There is a great deal of talk of how the Green Bay Packers drafted and developed quarterback Jordan Love while they still had Aaron Rodgers, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer. Of course, Green Bay’s three decade-long history of superior quarterback play is something that other NFL teams are trying to emulate.
However, not enough is said about how seamless the transition has been at left tackle. When the Packers drafted Rasheed Walker in seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, few predicted that he would take over at left tackle for the legendary David Bakhtiari. But that is exactly what has happened.
Walker played just one NFL game as a rookie, but when Bakhtiari went down with a season-ending knee injury after Week One of the 2023 NFL season, Green Bay entrusted Walker to protect Love’s blindside in his own first year as a Packers starter.
And it has worked out really well.
Green Bay Packers Left Tackle Rasheed Walker Is Making a Name for Himself
After Bakhtiari was lost for the season, Walker took over as the Packers’ starting left tackle, though he did split snaps with former swing tackle Yosh Nijman as the two competed for the job going forward.
Walker, though, emerged as the better tackle. He started 15 games in 2023 while playing in all 17. What is more, he has become one of the better pass protectors in the NFL.
As one can see in the video in the X post above, Walker is sometimes able to beat his man on the offensive line with a single swing of his arm.
According to PFF, Walker has allowed just two sacks all year and has an 81.4 pass blocking grade, which is the 17th best out of 133 per their system.
Not bad for a former seventh round pick!
Former Green Bay Packers Star David Bakhtiari Indicates His Career Might Be Over
As fans may recall, the Packers decided to release Bakhtiari after the 2023 season. It ended what was a legendary run in Green Bay by one of the best offensive linemen the franchise has ever seen, which is saying something considering all of the Hall of Fame linemen they have had throughout their history.
Unfortunately, Bakhtiari suffered a torn ACL during practice on New Years Eve in 2020. While he had surgery to repair his knee, he required more procedures to drain fluid, which extended his recovery time.
Over his last three seasons with the Packers, Bakhtiari appeared in just 13 games. While he has stated that he is ready, willing, and able to play for a contender in 2024, his most recent social media post suggests things may have changed:
As one can see, Bakhtiari was responding to a post saying that Hollywood action star Keanu Reeves would like to make a John Wick 5 movie, but that his knees are preventing him from doing so.
“Relatable quote,” the former Packers All-Pro responded.
It sounds as if his knees, too, are keeping him from returning to a role he loved to play.
