Enter fourth-round rookie David Bakhtiari from Colorado, who was lining up behind Bulaga on the left side in training camp. The Packers also decided to move right guard Josh Sitton, their best overall offensive lineman, to the left side to help protect Rodgers’ blind side, and Bakhtiari could very well be the beneficiary of that move.
So far in practices, Bakhtiari has impressed Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy with his quick feet and aggressive temperament. “He’s got a ways to go, but he’s got a chance,” is how Rodgers recently put it, and that’s very astute. While there are things to be ironed out in his overall game – especially when it comes to pass protection – there’s no question that Bakhtiari comes to ring people up.
“The first day I did go against him and he rolled me back about 6 yards,” defensive end Mike Daniels told Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel about Bakhtiari’s drive-blocking. “He’s a long guy. Strong kid. You can tell he’s been well-coached. He reminds me of Sitton. He’s got that real nice, cool personality, but when he gets on the field he turns into a psychopath.”
As Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup recently told me, Bakhtiari plays shorter than he is – he’s 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds, but he comes off the ball like a 6-foot-2 guy, because he tends to bend at the waist at times. However, I would also say that he plays heavier than he is – because he has an excellent understanding of leverage, he’s able to move people in ways you’d expect of a man 25 pounds heavier.
So, what are the Packers getting as their starting left tackle out of necessity? Let’s go to the tape...