{"id":23933,"date":"2025-05-24T22:53:49","date_gmt":"2025-05-24T22:53:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=23933"},"modified":"2025-05-24T22:53:49","modified_gmt":"2025-05-24T22:53:49","slug":"breaking-heres-why-rasheed-walker-absolutely-must-start-for-packers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=23933","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING : Here\u2019s Why Rasheed Walker Absolutely Must Start for Packers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Green<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

GREEN BAY, Wis. \u2013 With organized team activities set to begin on Tuesday, one of the big battles over the next few months for the Green Bay Packers will be at left tackle, with last year\u2019s first-round pick, Jordan Morgan, ready to battle incumbent starter Rasheed Walker.<\/p>\n

Last week, offensive line coach Luke Butkus was asked whether Walker was the team\u2019s starting left tackle.<\/p>\n

\u201cRasheed Walker is a left tackle for the Green Bay Packers,\u201d Butkus responded.<\/p>\n

\u201cA\u201d left tackle. Not \u201cthe\u201d left tackle.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this room,\u201d Butkus said, \u201cit\u2019s always about competition. You know that. That stems from our head coach, from our offensive coordinator, and Rasheed will tell you that he\u2019s working to win that job. Just like everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

After former All-Pro David Bakhtiari was unable to play again after the 2023 opener, Walker has started 32 of a possible 33 games, plus all three postseason games. Has he been dominant? No. Has he been a problem? Definitely not. Has he gotten better? Yes.<\/p>\n

According to Sports Info Solutions, Walker allowed seven sacks in 2023 but only two in 2024. As a run blocker, his blown-block rate went from 1.6 percent in 2023 to 0.8 percent in 2024. He allowed two stuffs, which is a tackle at or behind the line of scrimmage, last season.<\/p>\n

The lone negative has been penalties, with Walker guilty of six holds in 2024 compared to two in 2023. However, of his nine total penalties last season, five came in the first three weeks.<\/p>\n

Could the Packers do better than Walker at left tackle? Sure. Could that player be Morgan? Maybe.<\/p>\n

However, there\u2019s another reason beyond performance why Walker should start next season.<\/p>\n

Compensatory draft picks.<\/p>\n

The biggest factor in free-agent compensatory picks is annual salary. Left tackle is a premium position. They get paid. A lot.<\/p>\n

According to OverTheCap.com, 11 left tackles are getting at least $20 million per season. Another five are earning at least $15 million per season. That\u2019s half the league\u2019s left tackles.<\/p>\n

One contract, in particular, from this past offseason sticks out like a sore thumb.<\/p>\n

The Tennessee Titans signed Dan Moore away from the Pittsburgh Steelers on a four-year deal worth $82 million. That\u2019s $20.5 million per season. Is Moore a great left tackle? No. You could easily argue that Walker isn\u2019t just better but is considerably better.<\/p>\n

\"Packers<\/p>\n

According to Sports Info Solutions, Moore allowed 15 sacks last season \u2013 four more than any offensive lineman in the NFL. In the run game, his blown-block rate was 2.5 percent and he allowed four stuffs.<\/p>\n

With Moore collecting a massive payday, the Steelers are slated to earn a third-round compensatory pick in the 2026 draft.<\/p>\n

Based on that alone, the Packers need Walker to once again be the team\u2019s starting left tackle. They would benefit from his solid performance in 2025 and reap the rewards of what should be a premium draft pick in 2027.<\/p>\n

Lest you think that was one stupid, outlier contract: After the Super Bowl debacle, the Kansas City Chiefs needed to address their offensive line. They gave Jaylon Moore, a former fifth-round pick with 12 starts on his resume (and never more than five in a season), a two-year deal worth $30 million. That $15.0 million average has the San Francisco 49ers in line to get a fifth-round pick.<\/p>\n

So, Walker is going to get a huge contract. But only if he plays.<\/p>\n

Walker is quite a story. He was a seventh-round pick in 2022 who barely made the roster and played a grand total of four snaps on special teams as a rookie. In 2023, Yosh Nijman was expected to be the swing tackle behind Bakhtiari and right tackle Zach Tom. Instead, Walker beat him out and moved into the starting lineup.<\/p>\n

Given how Walker has risen to the occasion, there\u2019s little reason to believe he won\u2019t do so again.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just have to compete in that room because the harder he works, the more it brings up the room from the bottom,\u201d Butkus said. \u201cSo, we\u2019re going to challenge him with everybody in that room \u2013 with the right side, with the guards, with the centers. The harder that they work, the better the room is going to be and the more depth we\u2019re going to have come fall.\u201d<\/p>\n

What Walker has done is remarkable. Of 32 projected starting left tackles, 20 entered the NFL as first-round picks. He is one of four who weren\u2019t selected in the first three rounds.<\/p>\n

According to offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich, Walker is handling the competition \u201cgreat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe understands what this league\u2019s about,\u201d Stenavich said. \u201cEvery day you\u2019ve got to earn your spot, and that\u2019s what I like about the competition that we have in our offense right now is everyone\u2019s going to have to show up and play well in order to keep their spot, because there\u2019s a bunch of good, young players that are hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

GREEN BAY, Wis. \u2013 With organized team activities set to begin on Tuesday, one of the big battles over the next few months for the Green Bay Packers will be at l<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23934,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-green-bay-packers"],"yoast_head":"\nBREAKING : Here\u2019s Why Rasheed Walker Absolutely Must Start for Packers - Breaking News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=23933\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BREAKING : Here\u2019s Why Rasheed Walker Absolutely Must Start for Packers - 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