I’m really excited for this one today. In the past, over the course of my “Other Guys” series, we’ve covered a variety of Packers. The disappointing beginning of the careers of Luke Musgrave and Ty'Ron Hopper, the injury cured Marshawn Lloyd, to the newcomer Skyy Moore.
None of them have a chance to be as impactful as Jordan Morgan.
The third year man out of Arizona will finally have a chance to shine in 2026. After years of being unable to make an impact at his natural position, the Packers are ready to hand Morgan the keys to the most important position on the offensive line.
For Morgan and Packers fans alike, this move has been a long time coming. Almost immediately upon entering the NFL, Morgan was subject to countless moves along the offensive line, most notably to right guard. It was there that he competed with Sean Rhyan for a starting spot in training camp (a battle he could have won, IMO, had injuries not hit before the season began).
We all know the story from there. Morgan has played left tackle, left guard, right guard and right tackle over the first two seasons, an almost unprecedented level of versatility from the 24 year old. Unfortunately, that versatility has not really translated into real, tangible, good play. In fact, There have been times where Morgan’s play at guard has been downright bad. Think back to the Cleveland game in week three, that was lost mostly due to poor offensive line play. It absolutely bodied down to a poor performance from the entire offensive line, but the unfortunate truth is that Morgan was a big part of that. He had major troubles against Arizona, Washington, and the first Minnesota games as well, all of which came when Morgan was playing as a guard.
However, following Zach Tom’s injury in that infamous Denver game, Morgan was finally moved out to tackle, and shined. He played 3 out of the teams final four games at right tackle for the Packers (the last regular season game against Minnesota was spent at left tackle, but that wasn’t a real game anyway). Morgan had an excellent game against the Ravens at right tackle in week 17, then might have been the team’s best lineman on the field in the wildcard loss to the Bears a week later.
While Morgan’s versatility has been well appreciated, I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are glad it seems to be in the rearview mirror. What’s so interesting about this conversation is that at the time of his drafting, Morgan was almost seen more as a guard at the NFL level than a tackle at all, and most draft analysts were split on the idea. From a few pre-draft reports:
Dane Brugler: “Though he can survive at tackle in the NFL, his skill set projects much better inside at guard, similar to Matthew Bergeron."
Daniel Jeremiah: ”...Overall, he has starting tackle ability."
Lance Zierlien: ”He’s a capable run blocker and pass protector, and he features projectable upside with more work. Morgan has the traits and talent to become a solid starting left tackle."
PFF: "Morgan is a smooth-moving prospect whose best position in the NFL might be guard.”
Obviously, the book has still yet to be truly written on Morgan’s true best position, but it really hasn’t worked out at guard for Morgan at all. Which, for Jordan Morgan and the Packers, means that this is really kinda it, isn’t it? There is no fallback or “other position” for him to transition to now. Then, because Morgan has been moved around so much, he doesn’t have much LT experience in the NFL to draw from. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that Morgan was able to get NFL experience at all, experience that will surely benefit him, but it’s still a bit strange that he is in this position, right? Entering year three in the NFL, and right back where he started: a left tackle that needs to settle into that role.
I recently had the opportunity to write up a film breakdown of Jordan Morgan’s performance at RT during the wildcard game, and my main conclusion was that while Morgan’s performance that day was generally good, it’s disappointing that the flaws are still apparent. Furthermore, the first few weeks of Morgan at LT may be a bit of a “settling down” period, as frustrating as that will be for Packers fans. The unfortunate truth is that Morgan is going to have to get used to playing left tackle again. I don’t mean to be overly pessimistic, because I’m really actually not. I actually do think that Morgan will end up being a great left tackle for the Packers, and eventually worthy of that first round pick. The question will be around how the team treated the first two years of his development.
While the team’s policy of over-emphasizing lineman versatility can be frustrating at times (or downright maddening, depending on the situation) it’s clear the team has gotten more than its fair use out of an ultra-versatile Jordan Morgan. And as frustrating as it was to see Morgan as a backup for the first two years of his career, wasn’t it also great to have that sixth guy at all? Someone who the team could plug and play in reaction to injuries? Because, as it sure seems like now, we don’t have that kind of guy now. Darian Kinnard will surely serve as swing tackle, while rookie Jager Burton has shined early on in the interior, but you can bet that both possibilities make me a little nervous.
The hope of course is that a sixth offensive lineman isn’t needed at all, and that the Packers offensive lineman can stay healthy and effective. But since that’s a ludicrous pipe dream, the alternatives are worth considering.
As I said, I have the highest faith that Morgan will work out. Maybe because the alternative terrifies me a bit.
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Co-Owner of the thirteen time world champion Green Bay Packers. Sometimes I write about them. Follow me on Twitter at https://x.com/kjones_in_co and on Substack for film breakdowns!
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Tags: packersJordan MorganPackers newsPackers offensive lineNFC North
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