With David Bakhtiari and Billy Turner, the Green Bay Packers have a quality tandem at offensive tackle.
That sounds good on paper but the reality is different. With Bakhtiari coming off a torn ACL, Rick Wagner and Jared Veldheer heading off to retirement, and no proven depth, the Packers have a major need at offensive tackle ahead of this month’s NFL Draft.
In a mock draft for ESPN.com insiders, former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum selected Oklahoma State’s Teven Jenkins at Green Bay’s spot at No. 29.
“Jenkins has played on both sides of the line and just fits so well in Matt LaFleur’s outside zone scheme,” read part of Tannenbaum’s summation.
According to Pro Football Focus, Jenkins didn’t allow a sack over his final two seasons.
“Jenkins was the best run blocker on film but he was also outstanding in pass protection, giving up a total of seven hurries in 12 games” in 2019 and four pressures in eight games in 2020, noted SI.com’s NFL Draft Bible. “He never gave up more than one pressure in any game. This means that a defensive end was lucky to get near the quarterback one time in a game in which they were lined up against Jenkins. That is tough sledding for anyone.”
Jenkins is an athletic big man with a colorful vocabulary. At 6-foot-6 and 317 pounds, he ran his 40 in 5.01 seconds and cranked out an impressive 36 reps on the 225-pound bench press. He ranks fifth among offensive tackles in RAS, a metric that provides context to all the workout numbers.
“Tough, physical, nasty mother******, a dude who does not shy away from hits, a dude who actually wants to get physical and a dude who wants to bust his ass,” Jenkins said in describing his game following his pro day. “I don’t know if I’m allowed to cuss on here. Sorry.”
Featuring the Top NFL Draft Prospects
Packer Central is introducing you to the top prospects, both on and off the field, in this year’s NFL Draft. The series is starting with the top five at each position, then will add additional players as the draft approaches, with a focus on positions of need.
C2: UW-Whitewater’s Quinn Meinerz
C4: Alabama’s Landon Dickerson
C5: Pittsburgh’s Jimmy Morrissey
WR4: Minnesota’s Rashod Bateman
RB3: North Carolina’s Javonte Williams
RB4: Memphis’ Kenneth Gainwell
RB5: North Carolina’s Michael Carter
QB1: Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence
QB2: Ohio State’s Justin Fields
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