Short an inch but not short on confidence, Packers first-round offensive lineman Jordan Morgan has every intention of proving his worth in the NFL at left tackle.
The No. 25 overall pick's arms measure out to 32 7/8 inches, roughly an inch off the desired cutoff line of 34" most clubs look for in successful left tackles, leading some to wonder if he's a better fit inside at guard -- a place he never lined up in college.
Morgan batted away those concerns during his Friday media availability at Green Bay's rookie minicamp.
"I get that a lot, the short arms stuff," he said. "It's like, obviously you haven't watched film. I mean I use them pretty well. I move people off the ball. I pass set really well, protect the quarterback, I mean see the stats. It doesn't bother me. I'm just gonna prove everybody wrong."
Morgan's body of work so far backs up his desire to protect the blindside, albeit the only sample size is currently against college talent.
The 22-year-old played 41 games for the Arizona Wildcats with 37 starts, all of which came at left tackle. In 880 snaps played over the course of his final two seasons, Morgan allowed just three sacks, per PFF, and he finished out his collegiate career by being named first-team All-Pac-12.
"I just didn't care about arm length," Morgan said when asked how he found a way to perform without prototypical reach. "I mean I didn't really think it was a big deal coming into college and hearing about it. They put me at left tackle, they thought I was a great left tackle, and sure enough I was."
The transition to the pro game, where every second counts in meeting an oncoming rusher around the edge, will be pivotal for Morgan. He'll require perfection in his form to avoid allowing his shorter-than-standard reach at left tackle to become a noticeable downside.
Luckily, development along the offensive line is something at which the Packers excel.
They have routinely found gems in later rounds, such as former cornerstone David Bakhtiari (whose arms did measure 34") and, more recently in 2022, Zach Tom, a fourth-rounder like Bakhtiari.
Green Bay hadn't taken an offensive lineman on Day 1 of the draft since 2011, so the club clearly has a plan in place for Morgan. The Packers list him as an OT on their team roster, and head coach Matt LaFleur had him operating at his usual spot on the first day of rookie camp.
Figuring out whether he stays there once veterans join in and once training camp gets underway will play out over the next several months, but for now that's exactly what Morgan intends to do.
"I was out there today at left tackle," he said. "I'm trying to show that I'm a true left tackle, show that I can be out there on the edge and protect the quarterback."
