Jordan Morgan's progress will determine the next evolution of the Packers offense

Brian Gutekunst drafted Jordan Morgan over offensive tackles and interior offensive linemen with more hype. Where does Morgan play in Green Bay? How good is he?

The Green Bay Packers aren’t sure what to do with Jordan Morgan, and they’re not alone. During the pre-draft process, draft media pundits disagreed on the best place for Morgan to play: Is he a guard? Is he a tackle? Could he learn to snap and play center? One guarantee was that he was the quintessential Packers type at offensive line: a collegiate tackle with elite measurables and the body type to play anywhere. And sure enough, not only did Brian Gutekunst select him in the first round, the Green Bay GM insisted Morgan could play any position but center.

In spring practices and training camp as a rookie, he did, before injuries robbed him of time in camp, then games, and finally the season. His future with the Packers, whether at tackle or guard, represents an evolution into a new style of offense, and Morgan’s success or failure could well determine the outcome of that transformation.

Where he plays will be the first step. Back in February, Gutekunst insisted Morgan would compete to play left tackle with Rasheed Walker. As a rookie, he platooned with Sean Rhyan at right guard, a position change from his time at the University of Arizona, where he was an excellent tackle.

“His body looks different,” Matt LaFleur said this week.

“It'll be interesting to let it naturally and organically play itself out over the course of camp. He's going to have to cross-train at guard and tackle and see where it all lands."

Morgan’s injury-shortened season ended at 215 offensive snaps with just one game in which the former Arizona standout played more than 37 snaps. That one game came in the rain against the Detroit Lions at home, out of position; Morgan filled in for Elgton Jenkins with Jenkins moving to center for that rainy embarrassment in which the entire Green Bay receiving core forgot how to catch.

Pro Football Focus graded Morgan as the 78th guard in the NFL as a rookie out of 136 qualifiers. A rookie playing at a slightly below-average level isn’t surprising.

Going back to watch all 215 snaps, one thing jumps off the screen from the very beginning: Morgan brings a physicality and a nastiness that embodies a trend the last 15 months carried forward. Aaron Banks and Anthony Belton represent the moves of a team that wants to use more power run concepts, and in order to do that, LaFleur will require powerful, nasty blockers to open up lanes for Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd and Co., while maintaining enough dexterity to keep Jordan Love upright in pass protection.