Originally Posted by bobblehead
Didn't they say the same thing about Elgton Jenkins three years ago? He had played LT, LG, C and RT. Could be Pro-Bowl caliber anywhere, including LT, possibly All-Pro inside; but his best position would be Center.
I doubt they will weaken RT to improve at center. Tom's "HoF" career at center probably depends on the Packers drafting at least a Tauscher-level right tackle.
It would take one hell of a player to replace Tom in his rookie year, so if they do plan to slide him inside, they're probably thinking 2025. Chances of replacing Tom this year at #25 are pretty remote. Every year he stays at RT, the better he's likely to get at it, and by 2025 he may be too good at tackle to risk replacing with a rookie or rotational player.
And by 2025, there may be other players on the roster who are ready to replace Myers. Tom wouldn't be the first offensive lineman to have a terrific career playing a position of need, even though he was more naturally suited for a diffferent spot on the line.
If I had to guess, I'd say that if they stand pat at #25, there's better than a 50-50 chance they'll go O-line. The value at offensive line in general (and especially tackle) is just too high this year, because the position is so heavily over-represented in this draft.
In 2020, the first round saw 5 tackles and 6 OL total. In 21, 4 tackles and 5 offensive linemen overall. 2022 - 5 OT out of 8 linemen total. In 2023, 5 offensive linemen, all tackles.
Last 5 years, anywhere from 5-8 offensive lineman going in Round 1 - 4 or 5 drafted as tackles each year.
This year, most projections see anywhere from 7-8 to as many as 10 offensive linemen likely going 1st round, almost all of them tackles (or at least, drafted as tackles).
It's really rare that any position group has such an abundance of talent clustered in the first couple dozen picks of the draft, and for a team that is drafting in the bottom of the round (and expecting to keep drafting in the bottom 15% or so for years to come), it's a rare opportunity to get a player at a crucial position who would probably go in the top half of the draft most seasons. At #25, we could quite possibly get a player who would have been gone by #12 or 15 in almost any other draft.
This is a luxury that most teams can not afford - the ability to prioritize hunting for bargains to bolster your roster, instead of filling immediate holes.... but a well-balanced team can. And the last couple of Gutenkunst's drafts have put us in a position where we can afford to manage our drafts that way.
They said similar things about Jenkins in so far as he could play anywhere, but Jenkins is much larger than Tom and I don't think he is "better" inside than out. He is good all the way across. Tom is built and moves more like a guard/center than a tackle. Jenkins did play LT successfully before his injury, and then wasn't quite up to playing RT so soon after it. Personally I think Tom is a really good tackle, but as I've said, he could be a top 3 guard in the entire league and he isn't even close to that as a tackle.
I don't hold Grudges. It's counterproductive.
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