With training camp less than a week away, the Green Bay Packers still don’t have all their ducks in a row. And, in terms of the big questions that need answers, the offensive line sticks out like a sore thumb. The good news, though, is that some of these dilemmas will open the door for depth pieces to get ample opportunities.
Elgton Jenkins is sliding from left guard to center this year, and guards make more money than centers in the NFL. Jenkins has two years left on his deal, and the guaranteed money has dried up. He has been seeking a new contract before making the shift to center and, in all likelihood, wants to be paid in the range of a guard with his résumé, rather than a center.
Green Bay has yet to reach a resolution with its versatile veteran, and with Jenkins turning 30 in December, the Packers may consider moving on sooner rather than later. Thus far, Jenkins appears to be a holdout to start training camp, and his absence would leave his reps in the hands of others, most notably Jacob Monk.
Monk will be entering his second year after being a fifth-round pick in 2024. He received plenty of reps at center during minicamp, with Jenkins showing up but not participating.
Head coach Matt LaFleur noticed a noticeable difference in comfort from Monk.
He’s done a nice job. I can tell you he’s a lot more comfortable and confident in terms of going out there and knowing what to do. For him, it’s just going to come down to those live reps.
Is Monk going to push Jenkins for the starting center spot?
No.
It will allow Green Bay to see what they have in Monk from a depth standpoint and if center is the right fit for him. Getting him those reps won’t give the Packers all the answers they need, but it will provide some further clarity.
Elsewhere, rookie second-rounder Anthony Belton and the Packers still haven’t come to an agreement on his contract. The base of the deal is set in stone. The holdup is the guaranteed money included. Second-round picks haven’t traditionally gotten guaranteed money in their rookie deals, but Belton is far from an outlier in his holdout.
The Houston Texans made waves by giving Jayden Higgins, the No. 34-overall pick in April, a fully guaranteed deal. It was the first of its kind for a second-round pick. The ripple effect from that is other second-rounders wanting the same outcome.
Belton is one of 28 second-round picks still waiting for the ink to hit the paper. The dominoes may be starting to fall after the Chicago Bears came to an agreement with Shemar Turner, while the Baltimore Ravens finalized things with Mike Green on Thursday. Both were taken in the second round in April.
In an ideal world, Belton gets his deal figured out before the start of camp next week and is out on the field in pads with his teammates. If that doesn’t come to fruition, it will open the door for plenty of others, including fellow rookie John Williams.
Williams was scooped up in the seventh round in April out of Cincinnati, and Brian Gutekunst sees plenty of versatility with the former Bearcat.
He’s got the versatility to play left tackle and guard. [Williams] probably could play center because he’s smart enough to. He’s one of the few guys who can really play with full extension with his hands and is moving his feet at the same time.
Williams missed all of minicamp, so the Packers have yet to get a good look at him in green and gold. Training camp will provide that opportunity, and an absence to start from Belton while his contract is sorted out would give Williams some additional looks. Williams isn’t a lock to make the 53-man roster, so every rep means that much more.
While Belton was an offensive tackle at North Carolina State, there has been chatter that Green Bay could try him out at guard. Williams played tackle at Cincinnati, but as Daniel Jeremiah noted after the Packers made the pick in April, they announced him as a guard.
Left tackle, they announced him as a guard. It will be interesting to see. This is something they’ve done with Elgton Jenkins. It’s what they’ve done with a lot of offensive lineman over the years. As a left tackle, you saw him in the run game he can wash defensive lineman down the line of scrimmage.
On one hand, missing a couple of key pieces to start training camp isn’t ideal. If you’re scratching around for optimism, though, it opens the door for others to get an extended look with more reps. Plus, is there any real doubt at this point that Jenkins or Belton will miss the start of the regular season due to their contract situations?
No.
With that being the case, getting more familiar with what Monk, Williams, and others can provide isn’t such a bad outcome for the Packers in the meantime.