Packers select OT Rasheed Walker with 249th pick of 2022 NFL Draft

With the 249th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Packers selected offensive tackle Rasheed Walker out of Penn State. Walker has prototypical tackle size at 6’5’’ 315 pounds, but has some glaring red flags in his game. Walker struggled mightily with stunts and inside moves, particularly this past season, which was ended prematurely due to a meniscus tear.

There are also some maturity questions with Walker, as he had a pair of misdemeanor charges that stemmed from stealing a bicycle on the Penn State campus. Apparently the reason he stole the bike is that “he didn’t feel like walking.” There’s also this, which is frankly hilarious:

Like many Packers selections on the offensive line, Walker was a multi-year starter at left tackle, starting 32 consecutive games for the Nittany Lions covering the blindside. While he had very few snaps at other positions across the past few years, he did play 29 snaps at right tackle in 2019.

Walker struggled in pass protection this past season, only earning a 51.2 pass blocking grade in true pass sets (non-RPO/play-action). His run blocking was not good per se, but was the stronger part of his performance.

Because of the meniscus injury, Walker did not partake in any of the athletic testing drills this off-season, so we do not have any athletic data to work with here. It is worth noting that despite his struggles in 2021, he did grade out better in both 2019 and 2020. Largely because of this, both PFF and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had him projected to go in the fourth round, so there may be something here. It would appear that Walker and current Packer Cole Van Lanen will compete for the last open roster spot on the offensive line, while the other may be destined for the practice squad.