One of the biggest position battles for the Green Bay Packers this year will come at left tackle. The fight to protect quarterback Jordan Love’s blindside will be between a two-year starter at the position and a former first round draft choice. The outcome will have a major impact on the Packers lineup, not just this season but beyond.

The incumbent is fourth-year man Rasheed Walker. The Penn State alum has come a long way since the Packers drafted him in the seventh round in 2022.

Before his final season in college, Walker was considered a potential first-round pick by many scouts. Unfortunately, he struggled through that final year at Happy Valley and fell all the way to the seventh round of the draft.

Walker made the team as a rookie despite the low draft position. However, he played in just one game in 2022. He was on the field for four plays with all of them coming on special teams.

It seemed Walker was due to ride the bench again in 2023, but starting left tackle David Bakhtiari’s injured knee acted up again and he was done for the season after Week 1. Walker was thrust into the starting lineup and did a good job for the rest of the season.

Walker kept the starting job in 2024, starting all 17 games and playing 99 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. He graded out as a good pass protector but just an average run blocker according to Pro Football Focus. Most scouts view Walker as a solid but not spectacular starting left tackle. He could start for many teams in the NFL.

His chief competition for the job will come from former first-round pick, Jordan Morgan. The second-year man out of Arizona was the 25th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Scouts were divided on Morgan. While he primarily played tackle in college, his relatively short arm length made many scouts think he was best suited to play guard in the NFL.

When he was drafted, the Packers front office and coaching staff said he would compete for a job at both positions. That lasted through the end of OTAs. Once training camp started, head coach Matt LaFleur indicated Morgan’s best chance to play as a rookie was at right guard. He battled with Sean Rhyan for the starting job there, but Rhyan won the battle. Morgan had to make three adjustments. First, from tackle to guard, second from the left side to the right side and thirdly from the NCAA to the pros.

Like Rhyan before him, Morgan rotated in at right guard for several series per game as a rookie. He started one game when center Josh Myers was out with an injury and guard Elgton Jenkins started in his place. After six games, Morgan suffered a shoulder injury and ended up missing the rest of the season.

Now, in his second year, the coaching staff once again wants Morgan to compete for the starting left tackle job with Walker. If he doesn’t win it, Morgan can also battle with Rhyan for the starting spot at right guard.

These two players are at different junctures in their careers. Walker is entering the final year of his rookie deal. Unless he signs a new contract with the Packers, he can become a free agent after the 2025 season is over. With right tackle, Zach Tom and Rhyan also needing new contracts, the question is how much money is GM Brian Gutekunst willing to give these offensive linemen, and which players will get a second deal with the team? Scouts consider Tom the best of the trio and he will be the team’s top priority. Will either Rhyan or Walker remain in Green Bay after 2025?

Morgan, on the other hand, is a former first round pick who has yet to crack the starting lineup. The Packers obviously want to give him every chance to start and live up to his first-round pedigree, but he still needs to earn it. Morgan has two more years left on his rookie deal after the 2025 season ends.

The battle should be a good one with the loser most likely becoming the swing tackle for 2025. Walker has a lot of money at stake whether it’s with the Packers or another NFL team. Morgan needs to get his career on track and establish himself as a legitimate NFL starter. And LaFleur wants to put his best five offensive linemen on the field as starters. Let the battle begin.