“Against some pretty good competition, like 97 (Joey Bosa) from San Francisco and 90 (T.J. Watt) from Pittsburgh, he held his own,” new offensive line coach Luke Butkus said last week. “So I’m excited, and I think he’s got a huge upside. I think if Yosh works at it, Yosh can do whatever he wants.”Even if it might be tough for a rookie to beat out Nijman, the Packers could still invest a premium pick on an offensive tackle for much-needed depth.Veteran reserve Dennis Kelly hasn’t been re-signed, and the only other tackle option on the current roster is 2021 sixth-round pick Cole Van Lanen from Wisconsin. Van Lanen (6-4, 308) worked at both guard and tackle during a rookie season spent on the practice squad, with a few late-season game-day elevations to the active roster.The Packers likely will be looking for added depth at guard in this draft, too, with two centers – Jake Hanson and Michal Menet – serving as the only other interior reserves currently.Hanson (6-4, 296), drafted in the sixth round in 2020 from Oregon, began his rookie season on the practice squad and was placed on injured reserve in mid-October. He spent last season on the active roster, appearing in five games on special teams.Menet (6-4, 301) was signed just after the season ended in January after a rookie season that included stints on Arizona’s practice squad. The Cardinals drafted him in the seventh round last year out of Penn State.Last but far from least, the other large piece to the Packers’ 2022 offensive line is Jenkins, the Pro Bowl guard who has played everywhere across the front in his first three seasons. The 2019 second-round pick from Mississippi State is expected back from ACL surgery at some point this year, but the timeline is unknown. His injury occurred in Week 11 at Minnesota (Nov. 21).When healthy and ready to go, Jenkins will play. That’s a given. But where? Guard is probably his best position, but he’s good enough to plug in anyplace. So with everyone except Bakhtiari still young and developing, it’s possible Jenkins’ spot upon his return will be wherever he can provide the biggest upgrade, based on how the others are performing. Injuries at the time, which have hit this unit hard the last two seasons, could always factor into the decision as well.”We’re going to find the best five,” Butkus said. “It’s April. We have a lot of time, we have a lot of good players that sat in this room this past year, and we’ll probably add a few more. Excited for the challenge, and I know these guys are, too. Everybody in this room is versatile.”
