Without looking at where he was drafted, you would’ve thought Jager Burton was a high draft pick.
The rookie fifth round draft pick has impressed during the off-season drawing praise from coaching staff.
Coach Matt LaFleur said, ” “I see a really young guy that’s extremely coachable, athletic, and is maximizing the most of his opportunities,”
LaFleur continued saying “He’s definitely going to be in the mix to compete for playing time this year.”
Originally drafted as a center, Burton has showed he can play any of the interior line positions.
That is a big plus for the Packers, who love to cross train their offensive lineman.
It has been something the Packers have had success with in the past.
Former Packer Elgton Jenkins was able to play all of the positions on the line, while current center Sean Rhyan, started out as a guard.
Why Burtons versatility can make the offensive line better?
The Packers lack of depth along the interior offensive line.
Burton can fill those needs with his versatility being able to play both center and guard.
As a rookie, he wouldn’t need to be in the starting line up immediately.
He’ll be able to learn from veterans Sean Rhyan, Jordan Morgan and Aaron Banks.
With a successful training camp Burton could become the top back-up for both the center and guard position.
This is something Burton is accustom to.
The 6’4”, 323-pound Kentucky alum started multiple games at all three interior offensive line positions during his time in college.
Burton started nine games at right guard, 23 games at left guard and 15 at center.
Where Burton fits in
The Packers have questions at all three starting positions along the interior offensive line.
Aaron Banks struggled in his first year as a Packer with injuries, although he played through them, he wasn’t at his best.
As mentioned earlier Sean Rhyan moved over to center from guard to fill in for Elgton Jenkins.
While he Rhyan did a good job, he is far from a Pro Bowl caliber center.
Anthony Belton will be the teams right guard but he is more of a tackle then a guard.
While Belton transitioned nicely to guard, the team hopes he can improve with more time at the position.
All three positions are still up in the air and up for grabs.
Burton has a chance to claim a role as the swing interior offensive lineman right away and to step in and start if injuries strike or any of the three starters struggles.
The only competition Burton really has is Jacob Monk.
Monk,has played fewer than 60 snaps total on offense in his first two seasons with the team.
It is too early to tell
It is too early to tell if Burton is a steal.
While Burton has looked good in the off-season, the team hasn’t practiced in pads or in full speed yet.
Jager Burton has a long way to go still before we can crown him as a “steal”.
But the early good play and lack of depth at the position gives Burton an opportunity to claim a bigger role than most fifth-round picks play as rookies.
We’ll see if he’s ready to take advantage of that opportunity.
