2022 Fourth Round Pick, #140, OL Zach Tom

[bobblehead]

I think all the OL and DL spots require leverage, and he can play with that. What I mean is he doesn't have the lower center of mass -- sometimes he looks like a big LB or a TE more than an OL -- that I think you need to fight on the inside. Defensive tackles are often the strongest and heaviest players on the football field. You need strength and technique to keep defensive tackles away from the quarterback -- I don't think Tom has both yet. I think we are mostly in agreement, especially in what 10-15 pounds of good muscle could do for him.

I can't disagree more. One reason he looks smallish is BECAUSE he has a low mass. He lack upper body strength which is far less important than core and lower body strength for OL.

[run pMc]

https://www.packers.com/news/what-you-might-ve-missed-respectable-relief

He did ok overall, but plays 2 & 7 are what I mean by strength and anchor to handle bull rushes. Especially on play 7 he doesn't have the leg strength to keep from getting pushed deep into the pocket. He does stay low and engaged, which helps. He's a heckuva lot better than Hanson, who has neither the strength, smarts, nor technique Tom does.

I think if they continue to play him at guard teams are going to line up bigger stronger DL and just tell them to bull rush him into Rodgers' lap until he proves he can stop them.

All of which is to say, he's a serviceable backup now and in a year with improved strength could be an above average starter.

[bobblehead]

I disagree....not about the results this week, but about what the future holds. I think very soon it will be Nijman, Runyan, Myers, Tom, Jenkins. And that will be the OL for the foreseeable future.

[run pMc]

I think very soon it will be Nijman, Runyan, Myers, Tom, Jenkins. And that will be the OL for the foreseeable future.

I wouldn't be surprised by this at all, and it would be a big improvement over last Sunday IMO.

Longer term (assuming they are healthy) I would like to see

Bahk-Runyan-Myers-Jenkins-Tom, with them paying Jenkins whatever he wants, eve it if means T money to play superstar G. Call it the Quentin Nelson treatment.
I think Tom is better at T than G, but that's just me. If he can hold up at G he's better than Hanson and at least as good as Newman now but with upside to get much better.

[texaspackerbacker]

I intend to start a thread about the O Line, but what I'll say here is Tom - who I've criticized - wasn't any worse than anybody else, and a helluva lot better than Hanson, who I'd like to see cut.

[SudsMcBucky]

So my wife and I are walking through the MKE airport Monday heading back home after the Packer game. A lady comes up and starts chatting us up telling us how her and her husband go to as many games as they can, etc. etc. After a while, she comments that her son is #50 for the Packers. All I have to say is if Zach is even half as nice as his mom, he's a good one!

[Fritz]

"Nice"? We don't want no stinkin' nice! We want mean and nasty! I'd be more encouraged if his mom had head-butted you.