Houston Texans Pro Bowl edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. is evolving into one the NFL’s best pass rushers through just two seasons.

The 2023 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year has amassed 18.0 sacks in his first two seasons, making him one of just nine players drafted since 2020 with 15 or more sacks in their first two seasons. Having been in the league a couple of seasons, Anderson has gotten to face some of the NFL’s best offensive linemen. However, the best player he feels he’s faced is someone who has yet to earn a Pro Bowl or All-Pro selection yet: Green Bay Packers 2022 fourth-round pick right tackle Zach Tom. 

The 25-year-old Packers offensive tackle did earn the sixth-highest offensive grade from Pro Football Focus (85.8) in 2024 among offensive tackles. Tom also received PFF’s third-highest run-blocking grade (87.8) among offensive tackles this past season. He only allowed three sacks while starting all 17 games in the regular season plus one in Green Bay’s 22-10 wild-card round loss against the eventual Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles.

“Probably, what’s the dude No. 50 Tom from Green Bay,” Anderson said when asked who is the best NFL offensive lineman he’s faced on ESPN’s “This is Football” with Kevin Clark on Radio Row at Super Bowl LIX. “Zach Tom, he’s legit. … He’s like a quick setter, he punches really quick. He has a really good step off the ball, a kick off the ball. He’s good. More on the leaner side. Quick feet. Explosive hands. He can get back really well. I would say he is up there. Besides LT [Laremy Tunsil], going up against LT every day [in practice], he’s one of the guys.”

Tom is the most recent diamond-in-the-rough offensive lineman for the Packers outside of the draft’s first couple rounds. Former left tackle David Bakhtiari, a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, was a fourth-round pick in the 2013 draft. Former guard T.J. Lang, a two-time Pro Bowler, was a fourth-round find in the 2009 draft. Former guard Josh Sitton, a four-time Pro Bowler and starter on their Super Bowl XLV championship team, was a fourth-round pick in the 2008 draft. Former guard/center Scott Wells, a Pro Bowl selection for the 2011 season, was a seventh-round steal in the 2004 NFL Draft. Current general manager Brian Gutekunst has been with Green Bay in a full-time capacity as part of their personnel evaluation since 1999.

This pattern seems to indicate that as long as someone who is a descendent of Packers Hall of Fame general manager Ron Wolf’s tree is in the Green Bay front office, the team will continue mining the later rounds of the draft for high-level offensive line starters.