Packers 2017 Recap: G Lane Taylor
In 2017, Lane Taylor did what he’s always done: he lined up wherever the Packers needed him and quietly did his job.
2017 Stats
- Appeared in 15 games with 15 starts (939 snaps on offense, 48 on special teams)
Expectations going into the season: Moderate
Expectations were: Exceeded
What we said last season:
Though he’s not the overwhelming presence Sitton was, Taylor capably held his own throughout all 19 of his starts, counting playoffs. If the least a starting player can be asked to do is “don’t screw it up,” then Taylor was just fine.
Analysis: Steady Taylor proves his value to the Packers again and again
Lane Taylor is a bit of a rarity among Packers’ linemen: he’s played the same position in the NFL that he played for his entire career in college. Taylor was a guard at Oklahoma State and he’s been a guard in the NFL.
At least, until this season.
As the Packers’ offensive line fell apart early in the 2017 season, Taylor was tapped to fill in for David Bakhtiari at left tackle, despite never having played the position as a pro or in college. When he got back to his traditional left guard spot, Taylor showed why the Packers were perfectly justified in extending his contract early in the season, putting up the kind of consistent, steady performances we’ve come to expect.
2017 proved to be just the latest in a long series of events adding up to make Taylor one of the Packers’ greatest undrafted success stories. He did everything that was asked of him and more, and it’s hard to imagine any player getting more out of his abilities.