GREEN BAY – As the Packers’ locker room opened Sunday evening, the inflowing media quickly encircled Josh Jacobs following Green Bay’s dominant 38-10 win over San Francisco.
The All-Pro running back was the belle of the ball after a 106-yard, three-touchdown day that made Jacobs the first player to rush for more than 100 yards in a regular-season game against the 49ers since 2021.
Jacobs had an obvious hand in that achievement, with NFL Next Gen Stats charting him for 15 forced missed tackles. But before breaking down his performance, the 26-year-old running back made sure to pay homage to the men blocking in front of him.
“Man, the O-line, I give them all the credit,” Jacobs said. “I tell ’em all the time, they make my job easy.”
The Packers’ offensive line has been the silent partner in the team’s success this year, as Green Bay’s quarterbacks have been sacked just 15 times (second fewest in the NFL) while the run offense ranks third in the league (151.6 yards per game).
It’s an entirely homegrown bunch, which has become a bit of a rarity in the NFL. Through 12 weeks, Green Bay is the only team that’s started five of its own draft picks on the O-line in every game this season.
A testament to the team’s ability to draft and develop prospects up front, the Packers also are the only team listing three offensive linemen from the same draft class as starters: left tackle Rasheed Walker, right tackle Zach Tom and right guard Sean Rhyan, all of whom were selected during the final two days of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Having started the same five offensive line in 10 of 11 games this season, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich was asked on Tuesday where that cohesion and chemistry shows up.
“In the run game, things like that where guys can just play next to each other,” Stenavich replied. “I think just having those guys get reps next to each other, the communication, just all being on the same page, is something that people take for granted for sure.”
Two-time Pro Bowl left guard Elgton Jenkins and fourth-year center Josh Myers have been staples for years now, but Rhyan, Walker and Tom have solidified the offensive line over the past 12 months.
Each lineman has taken a different route to the field, with Tom being the first to crack the lineup as a rookie fourth-round pick before winning the starting right tackle job last year.
Both Walker and…
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