Getty Isaiah Wynn, a potential Packers option for the offensive line
We are, no doubt, in the midst of a feel-good moment in Green Bay these days, with the team having racked up three wins in its last four games and vaulting itself back into playoff position. While there is youth and promise across the board for the Packers, there is also one unit that will need some serious tinkering going forward: the offensive line.
Veteran right tackle Elgton Jenkins is a mainstay, and center Josh Myers has quietly become reliable in the middle of the line. Zach Tom, too, has shown he can be a fixture for the unit. But David Bakhtiari is likely gone, and guard John Runyan Jr. is a free agent. The team’s main depth piece, Yosh Nijman, is a free agent, too. It’s still too early to tell what the team has in 2022 seventh-round pick Rasheed Walker.
With that in mind, the folks at Pro Football Focus note that the Packers, “should continue to invest in the trenches.” And they even have a suggestion: Dolphins veteran Isaiah Wynn.
Isaiah Wynn Was a 1st-Round Pick
Wynn is an interesting case for the Packers offensive line, a player who was drafted in the first round by New England in 2018 before he tore his Achilles tendon. He never lived up to his first-round billing but he was a solid player for New England for the first four years of his career. He struggled to stay healthy last season, and signed with Miami in the winter.
Wynn is struggling to stay healthy again, on injured reserve with a quad injury. Still, as a depth addition to fill Nijman’s role, he would be an ideal fit.
“Wynn started the first seven games for the Dolphins in 2023 at guard before going down with an injury but could still kick back out to tackle if needed. His ability to play on the inside is just a bonus. He has earned a 67.5 pass-blocking grade this season over 224 snaps,” PFF wrote.
“Wynn has dealt with injuries throughout his career but posted pass-blocking grades above 70.0 in each season from 2019 to 2021. Green Bay doesn’t spend a ton in free agency and may not view Wynn as a fit at tackle, given his measurements, but he could be an attractive buy-low option for them as they continue to navigate the overhauling of this unit.”
Bakhtiari, Packers Offensive Line in Flux
Adding Isaiah Wynn would not solve the Packers’ issue at left tackle, where the likely departure of Bakhtiari looms. The team is almost certain to draft a hefty left tackle in the first round this year. Bakhtiari played one game this season before his persistent knee trouble flared up again, and required more surgery. He’s now had five knee surgeries in three years.
Since he first tore his ACL in December 2020, Bakhtiari has been unable to stay on the field. He has been excellent when he plays—he is still among the top left tackles in the game—but he has played just 13 games in three seasons. And he’s 32, the oldest guy on a Packers team in the midst of a youth movement.
Packers All-Pro LT David Bakhtiari suffered a season-ending knee injury today in practice
The belief is that he tore his ACL, per @RapSheet
At 26, Wynn at least fits more comfortably in the Packers’ timeline. And, as PFF pointed out, he could come cheap given his recent injury history. For a Packers team facing salary-cap issues as it waits for Aaron Rodgers’ money to come off the books entirely, that makes Wynn an even better fit.
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Packers Projected as Fit for ‘Buy-Low’ Ex-Patriots 1st-Rounder