The Green Bay Packers could have more competition than originally expected for the starting jobs on their 2021 offensive line.
Packers offensive line/run game coordinator Adam Stenavich set some lofty expectations for Ben Braden on Thursday when he told reporters he expects the 27-year-old journeyman will contend for a starting job — maybe even a few — in the upcoming season.
“I’m actually really excited about Ben to see what’s going to happen with him because I think he gets a whole offseason under his belt, a couple of preseason games, I think he’s gonna really compete for a starting job at guard or tackle,” Stenavich said Thursday.
The latest Packers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Packers newsletter here!
Has Moment Come for Braden’s NFL Takeoff?
Braden has been with the Packers since they signed him to their practice squad on Oct. 21, but he took just five snaps with the offensive line across six games in 2020 and was mostly limited to light work on special teams. He also hadn’t shown much promise in any of his previous NFL stops, including two seasons with the New York Jets and a previous practice-squad stint with the Packers from September to November in 2019.
The Packers, however, elected to roll with Braden as their first-team left tackle on Wednesday during OTA practice while both David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins were away, tipping off just how much confidence Stenavich has in his potential to be a significant contributor in 2021.
“You look at him, he’s a really big guy,” Stenavich said of the 6-foot-6, 329-pound lineman. “He has strength, he has good athleticism, he’s very versatile. Last year, his role, he came in and he was kind of a swing guy for us at guard and tackle. Now it’s just a matter of him being around this offseason, learning the system from installation on forward. ”
Braden was an undrafted talent coming out of Michigan in 2017, but he demonstrated incredible upper body strength for the Wolverines that frequently stifled Big Ten pass rushers despite having mechanical issues in his game. He could also plug it at just about any spot on the offensive line with 19 starts at tackle and 17 at guard over his career, offering the type of versatility the Packers have coveted in frontline blockers.
(1/x) Pay attention to LG #71, Ben Braden of Michigan. He's 6'6" & 329 lbs, 12% body fat, runs a 5.04 with a 1.78 ten yard split. pic.twitter.com/PmbnMO4hh9
— Chris Kouffman (@ckparrot) March 23, 2017
If Stenavich is right about Braden, it could begin to shine through during the Packers’ mandatory three-time minicamp next week. Bakhtiari won’t be available as he continues to rehab from ACL surgery in January, but Green Bay should be fully stocked up front otherwise and have a good environment for competition. The biggest question now is where — and who — exactly the Packers think he will challenge.
No comments:
Post a Comment