Injuries may force the Green Bay Packers to get creative with their offensive line.
To think the Green Bay Packers are considering using a tight end at right tackle only two games into the year shows you exactly the state of this team's offensive line.
Fresh off the news of Zach Bako-Bewele being ruled out for the rest of the season, it's clear an already depleted offensive line has gone from bad to worse.
Reports surfaced after the Packers 20-17 overtime victory over the New York Jets that head coach Matt LaFleur considered playing Tucker Kraft at right tackle
In no world is that an ideal situation, but should it have transpired, the Packers undoubtedly would've done their best to make it work.
Ahead of a Week 3 showdown against the Atlanta Falcons, Sean Rhyan spoke with USA TODAY's Ryan Wood about that possibility.
Rhyan discusses Kraft joining him in the trenches
Rhyan said taking reps up front at right tackle is "quite a bit" different than what Kraft is used to doing as a tight end.
"If that happened, I don't think we'd leave him on an island," he added. "I'm not saying he's a bad player, but maybe not a great offensive lineman."
When looking at Rhyan, a 6-foot-5, 321-pound offensive guard, there's just a bit of a difference compared to Kraft who stands 6-foot-5, 259-pounds.
They may be the same height, but in no world is Kraft equip to go up against some of these defensive lineman.
Even more importantly, it's imperative to remember the 25-year-old is coming off a major injury that forced him to miss nine games last season. After playing 17 games in his first two seasons, Kraft only appeared in eight games during the 2025 campaign.
Obviously, he's appeared in both games this season, but he only has five receptions in his first two games back. For someone who just signed a lucrative four-year, $75 million deal, the Packers need Kraft to be healthy long-term, and they simply can't risk putting him on the offensive line, no matter how prepared Rhyan and Co. would be to back him up.
Rhyan is in the midst of his fifth season with the Packers. Green Bay selected him No. 92 overall back in 2022, and he's set to become a major focal point of Jordan Love's protection up front now that Bako-Bewele is out for the year.
Love will look to lead the Packers to their first winning record of the season in their home opener against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, Sept. 24.
