The buzz around fifth-round rookie Jager Burton is starting to reach unthinkable levels. Burton has been turning heads at OTAs and has been in the starter mix. This has Connor Orr of Sports Illustrated bullish enough to claim that Burton will be the top-graded rookie offensive lineman in 2026. This was a bold prediction for Orr, but he believes that Burton has a legitimate chance to earn this claim.
“While Burton, a fifth-round pick out of Kentucky, is not a locked-in starter at this point, his guard-center versatility and a 100% league injury rate guarantee that he’ll eventually get a window of time to showcase his skills on a down-to-down basis with the Packers.”
Burton has not locked down a starting job, but there is a lot of shuffling going on within the Packers unit. This has allowed Burton to get ahead during OTAs, which will give him a shot to enter training camp ready to compete.
The flexibility allows him to slide into three starting spots if needed, so if Burton is ready to go, the team will not have any doubts about holding him out of the lineup.
The Green Bay Packers Offensive Line is Unsettled
GettyIOL/C Jager Burton
Green Bay is going to have a lot of changes on its offensive line, which opens the door for Burton. At left tackle, they have Jordan Morgan. He has not started at left tackle and has more guard experience, so they are not sure how this will go.
At center, they are starting Sean Rhyan. Rhyan has been a guard for most of his career. He slid into center last year due to injuries, and now the team is rolling with him in that spot.
At right guard, Anthony Belton is coming in from being a reserve. Belton was a tackle in college, and while he saw snaps at guard during his rookie campaign, there was an adjustment. Lastly, Zach Tom is rehabbing an injury and might not be ready for Week 1.
If Tom is not healthy, the Packers could slide Belton out to tackle and start Burton at guard. Or, they could slide Rhyan out to guard and start Burton at center. The team also has Aaron Banks, who missed a couple of starts at left guard last year.
Burton will likely see the field; the question is more about how much he will see the field.
Jager Burton Would Lead a Strong Rookie Class
Burton fell to the 153rd pick in the 2026 NFL draft. In a class that has a lot of strong offensive line options, it would be impressive if he ended up as the highest graded lineman.
Logan Jones, Jake Slaughter, Connor Lew, Sam Hecht, and Parker Brailsford just make up the players with center experience who were drafted ahead of him.
Keylan Rutledge, Chase Bisontis, Emmanuel Pregnon, Jalen Farmer, Jeremiah Wright, Fernando Carmona, and Beau Stephens were all selected ahead of him with guard experience. Even guys like Trey Zuhn, Gennings Dunker, Keegan Trost, and Carver Willis are expected to get work at guard in the NFL. Being better than all of those linemen taken ahead of him would be incredible.
Fifth-Round Packers Rookie Earns Stunning 2026 Prediction