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Who’s the best right guard so far in the 21st century?
Our journey through the interior of the Packers’ offensive line continues with a stop at right guard, where at least a couple of the all-quarter century team will look awfully familiar from the left guard list. Who makes the cut as the best right guard of the 21st century (so far), though? That’s for you to decide.
3x Pro Bowl; 1x All-Pro second team
80 games played; 80 starts
Rivera’s claim to the Packers’ right guard throne is as straightforward as they come. In five seasons with the Packers during the 2000s, Rivera played in and started every single one of the Packers’ games, earning three Pro Bowl berths and a second-team All-Pro nod. He was steady, reliable, and excellent, paving the way for Ahman Green’s record-setting 2003 season and a host of other stellar performances during his time in Green Bay. There were no position changes for Rivera, and no shuffling in and out of the lineup. From the time he was named a starter, he showed up every week and played solid, solid football.
65 games played, 45 starts
A third-round pick out of Louisville in 2006, Spitz began his career as a regular in the Packers’ lineup, starting 44 games over his first three seasons. But an injury in his fourth year relegated him to backup status from then on out, though he’d be a key part of the Packers’ offensive line depth in the 2010 Super Bowl campaign; he still appeared in every single game on special teams and as a reserve lineman.
3x Pro Bowl, 3x second-team All-Pro (overall); 1x Pro Bowl (at RG)
121 games played, 112 starts (overall); 73 games played, 65 started (at RG)
Though he didn’t achieve as much recognition as he did on the left side, Josh Sitton was an excellent right guard before his eventual switch to the left. He actually played quite a few more games on the right side but only earned one Pro Bowl selection despite other metrics indicating he was at least as good on the right as he was on the left.
1x Pro Bowl (as RG)
119 games played, 94 starts (overall); 60 games played, 60 starts (at RG)
Like Sitton, Lang achieved more notoriety after switching from one guard spot to the other. After an itinerant first few years in the NFL, Lang’s career trajectory landed him at guard, where he thrived. In 2013, he moved from left guard to right guard and entered the most lauded period of his career, though his absolute best football may have been behind him. Wear and tear began to catch up with him by 2016, though he’d earn his lone Pro Bowl bid that season before heading off for Detroit, where he’d collect a big payday to appear in just 19 games over two...
