Packers rookie OL Zach Tom gets first-team work at new position
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Green Bay Packers rookie Zach Tom keeps getting closer to accomplishing his goal of becoming a five-position player along the offensive line.
After playing 35 excellent snaps at right tackle during the preseason opener in San Francisco, Tom – who has also repped at left tackle during training camp – worked inside at left guard for the first-team offensive line during Sunday’s practice.
Coach Matt LaFleur wants to keep moving Tom around the line to up the competition level across the board.
“We’re just going to continue to work through different combinations and create as much competition as possible, and let’s see where it goes,” LaFleur said Monday.
Tom replaced starter Jon Runyan Jr. at left guard for a stretch of Sunday’s practice, adding another position to his list through the first three weeks of training camp. He’s up to three – left guard, left tackle and right tackle – so far, and he previously played center in college.
LaFleur has been impressed with how the rookie has handled cross-training at several positions, especially this early in camp.
“Yeah, he’s done a great job,” LaFleur said. “It’s not easy to do that with a rookie, that doesn’t have the time on task where you feel really good about him at one position, and then you start to cross-train him at another. But for a young guy to handle it the way he has, I thought it’s been pretty impressive.”
The return of Elgton Jenkins provides the Packers with an increasing number of options for configuring the offensive line, meaning Tom could be in the competition for playing time at several different spots, including tackle and guard. If Tom is terrific at right tackle, it could give the Packers the freedom to keep Jenkins inside at guard, where he was a Pro Bowler in 2020.
Tom, a fourth-round pick out of Wake Forest, started 24 games at left tackle and 13 more at center in college. His versatility could eventually rival that of Jenkins, who has started games at left tackle, left guard and center through his first three seasons at the NFL level.
