Green Bay’s offensive line spent the offseason answering one question: could Jordan Morgan hold down left tackle full-time? Through one preseason game, the early returns on the tape say yes — at least in pass protection.
The Packers dropped their preseason opener 28-9 to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night at Acrisure Stadium, and Yahoo Sports noted Morgan “played well in pass protection, showing a strong base and strong legs while limiting pressures,” even as the same report flagged run blocking as an area where he still needs work. That split matches what shows up on film.
Morgan, the Packers’ first-round pick in 2024, spent most of his first two seasons bouncing between right guard and right tackle out of necessity rather than fit. He’s a natural left tackle by trade — that was his spot at Arizona — and last season’s stretch at the position, both in preseason and in Green Bay’s Week 18 game against Minnesota, hinted at what a full-time move could look like. Thursday’s opener continued that trend.
What the Tape Shows
According to a breakdown from Acme Packing Company, Morgan’s snaps against Pittsburgh were largely unremarkable in the best possible sense for an offensive lineman — clean combo blocks with his guards, sealed assignments on multiple run plays, and no pressures allowed in obvious passing situations. The outlet did flag one blown assignment on what looked like an outside zone toss, where Morgan appeared to work the wrong linebacker and center Sean Rhyan had to cover for him — though without an end-zone angle on the broadcast, the exact leverage and read on that play are hard to nail down definitively.
One moment did stand out enough to circulate on social media. Analyst rcon14 posted a clip of Morgan and the Packers’ run scheme catching a defensive back in an unfavorable spot in the box:
rcon14 posted on X: “This poor DB didn’t want to be in the run fit”
This poor DB didn't want to be in the run fit pic.twitter.com/4vuryI3kGg
— rcon14 (@rcon14) August 14, 2026
The same account also posted film of the missed zone assignment, noting the lack of a clear camera angle made it tough to fully diagnose:
rcon14 posted on X: “Wish they had an endzone view of this play so I could see the leverage of the LB better. Someone blocked the wrong dude.
Wish they had an endzone view of this play so I could see the leverage of the LB better. Someone blocked the wrong dude. pic.twitter.com/46ohopceJf
— rcon14 (@rcon14) August 14, 2026
The Pass-Protection Number Worth Watching — With a Caveat
Acme Packing Company’s own count puts Morgan at one pressure allowed across 107 left tackle snaps spanning last preseason, the Week 18 Vikings game, and Thursday’s opener — a number the outlet arrived at independently of PFF’s official grading, which the site says still lists Morgan with two pressures allowed, including one tied to what it describes as an aborted play. That specific tally is a single analyst’s film count, not a league or PFF-published figure, and it hasn’t been independently verified beyond that one outlet. Treat it as informed opinion rather than confirmed stat.
What is better supported: Morgan enters 2026 on PFF’s list of make-or-break players leaguewide, carrying a 62.0 overall grade and a 68.8 pass-blocking grade from 2025 — numbers PFF analyst Bradley Locker has pointed to as evidence of a player still developing but trending in the right direction.
| Metric | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pass pro “strong,” limited pressures vs. PIT | Yahoo Sports / A to Z Sports | Reported, independently corroborated |
| Run blocking remains a weak spot | Yahoo Sports / A to Z Sports | Reported, independently corroborated |
| 1 pressure allowed on 107 snaps | Acme Packing Company | Single-source analyst count, unconfirmed |
| 2025 PFF pass-blocking grade: 68.8 | Yardbarker / Yahoo (A to Z Sports) | Reported, independently corroborated |
Why It Matters
Green Bay let Rasheed Walker leave in free agency this offseason rather than bring him back at left tackle, a position where SI’s Packers coverage noted Walker struggled enough that he ultimately signed a below-market deal elsewhere. That decision put the job in Morgan’s hands with thin depth behind him — Darian Kinnard is the primary fallback, and any shuffling would likely mean sliding Zach Tom over from the right side, which head coach Matt LaFleur has already had to account for given other line injuries.
Pass protection is the swing skill here. Morgan’s run blocking was inconsistent in the opener and remains the bigger question mark, but a left tackle who reliably protects Jordan Love’s blind side solves the more urgent problem. If Morgan settles in as a plus pass protector while trending toward average in the run game, Green Bay’s offensive line projects as a real strength rather than a liability heading into the regular season.
