
The Green Bay Packers are focusing on enhancing their interior offensive line depth for the 2026 NFL Draft, traditionally favoring experienced college players. Historically, they have rarely selected pure guards, with only one drafted since 2005.
Next up in the Green Bay Packers prospects series is the interior offensive line, where Green Bay could be searching to find more depth and competition in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.
Whether it is offensive tackles or the interior, the Packers have trended towards experienced college O-linemen, and it has also been extremely rare for them to draft a prospect who played exclusively at guard in college.
In fact, they have drafted only one true guard out of 34 offensive line picks since 2005, which was Simon Stepaniak in 2020, a sixth-round pick. That means their draft picks on the interior are pretty much all college centers.
Along with college experience, there are also physical factors the Packers take into account.
The average Green Bay draft pick on the interior since 2005 has been 6-3 ⅘, 307 pounds with 32 ¾” arms. The lowest marks in those measurements have been 6-2 ½ and 296 pounds (both Corey Linsley) with 32” arms (three players tied).
Hand size may also matter at center, which makes sense as they have to snap the ball. Packers interior picks have averaged 10” hands, with only two players falling below that: Linsley at 9 ⅞” and Jake Hanson, who was a big outlier at 9 ¼”.
If there is any reason to explain why they took Josh Myers over Creed Humphrey, hand size might be the only argument. Myers had 10 ⅜” hands, while Humphrey’s were only 9 ⅝”.
It is difficult to draw hard lines regarding the type of athleticism they are looking for on the interior, as five of the nine interior body types they have drafted had incomplete testing, including Myers, who they took in Round 2 (although his lack of testing was due to injury).
Seven of the nine did run the 40 though, in an average time of 5.16 seconds, which ranks in the 77th percentile. The average 10-yard split was 1.81 seconds, a 62nd percentile score. The average broad jump of the six players who participated was 9-1, an 88th percentile mark.
There may be something to the explosion testing mattering. The only testing Myers was able to do was the vertical jump, and he managed 29”, which ranks in the 77th percentile. Elgton Jenkins, their only other Day 2 pick on the interior, managed 28” and 9-1 in the broad.
Putting together the physical and on-field profiles, here are the best interior O-line fits ranked between No. 30 and 350 on the consensus big board, along with their ranking:
Slaughter is a "center only" prospect, so he may not be what the Packers are looking for with Sean Rhyan seemingly locked into that spot, but he does tick all the boxes in terms of experience, size and athleticism.
Burton stands out as a legitimate Day 3 option as a great athlete who has played all three interior spots. Nwaiwu is primarily a guard but logged starts at four of the five O-line positions in his college career. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler just mocked him to Green Bay in the fourth round.
Coogan has played both center and guard, and his arm length of 32” at his Pro Day just about passes the threshold.
Reed-Adams has played a bit of tackle as well as both guard spots, whereas Campbell, Beernsten and Braun are more in the Stepaniak mold of late-round flyers on very experienced "guard only" prospects. They all have over 2,600 snaps at guard on their resume.
The Packers hosted Gesky on a pre-draft visit. He has over 2,000 snaps at left guard and has played a little bit on the right side. More pertinently, he posted elite speed and explosion numbers, and did so at 329 pounds.
Brockermeyer is a two-year starter at center, while Rimac has played four of the five offensive line spots (everywhere but center) and posted elite athletic testing.
If the light is to be left on for a surprise "guard only" prospect early in the draft, Georgia Tech’s Keylan Rutledge would be the one to watch at No. 52 overall. He is an exceptional athlete and repped at center at the Senior Bowl, having exclusively played guard in college.
In terms of other notable players left off the list, Auburn’s Connor Lew has small hands and is a center only. He is also coming off a torn ACL. Kansas State’s Sam Hecht has sub-32” arms and also profiles as a center only. It is a similar case with Iowa’s Logan Jones, who has sub-31” arms.
With Green Bay’s 2026 starters seemingly pretty set, they are likely to be looking for versatility with any interior draft pick, who could theoretically fill multiple roles a year from now if needed.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers prospects: 11 best interior O-Line fits in 2026 NFL Draft
The Packers are looking to improve their interior offensive line depth and competition.
The Packers have drafted only one true guard, Simon Stepaniak, out of 34 offensive line picks since 2005.
The Packers tend to favor experienced college offensive linemen, particularly those who have played center.
The Packers consider both college experience and physical attributes when selecting offensive linemen.

Ludvig Åberg takes the lead at RBC Heritage with a stellar 63!
Charlie Baker discusses NCAA's new rules amid slow congressional help.
Gael Monfils bids farewell at Roland Garros in final appearance
Michigan State linebacker Darius Snow commits to Texas for 2026 season
LIV Golf's technical issues in Mexico City highlight ongoing challenges.
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.