Packers rookie review: OL Zach Tom

The Green Bay Packers made 11 picks during the 2022 NFL draft: six offensive players and five defensive players.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be going through and reviewing the 2022 season for all of the Packers’ rookies. Next up: versatile offensive lineman Zach Tom, who was the 140th overall pick by the Packers and their second fourth-round selection.

Snap counts

Zach Tom didn’t begin the 2022 season as a starter for the Packers but ended up being a key contributor as he played multiple positions, providing stability to the offensive line. In total, Tom was on the field for 489 snaps, with 295 coming at left tackle, 96 at left guard, 14 at right guard, and 84 at right tackle. The one position he didn’t play was at center, but he is capable, having taken 1,156 snaps in college at that position.

During training camp, Tom told reporters that one of his strengths is being prepared for anything and that he wants to be able to play all five positions on the offensive line.

Season stats

Tom finished the year allowing just one sack and 12 pressures, according to PFF. On true pass sets, Tom ranked sixth out of 35 eligible offensive linemen from the 2022 draft class in pass-blocking efficiency. Out of his 489 total snaps, Tom wasn’t flagged once for a penalty.

PFF grade

As an offensive tackle – where the bulk of his snaps came – Tom ranked 41st out of 87 eligible players in overall grade. By PFF’s grading system, he was a much more effective pass-blocker than a run-blocker and ranked 19th among tackles in that category. As a run-blocker, he ranked 64th. Among his rookie class, Tom was the sixth-highest-graded offensive tackle overall and the best in pass protection.

Best game

When it comes to Tom’s best game, I think you could consider any of the three games that he filled in for David Bakhtiari at left tackle while he was out after having an appendectomy. But to choose one, I’ll go with the game against Chicago. In that contest, Tom didn’t allow any sacks and gave up just one quarterback hurry while ranking 18th out of 49 tackles in pass-blocking grade that week. On the ground, AJ Dillon ran Tom’s direction 10 times and totaled 61 yards – or 6.1 yards per carry – with two rushes of 10 or more yards, along with a touchdown.

Season recap, future outlook

Even on short notice, wherever the Packers decided to play Tom, he was ready and provided some much-needed stability. His progression throughout the course of the season was noticeable, and perhaps that was most noticeable in how the Green Bay offense operated. In Week 7, when Tom made his first start against Washington, the help protect him as well as the rest of the offensive line against a very good Commanders front, the Packers relied heavily on the quick passing game to get the ball out of Aaron Rodgers’ hands. Green Bay also seemed reluctant to run the ball in that game as well. However, by the last few weeks of the season, the offense was operating much closer to its normal capacity, illustrating the confidence that Matt LaFleur and Rodgers had in Tom.

LaFleur often talks about putting the best five offensive linemen on the field, and Tom is certainly one of them heading into 2023. Now the question is, where will he play? At least initially, right tackle makes the most sense – assuming Bakhtiari is back – but Josh Myers had an up-and-down second season at center, so perhaps the Packers let Tom compete for playing time there over the summer. Regardless of where he lines up, Tom should be on the field.

Season grade

Tom was one of the more valuable members of this Packers offense in 2022. While Green Bay’s offensive turnaround was tied to Christian Watson’s emergence – and that certainly played a big role – the play of the offensive line from Week 10 and beyond was the catalyst to their newfound ability to put up points, with Rodgers often having the time he needed in the pocket, along with the run game finding quite a bit of success. Tom, of course, was a key contributor during that run, filling in at left tackle for three games and then at right tackle in the final two weeks.

Grade: B+

Story originally appeared on Packers Wire