GREEN BAY – There might not be a better example of a player on the Packers roster who embodies the spirit of NFL training camp than Sean Rhyan.
Along with competing for a starting job at right guard, the third-year offensive lineman has been learning the nuances of center this summer as Green Bay looks to identify a primary backup to fourth-year starter Josh Myers.
It's been quite the journey, but Rhyan finally had the opportunity to put everything on display during Saturday's preseason opener in Cleveland, where he started at right guard, slid to center and moved back to right guard during a 45-snap outing in a 23-10 win over the Browns.
Making his first in-game appearance at center since high school, Rhyan made a good account of himself while helping pave the way to a 155-yard day on the ground.
Among several noteworthy moments, Rhyan teamed with rookie Jacob Monk to push back Browns defensive end Sam Kamara on Emanuel Wilson's 5-yard touchdown run up the middle in the second quarter.
"It was fun. It was definitely different," Rhyan said. "It was another chance to get out on the field and play ball. I was having fun, doing it with my boys, and putting a beating on some of them."
Rhyan has done a lot of learning during his first two seasons in Green Bay, as he's transitioned from a 31-game starting left tackle at UCLA to the Packers' interior offensive line.
The 6-foot-5, 321-pounder began to see the fruits of his labor last season, splitting time at right guard with Jon Runyan during Green Bay's final six games (including playoffs).
Rhyan had been rotating at right guard with Jordan Morgan this summer prior to the rookie first-round pick sustaining a shoulder injury in practice last Wednesday that sidelined him in Cleveland.
So, Rhyan pulled double duty at the position he hopes to start at in Brazil next month and also the one he's been learning. With the exception of one bobbled snap on a Bo Melton reverse, Rhyan turned in a clean performance.
"I thought he did a good job. It's not an easy thing," offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. "It's pretty underrated, being able to go out there, make the calls, snap the ball to the quarterback without any exchange issues, things like that. Just being able to run the offense, I was happy with what I saw."
The Packers have options beyond Rhyan at center, though the two most proven alternatives are two-time Pro Bowl left guard Elgton Jenkins and starting right tackle Zach Tom.
To deepen the coffers, Green Bay cross-trained Runyan to back up Myers last season. With Runyan now with the New York Giants, the Packers want to expand Rhyan's horizons.
Despite entering his third NFL season, Rhyan remains a young player in terms of age (23) and experience (183 offensive snaps over 13 games). While he'd love nothing more than to win a starting job at right guard, Rhyan understands every rep, at every position, counts toward that.
"He's in a competition for a starting position, and the big thing for us is to get him ready at several positions in case he isn't a starter," Stenavich said. "You want him to be a versatile backup that could play any of those three interior spots. Big camp for him."
Asked about Rhyan's progress Monday, Head Coach Matt LaFleur praised his young offensive lineman for producing "good clips" in Cleveland while also challenging Rhyan to master the "conditioning component" of the game.
When fresh, LaFleur says, Rhyan can be "pretty good," and Rhyan doesn't disagree. Conditioning was a huge point of emphasis this offseason for the versatile pro.
Rhyan hopes his performance in a 45-play outing against the Browns – the second-most snaps of any Packers offensive player – is a good barometer of the strides he's made in that area.
Athletically, there's plenty to like. Rhyan's 33½-inch vertical at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine led all offensive linemen. Whether he's lining up at right guard or center, Rhyan is hungry to put those tools to work.
This summer, teammates have taken notice.
"I've always thought that Sean Rhyan's a Swiss Army knife," said quarterback Sean Clifford, to whom Rhyan was snapping in Cleveland. "He's super-useful in every situation whether he's playing guard, whether he's playing center. I've seen it throughout the whole camp. I have a lot of respect for Sean and what he puts out there and hope he continues to build on it."
