After overcoming a grueling, injury-riddled season, Zach Bako-Bewele returns with a new name and a chance to be an elite offensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers once again.
We're officially 11 days from the start of the 2026 NFL season for the Green Bay Packers. Whether you're ready or not, football season is here.
The Packers kick off their 2026 season against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Sept. 13, from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Talk about pressure. The Vikings are certainly in a transitional place as a franchise, but getting going against an NFC North foe ratchets up the intensity of this season from the get-go.
It's a big season for the Packers. There's a belief that they're in a Super Bowl window right now, which means every single game is important. That means the intensity will be there in Week 2 at MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets and it will certainly be there in Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons, when the Packers will play at Lambeau Field for the first time in 2026.
There's going to be a lot of proverbial ink spilled on this 2026 season and we here at PackersRoundtable hope that you spend as much time as possible with us talking about the ins and outs and ups and downs of the Packers.
As we prepare for the 2026 season, though, we're going to kick things off with a rankings series looking at the Top 50 Packers heading into the 2025 season.
At No. 11, we have offensive tackle Zach Bako-Bewele
Ranking the Top 50 Packers Heading Into 2026: No. 11, Zach Bako-Bewele
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect.Zach Bako-Bewele, formerly known as Zach Tom, is brimming with elite potential for the Packers heading into 2026. We saw that in 2023 and 2024, when he started 37 games, including the playoffs, for the Pack at right tackle.
In 2024, PFF gave him the sixth-highest grade (85.8) amongst all offensive tackle.
The Packers gave Bako-Bewele a four-year, $88 million contract extension in July of 2025, but unfortunately, he spent much of the 2025 season injured.
Early in the season, it was an oblique injury; mid-season, it was lingering back issues, and then Tom suffered a serious knee injury in Mid-November. It was a partially torn patellar tendon that required offseason surgery.
Bako-Bewele officially announced the change of his last name in early August to honor his Nigerian ancestry. Bako is his paternal grandmother's last name, while Bewele is his paternal grandfather's last name.
2025 Synopsis:
Bako-Bewele, then known as Zach Tom, was one of the top offensive tackles in the league when he played. Unfortunately, he played just 604 snaps. Per PFF, he earned an overall grade of 83.5, which was seventh best amongst 89 qualified offensive tackles.
He didn't give up a single sack and was flagged for a penalty just once.
Notable Quotables:
"Especially when I start having kids and stuff, I want to have a name that I can pass down where it represents where they came from, where I came from. People will see that name and have a good understanding of who I am, where I come from." - Zach Bako-Bewele
Projected Role in 2026:
The hope is that Bako-Bewele will get back to being healthy and be an every game starter for the Packers back at right tackle. Frankly, the only reason he wasn't higher in these rankings was because of the health questions. When he's good, he's really good.
Previous Rankings:
