Pro Football Rumors
After trading for Micah Parsons last year, the Packers didn’t have a first-round pick in April. The team is still expecting some strong contributions from its rookie class, though, and it may have found a surprise in fifth-rounder Jager Burton, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.
A four-year starter at Kentucky, Burton was announced as a center at the draft, but his experience in college was that of the a Swiss Army knife on the interior offensive line. After serving as a starting left guard for the Wildcats as a redshirt freshman, Burton opened the season as at center the following year before shifting to right guard after three games. He moved back to left guard in 2024 before finishing as the team’s starting center last year.
The Packers had to be flexible last year when center Elgton Jenkins went down with injury. The team plugged in former starting guard Sean Rhyan who seems likely to open the season as the starting center again this year. Starting guards Aaron Banks and Jordan Morgan return for 2026, but neither occupied their starting spot during minicamp. Banks was working with the rehab group in the spring, and Morgan kicked out to right tackle to cover for Zach Tom, who was also with the rehab group.
In the meantime, Burton has been getting ample run at both guard positions and has been impressing so far. “I see a really young guy that’s extremely coachable, athletic, and is maximizing the most of his opportunities,” head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters. “So, I think every practice he gets a little bit more comfortable, a little bit better, and I can see him, he’s definitely going to be in the mix to compete for playing time this year.”
The Packers seem to have found a valuable swing piece along the interior offensive line. They’ll hope they won’t need to rely on him too much as a rookie, as the offensive line gets healthier and allows Banks and Morgan to return to their usual spots. Still, Burton may have secured himself as the top interior offensive lineman off the bench in Green Bay.
