Packers Prospect Primer: Five Tackles at or around 25

 The Packers have a big question looming regarding David Bahktiari. Speculation is running rampant, but nothing concrete regarding his future is known. Rasheed Walker looks to be the future left tackle in Green Bay, but what if the Packers feel like, in a loaded tackle class that could see eight guys go on night one, they need to upgrade the left tackle position? Five guys make up tier two, all of whom could be available at 25 or in a spot they could reasonably trade up for. 

JC Latham Alabama

Latham is an overpowering presence at the tackle position; standing at 6’6” and 360 Pounds, he uses his size and power to bully defenders at the line of scrimmage. Scouts rave about his ability in pass pro, a required trait for any blindside tackle due to his raw power, but are concerned about his footwork, which to me begs the question of whether is he TOO big to hold up against the more agile speed rushers at the next level who will come at him with complicated pass rush move sets. Scouts say he is good at the point of contact in run blocking but struggles with maintaining the block throughout the assignment. Despite his power and size, he never played left tackle in college, raising questions about whether he can make the transition. Latham also disciplines concerns. 

With all of this under consideration, Latham will be an exciting tackle in the NFL, but his lack of experience at left tackle and discipline issues scare me away.

Amarius Mims Georgia

He is another imposing figure, standing 6’7” and 340 Pounds, but scouts say he carries no bad weight, giving him elite mass and length, giving him movement like a tight end in open space, which, when combined with his impressive wingspan, allows him to excel in pass pro enabling him to be extremely fluid while using his power to displace and stunt rushers. Despite having an athletic skill set, it is incredibly raw, lacks experience at the blindside, and will struggle against power rushers, and his hand fighting needs refinement. 

He is a boom-or-bust prospect if there ever was. If this were last season with Bahk's future not as pressing, I would run the card in for him and let him develop, but with the immediate future now as cloudy as it has ever been, I don’t know if he is an instant upgrade over Walker. However, I think his ceiling is higher than Walker's. 

Jordan Morgan Arizona 

Despite ample experience at left tackle, Morgan lacks arm length; however, if the Packers aren’t concerned with it, they would be looking at a explosive high energy athlete who is quick to recalibrate, leading to great change of direction and has a great knee bend which gives him a great center of gravity. He also does a great job of getting leverage and maintaining pad level. Morgan also lacks effectiveness in zone run blocking due to drifting upright.

He is a day-one starter, but I don’t believe he fits in Green Bay. 

Troy Fautanu Washington 

Fautanu blends athleticism, power, and length, which he uses to keep defenders at a strategic distance, along with mobility, which allows him to execute pulls and climbs with bursts and precision. He is dominating, deploying heavy hands to deliver jarring and impactful blows. He combines his strategic length with his aggression to demonstrate a tactical approach and his ability to maintain a practical stance and pad level at the point of attack. Despite all of this, he sometimes rushes his pass pro, leading to vulnerability against strategic rushers, and his hand usage occasionally leads to control issues. Sometimes, he needs to catch up in position.

He has all the tools but needs proper coaching to develop them to be a starter at the next level. He’s another guy with a higher ceiling than Walker, but his floor is closer to Walker's than Mims.

Tyler Guyton Oklahoma

He has the physical demands needed to be an offensive tackle and has excellent athleticism for his size. His explosiveness off the snap allows him to dominate the run game. He is powerful in his engagements, allowing him to control and overpower his opponents. He does an excellent job of re-anchoring against powerful defenders and has precise and disciplined pass pro. Despite all this, his arm length isn’t elite, and he has occasional lapses in hand placement and grip strength; his tall structure also allows lower and quicker defenders to get under him. He hasn’t played a ton of college, and when he does, it hasn’t been at left tackle.

I don’t think Guyton projects as a tackle at the next level, so I'm out on him.

At the end of the day, none of these particularly blow me away. Latham, Morgan, and Guyton may not be left tackles at the next level, and while Mims and Fantanu project as left tackles and have higher ceilings than Walker, both of their floors are below where Walker is now. If this were last year, Mims or Fantanu would be worth a top-50 selection by Green Bay, but now? I think there are bigger needs Green Bay can address. If they had to pick one at 25, I would settle for Fantanu because his floor is closer to Walker while not having a ceiling that is significantly lower than Mims. However, if the Packers feel like Latham can be a left tackle at the NFL level, I think he’s worth a look at 25.