The Green Bay Packers released David Bakhtiari and let Yosh Nijman walk in free agency to sign with the Carolina Panthers. So what was a strong depth chart at tackle became questionable at best. The starters are solid — Rasheed Walker had a decent first season as a starter, and Zach Tom is on a path to be an elite offensive lineman.

But beyond them, the situation is not as comfortable. Currently, the backup tackles are Caleb Jones, Luke Tenuta, and Kadeem Telfort, all players that share a similar profile — big, heavy, developmental pieces.

The Packers will most likely look for depth options in the draft. General manager Brian Gutekunst has drafted three offensive linemen in the same class three times (2020, 2021, 2022), and it wouldn't be shocking if he did it once again.

However, PFF's cap analyst Brad Spielberger gave an interesting suggestion for the Packers. In his piece about landing spots for top remaining free agents, he indicated Green Bay as the ideal landing spot for former New York Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton.

<sup>"The No. 11 overall pick in the 2020 draft has always had the athletic ability to play at a high level in this league; injuries have just destroyed a promising young career. More importantly than anything else, Becton played more snaps in 2023 than he did over his first three seasons combined. The 6-foot-7 and 363-pounder looked leaner in training camp and performed admirably as a pass protector despite the revolving door of quarterbacks operating behind him. He can be the lead blocker to the play side but often got caught up in the muck this past season when pull-blocking across the formation, getting his feet tangled and ending up on the ground.

Best landing spot: Green Bay Packers"</sup>

Mekhi Becton was listed by Spielberger as the sixth best remaining free agent. Last year, he finished the season with a below average 53.2 PFF grade — including 60.7 in pass block and 56.3 in run block.

Drafted in the first round in 2020, Becton has struggled to be healthy. After a positive rookie season, he played only 48 snaps between 2021 and 2022. He came back last season and was finally able to play a considerable amount of snaps.

Throughout his NFL career, Becton has played 1,621 snaps at left tackle and 101 snaps at right tackle. It would be helpful for the Packers if he could compete at guard as well, since the projected starter at right guard is Sean Rhyan, but Becton has not played inside in the league.

Becton is bigger and heavier than the profile the Packers tend to prefer. He's listed at 363 lbs, but that's still less than Caleb Jones' 370 lbs, so the idea is not absurd. During his pre-draft process, Becton registered a 9.85 RAS, but he didn't participate in explosion and agility tests.

Price range

According to Spotrac, Mekhi Becton was projected to get a three-year, $38.9 million deal — $12.9 million yearly average. However, this market didn't materialize because of his track record of injuries and underwhelming play.

It would only make sense for the Packers for a lower value, allowing Green Bay to develop him under their offensive system. That would give the Packers some depth, and Becton a new opportunity to re-establish his value in the NFL.

Offensive line depth is a huge concern for the Packers after first wave of free agency

Green Bay has only nine o-linemen on the 90-man roster