Can cheeseheads finally stop stressing every time the Packers defense takes the field? The Packers have not had a top 10 defense since 2015, and last year ranked middle of the road as the 17th best defense in the NFL. Will 2024 be the season in which the Packers turn things around on the defensive side of the ball? Walk with me.
Last Season
Although there were a few shining moments, the 2023 Packers defense left much to be desired. Ranking 17th overall by ESPN, the defense gave up 335+ yards and 20+ points per game. A majority of those yards came on the ground as there were only 4 teams that gave up more rushing yards per game. It doesn’t matter how explosive your offense is when the defense is getting gashed on the ground. Death by a thousand cuts, if you will. It was clear that if the Packers wanted to be a top tier team moving forward, some things had to change. This was evident by the number of moves made by Gutekunst and the front office this off-season.
So, What’s New?
The most significant, and the move most Packer fans would agree needed to happen, was to move on from Joe Barry. There were plenty of names being thrown around for who would be brought in as the new DC, and maybe to some surprise, Green Bay ended up hiring Jeff Hafley to run the defense. Leaving his head coaching position at Boston College to revamp this Packers’ defense, Hafley brings a new energy to the squad. He brings an aggressive mindset, something the players seem to be really excited about.
“I love Hafley,” said fourth-year cornerback Eric Stokes. “I love how his mindset is and everything… He just wants you to ball. He’s gonna put you in the positions. He ain’t gonna make you overthink anything and all that stuff. He just wants you to go out there and have fun and just play 110 miles per hour, and that’s what I love about Hafley…” Going back to Hafley’s opening press conference you can hear exactly what he has and will continue to bring to this team.
The other significant off-season changes we will see this season are the addition of free-agent superstar safety Xavier McKinney, along with the six draft picks used on the defensive side of the ball.
McKinney rated as a the 4th best safety in the league in 2023, per PFF. The Packers believe he will be a perfect fit in Jeff Hafley’s newly introduced 4-3 scheme. McKinney is athletic, a strong tackler and solid in coverage. In 592 coverage snaps last season, McKinney was targeted 53 times and didn’t allow a touchdown. Yes he can play, but he can also lead. McKinney is a great leader that will play a pivotal role not only in the young safety room (3 rookies) but on the entire defensive unit.
“It’s critical to have somebody on the back end making sure the communication’s on point, and just what he’s all about. When he came here, when we signed him, when we went out to dinner together, I had a really good feel — just initial gut feel — that this is a dude. And my experience with him up to this point is exactly that. He is a dude, and we’re fortunate to have him here.” – Matt LaFleur on Xavier McKinney
Brian Gutekunst used a lot of draft capital on the defense, taking 6 defensive players, two of which came in the 2nd round. LB Edgerrin Cooper and S Javon Bullard were both selected in round 2. The Packers had a clear objective to sure up the back end of this defense drafting two more safeties, Evan Williams in the 4th round and Kitan Oladapo in the 5th. This has made for a very exciting position battle with those guys fighting for the spot next to Xavier McKinney throughout this training camp.
“Those guys we added are versatile pieces,” said GM Brian Gutekunst. “We feel like Bullard can play nickel or safety. We feel like Williams has that flexibility, and Oladapo is probably more of a true safety, but he can play whatever you want to coin it, the big nickel/Will backer. So those guys are all movable pieces.”
We will also look to the defensive front for continued growth and improvement from the last couple of years. With second and third-year guys like Lukas Van Ness and Devonte Wyatt continuing to get better and now fitting into Hafley’s new 4-3 scheme, we can expect even more disruption up front. Expect this unit to play more free and aggressive, with less thinking and more reacting. The defense finished last season with 45 total sacks, we should see that number increase in 2024.
Range of Outcomes
So what will the 2024 Green Bay Packers defense be? We of course cannot say for sure one way or another, but we do know it will be new, fresh and exciting to say the least. There is a lot of anticipation going into week 1 to see what this team can be.
Worst Case: The team struggles to adapt to the new 4-3 scheme under Jeff Hafley. We see communication issues with new players and rookies, leading to big plays and a lot of points. We don’t see the 2nd & 3rd year jumps from certain players and the run defense continues to struggle. I do think however, there is enough talent and consistency on this side of the ball to stay a middle of the road defense just like last year and do barely enough to keep the team in games.
Best Case: Adding Jeff Hafley and a few new pieces to the current roster we see a perfect fit for a fast-paced, aggressive, turnover producing defensive force. We see the All-Pro version of Jaire Alexander, Rashan Gary has a career year, Xavier McKinney is as-advertised, the backers and linemen shut down the run, and this unit becomes a top 10 and potentially top 5 defense in the NFL.
The talent is there. The coaching is there. The opportunity is there. It would be extremely refreshing to Packers fans everywhere to feel excited and not nervous when the defense takes the field. We will get our first look at this new unit against a tough opponent in the Eagles, when the team travels to Brazil for a week 1 matchup on September 6th.
As always in the NFL, health and consistency will play major roles, but the pieces are in place for this defense to make significant strides. Cheeseheads should buckle up for what promises to be an intriguing and potentially exciting season on the defensive side of the ball.
