The Other Guys: Jordan Morgan
By Kalani Jones
I’m really excited for this one today. In the past, over the course of my “Other Guys” series, we’ve covered a variety of Packers. The disappointing beginning of the careers of Luke Musgrave and Ty'Ron Hopper, the injury cured Marshawn Lloyd, to the newcomer Skyy Moore.
None of them have a chance to be as impactful as Jordan Morgan.
The third year man out of Arizona will finally have a chance to shine in 2026. After years of being unable to make an impact at his natural position, the Packers are ready to hand Morgan the keys to the most important position on the offensive line.
For Morgan and Packers fans alike, this move has been a long time coming. Almost immediately upon entering the NFL, Morgan was subject to countless moves along the offensive line, most notably to right guard. It was there that he competed with Sean Rhyan for a starting spot in training camp (a battle he could have won, IMO, had injuries not hit before the season began).
We all know the story from there. Morgan has played left tackle, left guard, right guard and right tackle over the first two seasons, an almost unprecedented level of versatility from the 24 year old. Unfortunately, that versatility has not really translated into real, tangible, good play. In fact, There have been times where Morgan’s play at guard has been downright bad. Think back to the Cleveland game in week three, that was lost mostly due to poor offensive line play. It absolutely bodied down to a poor performance from the entire offensive line, but the unfortunate truth is that Morgan was a big part of that. He had major troubles against Arizona, Washington, and the first Minnesota games as well, all of which came when Morgan was playing as a guard.
However, following Zach Tom’s injury in that infamous Denver game, Morgan was finally moved out to tackle, and shined. He played 3 out of the teams final four games at right tackle for the Packers (the last regular season game against Minnesota was spent at left tackle, but that wasn’t a real game anyway). Morgan had an excellent game against the Ravens at right tackle in week 17, then might have been the team’s best lineman on the field in the wildcard loss to the Bears a week later.
While Morgan’s versatility has been well appreciated, I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are glad it seems to be in the rearview mirror. What’s so interesting about this conversation is that at the time of his drafting, Morgan was almost seen more as a guard at the NFL level than a tackle at all, and most draft analysts were split on the idea. From a few pre-draft reports:
Dane Brugler: “Though he can survive at tackle in the NFL, his skill set projects much better inside at guard, similar to Matthew Bergeron."
Daniel Jeremiah: ”...Overall, he has starting tackle ability."
Lance Zierlien: ”He’s a capable run blocker and pass protector, and he features projectable upside with more work. Morgan has the traits and talent to become a solid starting left tackle."
PFF: "Morgan is a smooth-moving prospect whose best position in the NFL might be guard.”
Obviously, the book has still yet to be truly written on Morgan’s true best position, but it really hasn’t worked out at guard for Morgan at all. Which, for Jordan Morgan and the Packers, means that this is really kinda it, isn’t it? There is no fallback or “other position” for him to transition to now. Then, because Morgan has been moved around so much, he doesn’t have much LT experience in the NFL to draw from. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that Morgan was able to get NFL experience at all, experience that will surely benefit him, but it’s still a bit strange that he is in this position, right? Entering year three in the NFL, and right back where he started: a left tackle that needs to settle into that role.
I recently had the opportunity to write up a film breakdown of Jordan Morgan’s performance at RT during the wildcard game, and my main conclusion was that while Morgan’s performance that day was generally good, it’s disappointing that the flaws are still apparent. Furthermore, the first few weeks of Morgan at LT may be a bit of a “settling down” period, as frustrating as that will be for Packers fans. The unfortunate truth is that Morgan is going to have to get used to playing left tackle again. I don’t mean to be overly pessimistic, because I’m really actually not. I actually do think that Morgan will end up being a great left tackle for the Packers, and eventually worthy of that first round pick. The question will be around how the team treated the first two years of his development.
While the team’s policy of over-emphasizing lineman versatility can be frustrating at times (or downright maddening, depending on the situation) it’s clear the team has gotten more than its fair use out of an ultra-versatile Jordan Morgan. And as frustrating as it was to see Morgan as a backup for the first two years of his career, wasn’t it also great to have that sixth guy at all? Someone who the team could plug and play in reaction to injuries? Because, as it sure seems like now, we don’t have that kind of guy now. Darian Kinnard will surely serve as swing tackle, while rookie Jager Burton has shined early on in the interior, but you can bet that both possibilities make me a little nervous.
The hope of course is that a sixth offensive lineman isn’t needed at all, and that the Packers offensive lineman can stay healthy and effective. But since that’s a ludicrous pipe dream, the alternatives are worth considering.
As I said, I have the highest faith that Morgan will work out. Maybe because the alternative terrifies me a bit.
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Co-Owner of the thirteen time world champion Green Bay Packers. Sometimes I write about them. Follow me on Twitter at https://x.com/kjones_in_co and on Substack for film breakdowns!
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Comments (30)
stockholder
June 15, 2026 at 06:43 am
This is the way to See Gute's selection of Morgan;
"always a step behind" means you are lagging in progress,
trailing others in achievement, or constantly reacting
rather than anticipating.
It is a common idiom used to describe feelings of being out of the loop,
slow to adapt, or perpetually catching up to competitors.
Yes -I wanted Dejean and felt Walker
was a better answer, you didn't have to wait for.
I know this isn't positive.
But I am skeptical and wish him the best.
Cheezehead72
June 15, 2026 at 06:47 am
I hope Morgan becomes a very good to great LT. I don't understand Gute and MLF. If Gute drafted him to be a LT then why did MLF move him around? Yes I know that has been covered in many comments.
If you draft a player to be a LT and LT is his natural position and it is the most important position on offense after the QB then why move him around. If he succeeds to becoming the starting LT then you will not move him even if there are injuries. Why would any coach move a dependable LT to another position?
If they wanted him to be a LT then they should have had him practicing solely at LT and the backup to Walker. Yes I know that they might have drafted him to be a guard. If that is the case then practice him at guard and have him back up the guards if he is good.
The key to OL is draft the position you need even if that means drafting a guy that may not be as high on your draft board. Practice him at his natural position and allow him to learn others as he can. There is too large of gap between a college OL to NFL OL to have these guys learn mutliple positions right away.
Guam
June 15, 2026 at 07:09 am
Pretty much agree CH72. I haven't been a big fan of the Packer coaching staff's "versatility training" that has young players moving all over the offensive line. I think young players should be given one position to focus on in their rookie year. Build their confidence and acclimate them to the NFL first and then move them later in their careers if the team needs more versatility in order to get their best five on the field.
I think Morgan will survive the Packer's attempt to have him play everywhere and will evolve into a fine left tackle. However it may take him half a season or more to settle in a LT. I hope Love doesn't pay a price for that learning curve.
SicSemperTyrannis
June 15, 2026 at 09:08 am
The fact is, people are individuals. Any approach anyone comes up with won't be best for everyone.
That said, I hope their utilization of Morgan hasn't messed up his ability at LT. I HOPE his experience in the league so far will be an overall positive in his development.
We'll never have a valid A/B comparison, we'll never know either way. We will get to see him play this season. Hopefully. And yes, hopefully he plays well. Even if he never becomes as dominant as Bakhtiari, there's still room to be a very good LT for many years ...
HawkPacker
June 15, 2026 at 10:19 am
I do not understand why the Packer's utilization of Morgan would mess up his ability at LT.
By having him and others play all over the line, it does a few things for the team and for him. They can get an idea which position is best for him and give him some experience at different positions in case he is needed at a different position.
The third thing is if he plays these other positions and settles at one position, he should know or at least have a good idea as to what the other positions are doing during each and every play. This can enhance his play and therefore others at their positions. They can be more cohesive and help them play as a unit rather than 5 individuals.
SicSemperTyrannis
June 15, 2026 at 09:02 am
We have about 8 LTs on the roster.
GregC
June 15, 2026 at 09:09 am
I put this more on Gute than the coaches. He drafted an LT in the first round when there was already an established LT on the roster with two more years on his contract. So are you going to sit your first round pick for two years or have him try another position? Morgan is smart and athletic, so they figured he could play guard. That's where they needed the help. (As luck would have it, the starting LT was the only O-lineman who did not miss time due to injury in Morgan's first two years with the team.)
I don't think it was unreasonable to try him at guard. Unfortunately he was injured for most of his rookie season, so they didn't get a full evaluation of him as a guard. And when he got a chance to play the position in his second season, he didn't show any improvement. I think the coaches waited too long to pull the plug on Morgan as a guard, but I understand why they played him there.
Zapato
June 15, 2026 at 09:18 am
Totally agree Cheesehead72! If left tackle is the most important position on the offensive line, then you need someone focused on that position. In fact, a stellar starter and competent backup should be standard.
Or something like that!
Lare
June 15, 2026 at 06:48 am
I think Morgan’s chances of becoming a decent LT depend on if the Packers coaching staff stop hurting him from doing so as they’ve done in the past.
TKWorldWide
June 15, 2026 at 07:39 am
Injury “cursed” Marshawn Lloyd?
Is Danhausen involved here?
SicSemperTyrannis
June 15, 2026 at 09:09 am
Is that Danhausen by proxy?
golfpacker61
June 15, 2026 at 07:46 am
"While the team’s policy of over-emphasizing lineman versatility can be frustrating at times (or downright maddening, depending on the situation) it’s clear the team has gotten more than its fair use out of an ultra-versatile Jordan Morgan."
It's kind of wild how many of our OL have played a lot of snaps and been solid @ LT in college. I get the versatility part of the scheme, but it fails more than it works. Morgan will probably be an average to slightly above average LT. After all he was not a Top 10 pick, and GB should be thrilled if he ends up above average. But who really knows what would have happened if all these guys that were LTs and then moved had just stayed at tackle. I am not talking about 7th round picks or UDFAs, but Rhyan was a 3-year starting LT @ UCLA and an All-American. Maybe he would have been a great NFL Tackle, we will never know.
My hope for Morgan is that he becomes a solid average LT before we have to decide on his 5th year option and then have to give him $20 million. And doesn't get his QB killed. It seems like right now we have so many questions that need to get answered.
Will the starting OL stay healthy and be a strength?
Will the backup OL be better this year?
When will Parsons come back?
Will anyone step up from the other pass rushers?
Do we need a vet there?
What will happen with Josh Jacobs?
Who will be RB2 and maybe RB1?
Will Kraft be as good and how soon?
When will we find a good Y TE to help him & Love?
How will the CB room pan out this year?
Will Nixon try to hold out?
Will the backup WRs take a step this year and make this group elite?
Will we stay reasonably healthy this year?
Will LaFleur and his coaches take a step forward this year?
Cheezehead72
June 15, 2026 at 08:03 am
Bakhtiari and Clifton were not 10 ten picks or even first rounders but they were a couple of the best LTs. The difference is they were drafted to be LTs and they practiced there.
PeteK
June 15, 2026 at 09:59 am
The difference, those teams did not have injuries and needs at both G positions.
Guam
June 15, 2026 at 08:34 am
Many college LTs don't translate to LT in the pros. Some of that is scheme related and some is talent related. Colleges run a much wider variety of offensive schemes than the pros do and some college schemes do not emphasize pass protection much as they are more run oriented. This could cause a college LT to be much better suited to guard in the pros.
And some college LTs are LTs because the school has no one better to play that position. They may be better suited to IOL, but are LTs out of need, not talent. Playing LT in college is no guarantee to playing LT in the pros.
SicSemperTyrannis
June 15, 2026 at 09:25 am
"Many college LTs don't translate to LT in the pros."
Part of this, at least with the Packers, is so many LTs get drafted because it's presumed they're the best players. They can't all play LT, which is exactly Morgan's situation before now ...
LambeauPlain
June 15, 2026 at 08:42 am
I am not yet sold on Rhyan at C...he never closed the deal at RG.
Can a below average guard transition to an outstanding center? Maybe...probably not. Could Burton, with a fair shot to win the spot, he be a rookie starter?
Or does Rhyan's new Contract guarantee he starts? Unfortunately, yes it probably does unless he gets dinged up or flops tremendously.
Cheezehead72
June 15, 2026 at 08:55 am
Now I am no OL expert but from my understanding guards and centers are substantially different. The guard tends to go up face to face witha DT and requires a lot more strength than a center. A center generally helps the guard with a double team or looks to the next level on a run play or picks up the mike on a blitz. So the center does not have to be as strong but need to be more athletic.
I look for anyone to help me with that because I am looking to learn more about the OL
SicSemperTyrannis
June 15, 2026 at 09:33 am
All these trends can go right out the window on any given play, due to what the opposing defense does. Recently, the league puts D linemen away from the C much more often than they try to rush right up the middle, over or through the C. And yet the shortest route to the QB is still, right up the middle.
Trying to counter every possible attack, and be able to dominate at least sometimes involves lots of strategy, from player acquisition all the way through play calling. A big part of what makes the game complex and interesting.
It's nice having so many ex-players sharing film study now. It helps me a lot to be able to watch one lineman at a time, all the way through a play. And to be able to do that with all 5 on the same play. No way can I catch everything going on while watching the game live.
SicSemperTyrannis
June 15, 2026 at 09:39 am
While experimenting with all the possible combinations must be tempting, I'm seeing more value in letting guys practice one position and giving them time to gel as a unit at this point.
SicSemperTyrannis
June 15, 2026 at 09:22 am
I share all your questions, except one:
I'm pretty confident we'll have an excellent WR room.
And I'd be very surprised if #85 is appreciably worse. If he keeps improving, I won't be surprised at all.
It's kinda disturbing that there are still sports writers saying Micah might come back before week 5, there's no possibility of that. Math says if he doesn't step foot on a practice field until week 1, playing in week 6 against the Cowgirls gives him a 10 day practice / ramp up period, which seems foolishly short more than optimistic.
Even so, I consider our O line to be a more impactful variable; if they can keep JL10 upright with time in the pocket, this offense will hum. Without that it might be a very long season ...
GregC
June 15, 2026 at 08:34 am
I think Morgan's performance will be the most important unknown factor for the Packers in 2026. He could be well below average or he could be above average. The entire O-line is an unknown factor, but Morgan is key. This offense could be really special if the O-line gets its act together.
SicSemperTyrannis
June 15, 2026 at 09:34 am
💯
Kinda anxiety inducing at the moment, isn't it?
PeteK
June 15, 2026 at 10:03 am
It will also help Morgan if veteran Banks stays healthy.
Since'61
June 15, 2026 at 08:37 am
The idea of musical OLs must stop. Play the OL at his best position and let him become solid at that position. Then if necessary move him to another position if injuries demand it. The Packers should have put Morgan at LT from the beginning and move Walker to Rt or swing Tackle. They could have moved Tom to Center and kept Jenkins at LG where he belonged and our OL would probably have been much stronger over the last 2 seasons. Plus they would not have needed to sign Banks and that money could have been used to sign legit DL and CBs.
The Packers need to make the best use of their personnel resources rather than conducting experiments which leave more questions than answers. Gute and MLF have been in their roles too long for this to continue happening. And yet they were both extended. Thanks, Since '61
SicSemperTyrannis
June 15, 2026 at 09:36 am
Agreed. This is only one example of GM and HC being out of sync. Hopefully they can iron that out ...
Coldworld
June 15, 2026 at 09:52 am
Morgan was seen as a fluid mover but he has short arms. The lazier analysts ignored the former and labeled him a G. In fact, although his arms are a tad shorter than Tom’s, his wingspan is actually an inch longer. In other words his ability to fence off is greater (if stationary). Add movement and, as Tom has proved, it’s the sum of the two, not one in isolation.
However, as G, short arms arc more of a disadvantage keeping the defender off ones body and lateral movement less of a plus. He also has a tendency to get too upright at G. I never thought Morgan profiled long term to G. He is best in space and always was. What I’ve seen has only strengthened that conviction (and the opposite for Belton).
Finally we seem to have come to that conclusion. Admittedly I see the ideal as Tom at LT and Morgan at right, but injury to Tom and Morgan needing to be allowed to settle now likely rules that out. I do not know if he can be a great tackle, but I’m very confident that he will be better at T than he was at G and for just being enabled to master one spot for now. It’s telling that his best games all came at a position he was thrown into without preparation (RT).
SicSemperTyrannis
June 15, 2026 at 10:03 am
Was there ever a time in the last two seasons when benching Rasheed Walker to put Morgan in at LT would have increased the chances of GB winning the game? Since there's no basis to conclude "yes," we just have to roll with the facts as they are.
With Jager as backup IOL, that allows GB to dress 8 O linemen without needing a swing tackle. They can have specialists at both T positions ready to go as backups.
NFLfan
June 15, 2026 at 10:11 am
It was my understanding that Morgan did not beat out R Walker in training camp. No one has seen Morgan play LT in a meaningful game.
And, since he didn't get the job, perhaps Morgan showed more flexibility than Walker in other positions-not everything is MLF's fault
vin0770
June 15, 2026 at 10:22 am
Don’t feel great about him, I’d be happy for a season grade of “he wasn’t the reason the OL sucked”