The Green Bay Packers are facing a pivotal offseason decision at center, and the picture is anything but clear. Elgton Jenkins, who opened the 2025 season as the starter, is coming off a season-ending ankle injury and is approaching 30.
That’s a tough combination in a league that prizes durability and cap flexibility - and Jenkins could free up over $19 million in cap space if released. Meanwhile, Sean Rhyan filled in after Jenkins went down and is set to hit free agency next month.
Now, the Packers could bring Rhyan back. According to Spotrac, he’s projected to command around $6.6 million per year - a manageable number for a starting-caliber interior lineman. But with few high-upside options available in free agency beyond Tyler Linderbaum, Green Bay may be better off looking to the draft for a longer-term solution.
Enter Iowa’s Logan Jones - a name that should absolutely be on the Packers’ radar.
Jones isn’t just another college prospect with a solid résumé. He’s one of the most efficient pass-blockers in this year’s center class, tying with Florida’s Jake Slaughter for the best pass-block efficiency rate (99.4%) in the country.
Over 2,800 blocking snaps at Iowa, Jones built a reputation for consistency, toughness, and high football IQ. In 2025 alone, he allowed just three pressures - only two of them hurries - on 336 pass-blocking snaps.
That kind of clean tape is hard to ignore.
His dominance didn’t go unnoticed, either. Jones took home the Rimington Trophy in 2025, awarded annually to the best center in college football.
And it’s easy to see why. He plays with an edge - the kind of lineman who doesn’t just block to the whistle, but sometimes past it.
He’s been a fixture on Bruce Feldman’s “Freak List” for three straight years, which highlights the most athletically gifted players in college football.
“He’s the kind of guy we want on our football team,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said of Jones back in 2024. “Everything about him. Everything he does is with purpose.”
That purpose shows up on film. Jones moves with uncommon agility for an interior lineman, consistently maintaining balance and control in space.
He finishes his blocks with authority and brings a level of physicality that would fit right in with Green Bay’s blue-collar identity. He’s also durable and versatile enough to kick out to guard if needed - something Packers GM Brian Gutekunst has historically valued in his linemen.
But here’s where it gets interesting: Jones is listed at 302 pounds, which makes him a bit of an outlier compared to the Packers’ recent draft trends. Green Bay has clearly been leaning toward bigger-bodied linemen in the trenches.
Just look at their recent picks - Anthony Belton (336 lbs.), Jordan Morgan (320 lbs.), Jacob Monk (320 lbs.), and John Williams (322 lbs.). That’s a clear shift in philosophy.
And yet, despite the size emphasis, the results haven’t followed. In fact, Green Bay’s offensive line turned in its worst pass-protection performance in a decade last season. That doesn’t mean they’ll abandon the bigger-is-better approach overnight, but it does suggest the front office will need to reevaluate how well that strategy is translating on the field.
Jones, for his part, checks a lot of boxes - even if he doesn’t fit the mold physically. He’s an older prospect, set to turn 25 in October, but that might actually work in his favor. The Packers are firmly in a win-now window, and that opens the door for rookies with extensive college experience who can contribute right away, rather than long-term projects.
As of now, Jones sits at No. 106 on the consensus draft board, which puts him squarely in that late Day 2 to early Day 3 range - a sweet spot for the Packers if they’re looking to add immediate depth and upside on the interior.
Of course, everything hinges on what happens with Jenkins and Rhyan. If the Packers decide to move on from Jenkins and bring Rhyan back on a short-term deal, it creates a clear path for a rookie like Jones to step in and compete. And if Gutekunst sees the same things on tape that scouts and analysts are seeing, don’t be surprised if Logan Jones ends up wearing green and gold come April.
This is a position group in flux - and Logan Jones might just be the steady, high-floor solution the Packers need to anchor the middle of their line for years to come.