College coaches point out diamond in the rough that makes a ton of sense for the Packers in 2026 NFL Draft
Brian Parker II was mostly a right tackle at Duke, but he is projected to move inside in the NFL, and that’s the perfect style of offensive lineman for Green Bay.
The Green Bay Packers love versatile offensive linemen, and they want big guys early and often during the draft process. That’s why Duke’s Brian Parker II can be an ideal fit in Green Bay. A college tackle, he can move to the interior in the NFL — a regular occurrence for Packers prospects.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg made a list of sleeper picks, and Parker unsurprisingly is out there. Duke head coach Manny Diaz said exactly what Green Bay would want to hear about a player.
“He could be a guy that plays all five [offensive line] positions and adds a lot of value to an NFL team,” Diaz told ESPN. “That’s his value, being highly smart and a guy who played right tackle in college but played center at the East-West Shrine Game and did a good job there, by all accounts.”
Positional flexibility
Throughout his college career, he had 1,811 snaps at right tackle and 311 at left tackle. The right side is where he started his entire final season at Duke in 2025, having a career year as a run blocker (87.1 run block grade) in addition to his solid metrics as a pass protector.
During the Shrine Bowl week, though, he practiced on the interior — and the Packers talked directly to him there. At the NFL Combine, Parker made center drills and had the seventh-best three-cone drill time among offensive linemen.
He is the 114th overall prospect on the consensus big board, which means he would potentially be available for the Packers in the fourth round — they have the 120th pick — or after a trade down in the third. A highly-athletic player, Parker has a 9.09 Relative Athletic Score and is a 6-5, 309-pound lineman.
Roster need
The Packers decided to extend Sean Rhyan to play center and released Elgton Jenkins, but the long-term situation is still uncertain. Ideally, the Packers will draft a developmental center and evaluate Rhyan’s situation next offseason — his three-year contract doesn’t have guarantees beyond 2026.
At this moment, the backup interior offensive linemen on the Packers roster are Jacob Monk, John Williams, Donovan Jennings, and Karsen Barnhart. Darian Kinnard and Travis Glover can also play at guard, even though both are primarily listed as tackles. Monk is the only one with real experience at center, though, building up more pressure to add a sustainable answer at the position.