The 2024 NFL Draft is five weeks out, and as the free agency storm begins to wind down, it’s becoming clearer what positions the Packers will look to target with their 11 selections.
Though the Packers made an excellent move by bringing in former Giants safety Xavier McKinney, their secondary remains one of the bigger question marks on the roster.
The Packers are finally overhauling the safety position. Jonathan Owens signed with Chicago, Darnell Savage headed to Jacksonville, and Rudy Ford has not been re-signed. Besides the strong presence of McKinney, the unit is barren.
It’s been 10 years since the Packers had a great safety duo. Green Bay has talent all over the defense, including the cornerback position. Pairing another young, talented safety alongside McKinney through the NFL Draft could unlock what has been a disappointing defense for far too long.
Minnesota DB Tyler Nubin might hold the key to transforming the Packers’ defense from average-at-best, to finally reaching their potential.
There’s a lot to love about Nubin. The 2023 First Team All-Big Ten safety stands at 6’2, 200 lbs. At Minnesota, Nubin showed the versatility that a team like the Packers heavily value for NFL draft prospects, competently playing nickel cornerback and man coverage. He’s a ballhawk with good eyes and natural instincts to break on passes.
Nubin fits in with Jeff Hafley’s new scheme. We should see the Packers play man coverage more than they did with Joe Barry calling the defense. Nubin’s ability to play as a slot corner could be useful in certain packages, especially since the Packers are a bit thin at the position right now.
More importantly, Nubin’s skillset is one that could pair perfectly with McKinney in the back end. Nubin certainly has the ability to play a single-high safety type of role, but I think he’s best suited somewhere in between the last line of defense and in the box. He isn’t a good enough run defender to be reliable in either position and has a tendency to bite on fakes. I don’t think his top speed is elite enough to be consistently placed as a lone defender 15-20 yards from the line of scrimmage.
What he does best is diagnose route concepts and read the eyes of the quarterback. Although he doesn’t have eye-popping speed, he shows good range across the field to force incompletions and sneak up on interceptions. Placing him in a “robber” role next to McKinney pairs two great playmakers in the back end of the Packers’ defense.
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Liam O’Donnell is a devoted Packers fan and an aspiring sportswriter from Milwaukee. He writes for PackersTalk.com and you can follow him on twitter at @liamodonnell___.
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