Center of Attention: Tom Ranks Among Best Right Tackles

Pro Football Focus’ list of the top 32 offensive tackles in the NFL includes Zach Tom. He’s so good at right tackle, why even consider moving him to center?

Packers RT Zach Tom is one of the best in the business. / Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers standout Zach Tom is the fifth-best right tackle in the NFL, according to ProFootballFocus.com’s list of the top 32 offensive tackles.

Which begs the question of why the Packers would ever consider moving him to center, even if only for a fleeting moment.

A couple weeks before this year’s draft, ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky told ESPN Wisconsin’s Wilde & Tausch that a Packers source considers Tom a “Pro Bowl right tackle” but a “potential Hall of Fame center.” With that lofty projection, is it possible the Packers, in the quest to field their “best five” linemen, would shift Tom to center to replace Josh Myers?

Right tackle has become as much a premium position as left tackle. In terms of total pressures, the top four last season – the Cowboys’ Micah Parsons, the Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson, the 49ers’ Nick Bosa and the Raiders’ Maxx Crosby – rushed from the defense’s left side (or against the right tackle) at least two-thirds of the time. Extending the list, six of the top 11 in pressures rushed from the left side at least 62 percent of the time and seven of the top 11 rushed from the left side at least 45 percent of the time.

Center is an important position, too, but it’s not even remotely like right tackle. That’s not even up for debate. Money talks – or screams, in this case.

According to OverTheCap.com, 11 right tackles are making at least $15 million per year. How many centers are at that threshold? Zero.

Whether it was pass protection or run blocking, Tom was superb last season. After playing as the utilityman as a rookie fourth-round pick in 2022, Tom won the right tackle job with ease last year. He allowed two sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. In five total games against the aforementioned list of Parsons, Hutchinson, Bosa and Crosby, Tom allowed zero sacks.

“However many sacks I gave up is too many,” Tom said last week while addressing the torn pectoral that could sideline him for the start of training camp. “This was really my first year starting and I was able to go up against some of those premier guys. Learned a lot. Now, this year, come back even better. I’ve got big goals in mind for this year.”

Of 61 offensive tackles to play at least 340 pass-protecting snaps (20 per game), Tom ranked 13th in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per passing play. He was sixth among the right tackles. Tom allowed 33 pressures; 10 came while playing through a knee injury against the Lions’ Hutchinson and the Raiders’ Crosby.

“He did a great job,” coach Matt LaFleur said last week. “He provides so much flexibility because he’s played multiple positions, so that really affords you the best opportunity to get the best five out there, wherever it may fall. So, we know what he can do obviously at right tackle. We’ve got a large sample size and we feel really good about that. It’ll sort itself out eventually down the road.”

Tom is not participating in OTAs because of the injury. He was on the field for a walk-through at the start of practice, though; he was at right tackle and Myers was the center.

Tom’s absence comes with at least a bit of a silver lining in that it’s allowing the team to see what rookie first-round pick Jordan Morgan and former first-round pick Andre Dillard can do against the No. 1 defense. They played the first-team reps at OTAs last week.

“Hey, glass half full,” LaFleur said with a smile. “Obviously, Zach’s got a large sample size, and that provides more opportunity for some of these guys that we’re not as familiar with to get out there and show what they can do.”

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A couple #Packers standouts, Zach Tom and Tucker Kraft, have big goals this season. But first, they'll have to bounce back from their torn pectorals. ⬇️https://t.co/Z78nryxhMK

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) May 22, 2024

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