The Green Bay Packers have a knack for striking gold with offensive tackles late in the draft.
David Bakhtiari was a cornerstone of Green Bay’s offense and one of Wisconsin’s biggest personalities for a decade. A fourth-round pick in 2013, Bakhtiari crafted a Hall of Fame-caliber career, dominating as Aaron Rodgers‘ blindside protector. However, a serious knee injury on New Year’s Eve in 2020 derailed his trajectory. Fittingly, his final Packers start was vintage Bakhtiari, highlighted by him flipping the bird to Chicago Bears fans while lining up in his stance.
Green Bay’s first two playoff losses of the 2020s underscored how much they missed Bakhtiari. With Billy Turner stepping in at left tackle, the Packers fell 31-26 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2020 NFC Championship. Turner allowed four pressures, including two hurries and two sacks. For comparison, Bakhtiari gave up only one sack in 12 games that season.
In 2021, Green Bay fell 13-10 to the San Francisco 49ers in a cold, snowy Divisional Round clash at Lambeau Field. Once again, Turner filled in at left tackle, allowing two pressures and two hurries.
Brian Gutekunst recognized the need to bolster the tackle position. With Bakhtiari’s knee uncertain, the Packers addressed the issue by drafting two offensive tackles in 2022: Zach Tom in the fourth round and Rasheed Walker in the seventh.
Tom played four different positions as a rookie. He logged 379 snaps at tackle and 110 at guard. Meanwhile, Walker saw no action on offense and managed only four snaps on special teams.
Bakhtiari started Green Bay’s 2023 Week 1 game against Chicago but suffered a setback with his knee, and the Packers placed him on injured reserve. Walker stepped in from Week 2 and has held the starting job since. He played 843 snaps in 2023, including 515 in pass protection, while allowing 33 pressures. Tom played 1,064 snaps at right tackle, surrendering 33 pressures on 656 pass-blocking snaps.
In 2024, Tom and Walker are performing at a high level. Green Bay is one of only two teams with both starting tackles ranked in the top 15 for pass blocking.
Under NFLPA rules, both are eligible for contract extensions in 2025. The Packers will likely prioritize extending Tom and might want to do it as soon as possible. He’s a cornerstone of Green Bay’s offense and can play every position on the offensive line. However, seeing how his contract negotiations impact Walker’s will be interesting.
Tom is likely to command top-five right tackle money. According to Over The Cap, Michael Onwenu earns $19 million annually, ranking fifth among right tackles. It’s reasonable to predict that Tom will surpass the $20 million APY mark when his extension comes due.
The Packers hold an advantage in Walker’s contract negotiations. As a seventh-round pick, Walker lacks the leverage of being an established player in the league. For comparison, Cam Robinson earns $17.5 million annually, the 10th highest among left tackles. Robinson had the financial flexibility to negotiate harder after being franchise-tagged twice and earning significant money. On the other hand, Walker has yet to secure a big contract and may be more inclined to accept an extension quickly to ensure his financial future.
Walker has been a solid left tackle for the Packers. He ranks 13th in pass-blocking grade among qualified tackles, tied for 54th in sacks allowed, and 22nd in pressures. However, he ranks 119th in run blocking among qualified tackles.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility for Walker to ask for a top-10 left tackle contract. The modern NFL is a passing league, and he has been productive as a pass protection. However, due to his lack of leverage, it’s realistic to expect him to fall just short of that mark. Cam Robinson opens the top-10 list at $17.5 million APY, and Walker could end up in the $15.5 to $17 million APY range.
As the salary cap increases annually, the free-agency market inflates accordingly. The Packers cannot afford to delay extending their tackles. However, if they’re going to sign an early extension, Zach Tom is the top candidate. That doesn’t mean they won’t extend Walker, but Green Bay may have more flexibility with him. If Walker is willing to accept top-12 to top-15 left tackle money, the Packers would likely not hesitate to re-sign him. However, it’s the agent’s job to secure the best deal possible for his client, and there’s a realistic chance Walker asks for at least top-10 money.