Packers’ Pro Bowl Starter Named Among NFL’s ‘Most Underrated’

Elgton Jenkins has been one of the Green Bay Packers’ top offensive linemen since he stepped into their starting lineup early in his 2019 rookie season, but one analyst would argue he is still among the NFL’s most underrated players.

In recent league analysis, ESPN’s Aaron Schatz identified one player at every position that he considers underrated for one or multiple reasons and singled out Jenkins as the most underrated interior offensive lineman despite making two Pro Bowls in six years.

“Jenkins has made two Pro Bowls in his six-year career,” Schatz wrote Friday. “But most fans still don’t think of him as one of the NFL’s top linemen.”

The Packers have certainly recognized Jenkins’ value, signing him to a four-year, $68 million contract extension in 2022 that made him one of the highest-paid left guards. Even still, Jenkins is frequently discounted in conversations about the top interior talent, including when Pro Football Focus named him the 18th-best guard before 2024.

Schatz, however, believes Jenkins is more deserving of praise after his recent campaign.

“Last season, Jenkins led left guards in the lowest rate of pressures allowed, according to FTN data charting,” Schatz wrote. “He ranked eighth among all guards in pass block win rate (92.4%), but he also brings versatility to Green Bay’s offensive line. He has played at both tackle spots and is now penciled in as the starting center for 2025.”

Will Elgton Jenkins’ High-Level Play Carry Over to Center?

The Packers have taken advantage of Jenkins’ versatility several times throughout his first six seasons in the NFL. While he has primarily played at left guard for them, he has also started multiple games at both right tackle, left tackle and center in previous years, each time bringing his usual brand of high-level protection to his assigned position.

Playing a good game during a spot start is much different than moving to a new position and holding it down for an entire season, though. Which begs the question: Can Jenkins maintain his Pro Bowl-caliber play in 2025 when he makes a full-time switch to center?

Encouragingly, Jenkins has more experience at center than most fans might realize. He started three games and played 297 total snaps at center for the Packers in 2020, but he also played the position in college at Mississippi State, making the majority of his starts at center (26) and developing strong fundamentals as a snapper before hitting the NFL.

While Jenkins might need some time in the offseason to practice snapping and relearn his responsibilities at center, his background should make the process much easier than if the Packers had tried to fill their center vacancy with a first-time convert from guard.

Packers Must Resolve Elgton Jenkins’ Contract Dispute

Before the Packers fully adjust to life with Jenkins as their starting center, though, they must first resolve his ongoing contract dispute with the team about his position change.

According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Jenkins has skipped offseason workouts thus far in 2025 because “sources say the two-time Pro Bowl left guard would like the Green Bay Packers to make it more financially stable for him to do so.” He has two years left on his $68 million deal, but he is out of guarantees and is concerned about future earnings.

The Packers can remedy the situation relatively easily if they are willing to adjust Jenkins’ contract to accommodate his concerns, but they may feel hesitant about committing more money to an offensive lineman who will turn 30 in December.

For now, the Packers are still in the voluntary portion of their offseason program and are not at the point where Jenkins is holding out, but OTAs begin this week with their three-day mandatory veteran minicamp set to follow in June. Jenkins has also already missed enough practice time to become ineligible for his $500,000 workout bonus.

A contract adjustment could make the forefeited bonus irrelevant, but that depends on how far Jenkins is willing to go (i.e., holding out from mandatory activities) to secure his future earnings before he steps foot on the field again for the Packers.