GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers made their first foray into NFL free agency on Monday by agreeing to terms with guard Aaron Banks.

The contract is for four years and $77 million, according to NFL Network.

With the decision to not re-sign center Josh Myers, the Packers have a multitude of potential starters at guard, with two-time Pro Bowl left guard Elgton Jenkins, starting right guard Sean Rhyan, 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan and Banks.

What they don’t have is a center.

While there’s a lot of offseason to go, the most logical move would be to shift Jenkins to center. When Myers was out for the midseason game against Detroit due to an injured wrist, Jenkins started. As a rookie in 2019, Jenkins played 207 snaps at center, including five starts.

Rhyan played a little center in 2024, but the simple approach would be to keep Banks at left guard and move Jenkins to center.

“I think Sean has some versatility inside,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said at the Scouting Combine. “Obviously, Elgton’s played a ton of center, as well. (2024 fifth-round pick) Jacob Monk’s got some inside flex.

“So, we’ve got a lot of flexibility there if, for some reason, we can’t get Josh back in the fold. We’re always going to continue to address the offensive line because there’s just never enough of them but, right now, sitting here today, I feel pretty good about, if we had to go play, we have the guys that can play in different spots.”

Banks, who will turn 28 just before Week 1, was a second-round pick out of Notre Dame in 2021. He started 43 games at left guard the past three seasons for the 49ers. Pro Football Focus charged him with one sack, four quarterback hits and 25 total pressures in 2024.

PFF’s grades shouldn’t be treated as gospel. But, for what it’s worth, he ranked 32nd out of 66 guards who played at least 500 total snaps in 2024.

“There are always plays you want back and situations you wish you’d done differently or done better in this game or that game,” Banks said late in the season. “But I’m hoping it was enough with what I put on tape this year and the last couple of years. We’ll see.”

According to PFF, 65 guards played at least 300 pass-protecting snaps in 2024. He ranked 35th in its pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries allowed per pass-blocking snap.

Banks allowed zero sacks in 2023 and one in 2024. That’s two sacks in three seasons.

Banks was PFF’s ninth-ranked guard in free agency.

“Banks moves very well in the run game for his size, which is presumably what made him most attractive to the 49ers in the first place, but still has room to grow in pass protection,” it said.

Banks was ESPN’s fifth-ranked guard in free agency.

“At 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds,” ESPN’s Matt Bowen wrote, “the 2021 second-round pick is built for a gap run scheme, and he has the strength to anchor against interior bull rushers. His 69.0 percent run block win rate last season ranked 46th among guards.”

Before the 2021 NFL Draft, Banks measured 6-foot-5 3/8 and 325 pounds with 33 1/8-inch arms. With so-so speed (5.34 in the 40) and agility (4.92 in the shuttle) but excellent explosion (31-inch vertical), his Relative Athletic Score was 7.19.

Banks in 2023 was part of the 49ers’ Super Bowl teams. However, he allowed a total of 11 pressures in three games – including five against the Packers in the divisional round.

In 2024, his season started with a broken finger during training camp and ended with an MCL injury. Against the Packers in 2024, he suffered a concussion.