The Packers May Become A Victim Of Their Own Success On the O-Line

Moving on from David Bakhtiari this offseason was a difficult but necessary move for the Green Bay Packers.

Bahkitari was a fan favorite and well on his way to a Hall of Fame career before injury complications took the last few seasons from him. While No. 69 might get another chance elsewhere, the Packers needed to focus on the future.

Thankfully, after experimenting with different lineups in relief of Bakhtiari (and others), Green Bay landed on a solid group of bookends. Zach Tom is becoming one of the biggest stars on the offense at right tackle, while Rasheed Walker stepped up in a big way at left tackle last season. Jordan Love is in good hands behind those guys.

But there is a lot of uncertainty beyond those two, and Tom is already missing practice time thanks to a pec injury. While he should be firmly back in the lineup by Week 1, injuries are prevalent along the offensive line.

The Packers signed former first-round pick Andre Dillard as their primary swing tackle, but he hasn't looked good in practice. Beyond Dillard, there are lots of unknowns. Backup offensive tackle is looking like an early area of concern for the Packers.

In one way, the Packers are a victim of their own success when it comes to the backup tackle spot. Green Bay trained previous swing tackle Yosh Nijman from a UDFA to a reliable starting tackle, but he accepted a high-paying gig in Carolina. Then, the Packers drafted Jordan Morgan in the first round. Morgan played left tackle in college and figured to push Walker for the starting left tackle job as a rookie or be the primary swing tackle if not.

After a few ups and downs, it is looking like Morgan might have a starting job — at right guard. Morgan always had the potential to be Green Bay's latest tackle-to-guard convert and was cross-trained everywhere on the line but center.

Matt LaFleur and Adam Stenavich have made it clear they like what they've seen from the first-rounder at right guard, where he's settled in as a regular piece with the first team. "He's done a really nice job," LaFleur said last week. "I think every day he's learning something new -- and he's taking his lumps sometimes along the way -- but he certainly has everything you look for."

The numbers paint a similar picture, with Morgan taking 26 snaps as Love's right guard during Family Night. It's looking more and more like Morgan could be starting there come Week 1. That means the first-round rookie probably isn't going to play tackle. Morgan could move to tackle if another player gets hurt, and Sean Rhyan could take over at RG. Still, throwing so many responsibilities at a rookie is rough.

Which brings us back to Dillard.

The Packers signed Dillard to fill a similar role as Dennis Kelly and Rick Wagner — a veteran stop-end tackle. Having an experienced player capable of filling in on either side for long periods of time is a boon, even if they aren't exceptional.

Dillard is a former first-round draft pick by the Philadelphia Eagles who gave up 12 sacks and 42 quarterback pressures in his lone season with the Tennessee Titans last year. He's looking to revitalize his career in Green Bay. Still, he hasn't been inspiring, even though he's seen most of the first-team snaps at right tackle with Tom out.

Pressure on the right side has been consistent, and Dillard hasn't looked great in one-on-ones or team periods. Dillard has particularly struggled against Rashan Gary, whose stock is skyrocketing in this new defense. He played 12 snaps during Family Night, with Kadeem Telfort (eight snaps) and Caleb Jones (six snaps) also seeing some action.

Dillard has been losing ground to Telfort, who has seen some first-team work at right tackle in practice.

Telfort was a UDFA signed by the Packers last season and is looking like the best backup tackle option right now. At 6'7”, 322 lbs., he's a massive tackle. After spending last season on the practice squad, he's making a solid case for the 53-man roster.

“Practice squad last year, it was a humbling experience," Telfort said in late July. "Even though I felt I was ready, I really wasn’t. It didn’t really start clicking for me until I’d say third quarter, fourth quarter of the season. This offseason, I really hit the ground and attacked to it."

Telfort will get a chance to prove how far he's come this preseason, while Dillard will hope to bounce back in the exhibition games.

The hope is that Tom will solidify the starting lineup once he returns. The Packers have a solid starting group on paper. However, things look a little dicey if Tom or Walker misses time. Dillard is underperforming, Morgan is looking to be his best self at right guard, and their best option is a still-mostly unproven former UDFA. Preseason will provide more answers, but the Packers may want to keep their eyes out for more bodies for the backup tackle spot.