The Green Bay Packers snag versatile offensive lineman Jager Burton. His positional flexibility across guard and center offers key depth for the Packers.
Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has clearly been on a mission to fill the greatest needs on his team as they look ahead to the 2026 NFL season.
The Packers believe they're in a Super Bowl window, so could a bunch of rookies make a difference? That's a big ask in the NFL, but at the very least, the front office seems hell-bent on making sure that weaknesses are being addressed.
The Packers did it again in Round 5. Offensive line, and specifically the interior of the offensive line, was a big need heading into this draft.
Gutekunst and his team decided to fill that need with Kentucky Wildcats center Jager Burton with pick No. 153 in the draft.
Burton checks in at 6-foot-4, 312 pounds, so he has plenty of the size the Packers are looking for on the front line.
It's not just size that Burton brings to the table for the Packers, though.
If you know anything about how they like to operate as an organization, versatility is almost the most important thing when they're evaluating offensive linemen.
To that point, Burton started at center in all 12 of Kentucky's games in 2025, but he also played right and left guard during his college career. In 47 career games at Kentucky, he played 23 at left guard, 15 at center and nine at right guard.
He was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, so Burton was destined to be a Wildcat. Alongside making the freshman All-SEC team in 2022, he was a three-time SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll member at Kentucky.
He clearly has the smarts to play center, where in-the-moment calls and adjustments are key.
For Green Bay's purposes, he's more of an interior offensive lineman prospect than he is a center prospect. Though it's worth noting that with Burton aboard, the Packers could move Sean Rhyan back to guard (his natural position) if they choose.
That flexibility is key, though. Burton could absolutely play either guard position or center for the Packers in the future. One would imagine he'll start out his career in Green Bay as a backup who is able to come in anywhere across the interior of the offensive line when called upon.
"Burton needs to continue developing his sustain skills and the mental aspects of the position, but he is a quick-win blocker with position flexibility across the interior," wrote Dane Brugler in The Beast. "He offers intriguing value for zone-based schemes on Day 3."
This pick probably wouldn't make a ton of sense in Round 2 or Round 3, but it's hard to criticize in Round 5. We're entering flyer territory, and Burton has the high upside and positional versatility that the Packers love.
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