron Rodgers upright. How do the Packers do it? What is their process? Let’s look at the secret formula for the Packers creating and producing good and consistent offensive lines.
Packers Always Get the Center Position Right
The Packers just know how to solidify the center position on the offensive line. They have had numerous great players at that position. They’ve had guys like Scott Wells, Evan Dietrich Smith, JC Tretter, Corey Linsley, and now Josh Myers.
How good were these players? Scott Wells was an underrated player that anchored an offensive line that won the Super Bowl in 2010.
Evan Dietrich Smith was a solid center before going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
JC Tretter, before anchoring the Cleveland Browns offensive line, made a name for himself with the Packers.
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Corey Linsley was a solid player in his years with the Packers and was the best center in the NFL last year.
Josh Myers was one of the best rookie centers before getting hurt this year. The Packers have done very well making sure the center position is always solidified.
Great Coaching For Many Years
The Packers have had great coaching when it comes to the offensive line. James Campen is a big reason for that as he was the offensive line coach from 2007-2018. He had a big impact on the Packers as the offensive line coach. Not only was he a good coach but players really respected him especially Aaron Rodgers.
Campen developed some great offensive linemen like Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang, Scott Wells, JC Tretter, Bryan Bulaga, Corey Linsley, and All-Pro tackle David Bakhtiari. He made sure that he got the most out of his players and took no names and made them Pro Bowlers.
Campen was a big part of the Packers overcoming offensive line injuries in 2010 to win the Super Bowl. James Campen will always be remembered in Green Bay and will be in the Packers Hall of Fame someday.
Also, the Packers currently have a great coach in Adam Stenavich. He indeed deserves a lot of praise. He replaced James Campen in 2019 and has established himself as a top-notch assistant coach in the NFL.
The Packers’ offensive lines under his coaching have been incredible. They’ve been top ten in pass blocking every year, including this year, even with the Packers having numerous injuries on the offensive line.
He has made sure that the best five are playing every Sunday to protect Aaron Rodgers. He is becoming a big name for head coaching opportunities and deserves it for the work he has done in his years with the team.
Finding Hidden Gems in the Draft to Develop
Packers certainly know how to find hidden gems in the draft on offensive linemen. They know exactly what to look for in offensive linemen.
Most of the picks come in the late rounds. However, the Packers have gone early picks on offensive linemen when it is a huge need. An example was Bryan Bulaga and recently Elgton Jenkins and Josh Myers. Yet, the Packers just find hidden gems late rounds like Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang who were really good guards.
David Bakhtiari who was not even considered a starting level caliber player was picked in the fourth round in 2013 and is now the best Left Tackle in the NFL. Corey Linsley who was the best center last year was a fifth-round pick in 2014.
Additionally, the Packers found two more hidden gems in Jon Runyan Jr. and Royce Newman in the last two drafts. Packers have done well finding hidden gems and developing them.
Packers Emphasize “PROTECT THE FRANCHISE”
The narrative is “Aaron Rodgers does not get enough help.” That is because of the lack of top-tier wide receivers outside Davante Adams. That is certainly not true as the Packers have quietly invested in the offensive line over the years.
It does not matter what great wide receivers you have if you can not protect the quarterback. Good examples are the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, and the Cincinnati Bengals. These teams have great receiving cores but have not done a good job protecting the quarterback.
The Packers have made sure protecting the franchise comes first before anything. Showed that by taking Elgton Jenkins over DK Metcalf in the 2019 NFL Draft. Protecting the quarterback is first priority and the Packers have done well at that.
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