Three Packers players who could change positions this year

Versatility is something important for every NFL team. With only 53 roster spots, and 48 active gameday players, it's essential to have athletes who can perform different roles. This year, during the offseason program, the Green Bay Packers have kept their modus operandi of cross training in some positions, and three players can be really impactful in different places for them.

So, let's dive into three potential transitions on the team.

Colby Wooden

In 2022, his last season at Auburn, Wooden played 258 snaps on the B-gap, 253 outside of the tackle, and 132 snaps over the tackle. The difference between 4-3 and 3-4 these days in the NFL isn't as big as it used to, but there are still some modifications in terms of player alignment and front structure.

And those differences make it easier for Colby Wooden to play as an edge defender, with his hands in the ground. During OTAs, Rashan Gary and Preston Smith weren't practicing, and Lukas Van Ness was out with a broken thumb. That sequence of events created an opportunity for Wooden to play some defensive end.

"He's got that versatility where if need be," head coach Matt LaFleur said. "We can put him on the edge and let him rush outside."

Wooden told Packer Central that he put up some weight, going from 278 lbs to 290. That indicates the plan is to primarily keep him in the interior, but it doesn't mean he can't be a versatile piece.

"I've played it before so it's nothing out of the ordinary," the defensive lineman said. "I had to get back to different rules, obviously, but I like it."

Colby Wooden was a fourth-round pick last year, but he finished the season behind sixth-round pick Karl Brooks in the rotation. The option to play inside and outside might give him an edge to get more playing time.

Jordan Morgan

Everybody knows that the Packers took Jordan Morgan in the first round exactly because of his versatility. But they also did it because Morgan has a ceiling to really play tackle in the NFL — and that's why they took Morgan over Graham Barton, for example.

In college, Jordan Morgan was a left tackle. Over the offseason, Morgan has primarily been a tackle, practicing at both spots.

But his short arms make him projectable to play inside, and eventually the Packers can execute the switch. Morgan did practice at left guard with the ones on the day Elgton Jenkins wasn't able to practice, so the option to move him inside is a consideration for the coaching staff.

"A lot's going to depend on the player," general manager Brian Gutekunst said when asked what was the plan for Morgan. "He's played left tackle. He's got 37-plus starts at left tackle, so that's what he's done but, at the same time, he's a really smart kid. I don't know if you really know if he can do that early on until you get him in the building and see how he grasps things and stuff like that. But we would expect he'll be a quick learner and be able to pick up whatever they ask him to do."

A scenario where Jordan Morgan starts at guard and then moves to tackle later in his career doesn't seem unlikely.

Sean Rhyan

With the departure of Jon Runyan to the New York Giants in free agency, Sean Rhyan has been promoted to starting right guard. That's where he's primarily practiced over the offseason. However, if the Packers eventually decide to move Jordan Morgan to that spot and the rookie wins the job, Rhyan might have another competition in front of him.

During walkthroughs in OTAs, the third-year player had snaps at center as well. If Morgan plays at right guard, it's easy to argue that center is the weakest link of the line with Josh Myers. And with Myers entering the last year of his rookie deal, it would make sense to create some competition.

That idea of testing Rhyan as a center is not new. Last year, they did a similar thing, and Matt LaFleur explained his thought-process.

"At this time of the year, we experiment with a lot of these guys. But absolutely, he's a viable candidate to be inside," Matt LaFleur. "We need more than one guy to snap. We always want to train three or four guys to get that done."

The Packers have Zach Tom and Elgton Jenkins with center experience, but these moves would demand multiple changes across the line. Otherwise, the only obvious choice would be fifth-round rookie Jacob Monk — and a more experienced player like Rhyan can be a valuable option.