The Green Bay Packers are just a few days from the opening of the 2022 NFL season. Most analysts consider the Packers a bona fide Super Bowl contender entering the start of the new campaign.

On paper, the Packers defense should be better than it has been in years while the offense has adjustments to make after the departure of All Pro receiver Davante Adams and offensive linemen Billy Turner and Lucas Patrick.

In fact, it’s the Green Bay offensive line that likely holds the key to the offense’s success, especially early in the season when the adjustment to the team’s new receiving corps will be at its most acute.

Here we are mere days before the season opener and we still don’t know who will line up along the offensive line when Game 1 gets started late Sunday afternoon in Minnesota. Right now, the depth chart released by the Packers shows the following starters along the offensive line:

Left Tackle: David Bakhtiari

Left Guard: Jon Runyan, Jr.

Center: Josh Myers

Right Guard: Royce Newman

Right Tackle: Elgton Jenkins

Of course, part of the issue is the health of the two starting tackles. Both Bakhtiari and Jenkins started training camp on the PUP list and both missed nearly all of camp. The two veteran tackles were also both activated off the PUP list late and their status for the season opener remains in question.

So, what will Matt LaFleur and his coaching staff decide to do if one or more of the team’s starting tackles are not ready to play on Sunday? Afterall, the Vikings have two excellent pass rushers in Danielle Hunter and former Packer Za’Darius Smith. Protecting quarterback Aaron Rodgers and opening holes for running backs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon are vital to the success of the offense.

First, if one of the two starting tackles isn’t ready to play, the Packers can probably manage that without too much concern. Jenkins was ahead of Bakhtiari initially so let’s say Jenkins is ready to play but Bakhtiari is inactive. It is likely then that the Packers simply insert backup left tackle Yosh Nijman in at left tackle and Jenkins plays right tackle.

Nijman started eight games for the Packers at left tackle last season which were the first eight starts of his NFL career. The big Virginia Tech alum got some help with edge rushers in his first few starts as Matt LaFleur had tight ends and running backs help chip the pass rushers on Nijman’s side but as time wore on, LaFleur gained confidence in Nijman and he did a very respectable job.

Unfortunately, the coaching staff did not start Nijman in the playoff loss to the 49ers and that decision proved costly.

If Jenkins cannot play but Bakhtiari can, the likely scenario is that either Nijman fills in at right tackle or that Newman moves to right tackle with Jake Hanson or Zach Tom likely moving to right guard.

The big problem would be if neither Bakhtiari nor Jenkins are available to face the Vikings. The Packers would almost certainly go with Nijman at left tackle but then either Newman or Tom would probably be the right tackle with the Hanson, Newman or Tom taking over at right guard.

This would almost certainly give the Vikings defense a big advantage. Minnesota could try to line up both Hunter and Za’Darius Smith on the same side to challenge the Packers inexperienced tackles. It could also give them the option of overloading one side of the line with blitzers on any given play and challenge the inexperienced offensive linemen too try to guess who was coming and from where.

LaFleur and Rodgers would have to move to more of a short passing game with three step drops, quick releases and basic pass patterns. It’s something the Packers had to do before but the lack of experience Rodgers has with his receivers may make that more difficult this week.

The backup linemen’s ability to block for the running game is likely less problematic for the offense. This may make the Packers more reliant on the run game than they usually would be.

Like any team, the offensive line is a vital part of the team’s success. But that may be even more true of the Packers especially early in the 2022 season.