Now that the 2024 regular season is over, clubs around the NFL are allowed to offer extensions to players drafted in the 2022 class. Before Monday, these players were ineligible for extensions as part of the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
So who exactly is on that list for the Green Bay Packers? While seventh-round picks Tariq Carpenter, Jonathan Ford and Samori Toure are now playing elsewhere, eight 2022 draft picks are still on Green Bay’s 53-man roster.
Here are the names to watch:
- LB Quay Walker
- DT Devonte Wyatt
- WR Christian Watson
- RG Sean Rhyan
- WR Romeo Doubs
- RT Zach Tom
- DE Kingsley Enagbare
- LT Rasheed Walker
Collectively, this class plays a lot of snaps for the Packers, but you could make the case that only one of these players — former fourth-round pick Zach Tom — is playing at a significantly higher level than the average NFL starter. With that in mind, expect to hear that he’s the first member of the 2022 draft class to be given an extension by Green Bay, whenever the team actually sends that offer.
Tom still has one year left on his rookie contract, so the Packers aren’t in any hurry to sign a deal, but based on his performance from 2022 through 2024, he’s going to be a priority for the team.
At the moment, the Detroit Lions’ Penei Sewell has the highest average salary at the right tackle position, as he commands a $28 million per year figure. Only two other right tackles league-wide scratch by the $20 million per year mark right now: Philadelphia’s Lane Johnson and Kansas City’s Jawaan Taylor.
If I were to ballpark a number for Zom, I assume he’d come in ahead of the Mike McGlinchey, Braden Smith and Taylor Morton trio at right tackle, all of whom make $17.5 million per year and are tied for the ninth highest-paid players at the position right now. Anything from around $18 million to $20 million per year makes sense for a young, successful tackle like Tom.