Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur pointed to the comfort in starting an experienced player as the main reason for picking Lane Taylor as the starter at left guard over rookie Elgton Jenkins.
Taylor, who is entering his seventh NFL season, will start between left tackle David Bakhtiari and center Corey Linsley in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears.
“I just think it’s the comfort factor,” LaFleur said after Thursday night’s preseason finale. “You’ve got an experienced player (in Taylor). I think Elgton’s got a lot to learn, but there’s a lot to like about him. I think he has a bright future.”
Taylor has started for the Packers offensive line every year since 2016. He has 76 games of experience in the NFL, including 47 starts, which gave him the edge over Jenkins, the Packers’ second-round pick.
Neither Taylor nor Jenkins played in Thursday night’s finale. Jenkins saw action in two preseason games and didn’t allow a single pressure over 45 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
Taylor, who had offseason surgery on his ankle before the 2018 season and struggled for much of the year, responded to the challenge of the rookie and won the job.
LaFleur did say that the competition will continue throughout the year, meaning Taylor will have to earn starts over Jenkins every single week.
It’s possible the Packers just don’t want to go into Chicago in Week 1 with a rookie starting along the offensive line. In Taylor, the Packers have a player who has started against the Bears twice a year for the last three years.
Jenkins is the future at one spot along the offensive line, but he’ll start his rookie season as a backup.
