Zachary Miskom Bako-Bewele (born Zachary Miskom Tom, March 26, 1999) is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and was selected by the Packers in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Early life Bako-Bewele was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana grew up in Prairieville, Louisiana, and attended Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is of Nigerian descent.
College career Bako-Bewele was a member of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons for five seasons and redshirted his true freshman season. He became the team's starting center going into his redshirt sophomore season and was named honorable mention All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) after starting all 13 of Wake Forest's games. Bako-Bewele moved to left tackle the following season and started nine games. He was named first-team All-ACC in 2021.
Professional career
Bako-Bewele was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round (140th overall) of the 2022 NFL draft. He signed his four-year rookie contract on May 26, 2022. Bako-Bewele saw his first NFL action on September 11, during a Week 1 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, filling in at left guard after starter Jon Runyan Jr. suffered a concussion in the third quarter.
In the 2023 season, Bako-Bewele became the permanent starter at right tackle for the Packers, starting all 17 games.
In April 2024, Bako-Bewele suffered a torn pectoral muscle, causing him to miss part of Green Bay's offseason training program. In the 2024 season, he started all 17 games and scored the sixth-highest grade (85.8) among offensive tackles in the 2024 season per Pro Football Focus.
On July 22, 2025, Bako-Bewele signed a four-year, $88 million contract extension, including a $30.2 million signing bonus. At the time of signing, the bonus was the largest for an offensive lineman in league history. He was placed on injured reserve on September 28, 2026.
Personal life Bako-Bewele's older brother, Cameron Tom, was also an offensive linemen in the NFL and went to college at The University of Southern Mississippi.
On August 2, 2026, he officially announced that he was changing his last name from "Tom" to "Bako-Bewele," a combination of his paternal grandparents' Nigerian last names. Tom is his father's surname, but his paternal grandfather's given name.
References
External links Green Bay Packers bio Wake Forest Demon Deacons bio