Packers beef up O-line with former first-round tackle

Bakhtiari’s latest effort to return from the lingering knee trouble – brought on by the ACL tear sustained during a December 2020 practice – lasted all of one game. The Packers cut Bakhtiari shortly after the legal tampering period began. The Packers are taking on $18.1M in dead money via the release, which was not a post-June 1 cut; all the Bakhtiari dead cap will hit Green Bay’s payroll in 2024. Dillard, 28, represents a potential starting option, though his career to this point may make a swing role more appropriate.

Known for aiming to move ahead of the curve on their offensive line, the Eagles traded up for Dillard in 2019. But the team’s hopes of having the Washington State alum become Jason Peters‘ heir apparent did not come to fruition. In a lower-profile case that reminds of the 49ers’ Trey Lance–Brock Purdy development, the Eagles found their Peters successor in 2018 seventh-rounder Jordan Mailata. The latter took over, while Dillard became the swingman. Teams inquired about Dillard at multiple trade deadlines, and while he fared well at points replacing Mailata on the left side, the Titans season brought another setback for the former No. 22 overall pick.

The Titans gave Dillard a three-year, $29M deal to replace Taylor Lewan, but the team wound up benching the free agency pickup midway through the season. Another Titans injury-plagued season involved a number of O-line setbacks and the team’s plan to slide Nicholas Petit-Frere to the left side preceded an immediate injury. Dillard received another chance but saw rookie Jaelyn Duncan play in front of him as well. Pro Football Focus ranked Dillard 71st among tackles in 2023.

The Chiefs are set to return four members of a quality offensive line. While Jawaan Taylor went through a rocky first season, Kansas City still rosters an elite interior trio (Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith). But the team has not re-signed Donovan Smith, who joined the team as a post-draft stopgap last year. The two-time reigning Super Bowl champs likely will add a left tackle – through free agency or the draft – but Dillard will end up in Green Bay.

As for the Packers, they turned to former seventh-round pick Rasheed Walker as their primary blind-sider in 2023. Bakhtiari suited up for 11 games in 2022 but was done after one last year. With Elgton Jenkins entrenched at guard (after being Bakhtiari’s replacement in 2021), the Pack received interesting work from Walker despite his late-round pedigree. PFF rated Walker just outside the top 40 at tackle and viewed the 2022 draftee as a top-25 pass blocker at the position.

A competition between Walker and Dillard could commence, which would almost definitely – given the latter’s value at present – bring a low-cost matchup. If nothing else, Dillard provides some insurance for a team that saw its LT plan change thanks to Bakhtiari’s run of surgeries.