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The Green Bay Packers are adding another piece to their offensive line room after sustaining another injury to their ranks in Week 6’s loss to the New York Jets.
According to the NFL’s official transaction wire for October 17, the Packers claimed rookie offensive tackle Luke Tenuta off the waivers from the Indianapolis Colts on Monday to fill one of the two available spots on their 53-man roster.
The 6-foot-9, 315-pound Tenuta was a sixth-round pick for the Buffalo Bills back in the spring and played 152 total offensive snaps over three preseason games for them, allowing just one sack. While he was waived during the 53-man roster cutdown, the Colts quickly scooped him up and kept him as a depth piece for their offensive line over the first six weeks of the season; though he didn’t play a single snap.
Now, Tenuta will have an opportunity to play a supporting role for a Packers offensive line that has fallen on hard times as of late. His depth will help the Packers compensate for the loss of interior lineman Jake Hanson after the 2020 sixth-rounder suffered a biceps injury in their 27-10 loss to the Jets on Sunday. Hanson had replaced starter Royce Newman at right guard toward the end of the second quarter, but he was only able to play one series before his injury sidelined him for the rest of the afternoon.
The Packers still have one opening on their 53-man roster to fill and could create another one if veteran wide receiver Randall Cobb — who was carted off the field with an ankle injury on Sunday — is forced to spend some time on injured reserve. Green Bay has also considered adding second-round rookie receiver Christian Watson to their injured reserve list as he deals with recurring hamstring injuries.
Packers Could Move Tenuta to Guard for Depth
Prior to reaching the NFL, Tenuta was a two-year starter for Virginia Tech who took over for former first-round pick Christian Darrisaw at left tackle during his final year in 2021. The verdict is still out, though, on whether the big-bodied rookie can overcome the concerns about his strength and technique to become a serviceable NFL lineman.
Here’s what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote about Tenuta in his 2022 draft profile:
Tall tackle with predictable leverage issues, creating difficulties in both run and pass phases. Tenuta is a segmented mover who lacks desired play strength. His issues are made worse by erratic hand placement, but coaching could improve his hands, which would alleviate some of his strength concerns. He won’t shine as a drive blocker or move blocker. And his pass-protection issues are more physical in nature, making them harder to correct. He’s a potential undrafted free agent and could struggle to compete at the pro level.
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Packers Claim Massive Offensive Tackle Off Waivers From Colts