In part one of our Green Bay Packers draft needs, we took a look at the offensive side of the ball. For this piece, we’ll take a look at what new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley might want for 2024. Here is our breakdown of the defensive needs for the 2024 Green Bay Packers draft.
The 3 Biggest Packers Draft Needs on Defense
It is hard to believe that the Packers would need to spend more capital on the defense, but it appears they might again. Since taking over as general manager, Brian Gutekunst has spent seven first-round picks on defensive players. With having another first-round pick this year, they might add their eighth.
Head coach Matt LaFleur just hired his third defensive coordinator. Although LaFleur didn’t hire Mike Pettine, he retained him from Mike McCarthy’s staff. Three defensive coordinators in six years don’t paint the Packers defense in a very good light.
While Gutekunst put together a very impressive Packers draft class in 2023, this year’s draft for the defense will be important. If Hafley and the Green Bay Packers defense falter again, some will start to question Gutekunst. Instead of pointing the finger at the defensive coordinator, they might start to point it at Gutekunst and his ability to draft for the defense.
Entering this draft, the Packers have several needs on the defense. Several are crucial for Jeff Hafley’s new 4-3 defensive style. With so little salary cap room, it will be up to Gutekunst to find help through the draft.
Safety
In a perfect world, the Packers would sign Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield and trade for Arizona Cardinals Budda Baker. But that isn’t how the Packers work, especially with lacking the salary cap to do so. So, Gutekunst will have to land not just one, but two safety prospects in this year’s draft.
There isn’t a position on the Green Bay Packers roster that needs a bigger makeover than the safety position. It was pretty obvious that safety was a weakness heading into 2023. Their play didn’t do much to change that thinking either.
Former first-round pick Darnell Savage has yet to live up to his draft status. He has one year left on his contract, which gives him one last chance to prove himself. Fellow veteran safeties Rudy Ford and Jonathan Owens are both free agents. There is a chance one of them will return, but that will be more for special teams than safety. 2023 seventh-round pick Anthony Johnson Jr. played sparingly in his rookie season. But with such little depth, Johnson Jr. might see more time in 2024.
The time has come for a massive overhaul of the position. That is why it wouldn’t be surprising if the Packers draft includes at least two safety prospects. Miami’s Kamren Kinchens and Minnesota’s Tyler Nubin are the top two safeties in this year’s draft. It wouldn’t be surprising if one of them is a selection of the Packers in this year’s draft.
Inside Linebacker
Hafley’s shift to a 4-3 defense makes inside linebacker an important position in the 2024 Green Bay Packers draft. The Packers look like they have a good one in Quay Walker. While he has had some rough patches, especially mentally, Walker can flourish in Hafley’s scheme.
Walker has one of the three starting spots locked up, but the other two spots are up for grabs. It appears that veteran De’Vondre Campbell has played his last game as a Packer. Campbell had a career season in 2021 after being signed as a free agent in training camp. But since then, he has struggled to stay healthy and even when he was healthy (which wasn’t often) he has struggled. There is a good chance he will be a salary cap casualty this off-season.
Third-year linebacker Isaiah McDuffie should be a favorite to win one of the other two spots behind Walker. He saw more time on defense in 2023 and played well when he did. He is undersized but is a sure tackler, something the Packers defense needs more of. Also, his time at Boston College crossed over with new linebackers coach Anthony Campanile. That should give him a leg up on the other potential candidates.
This year’s draft doesn’t have any first-round talent at the linebacker position. However, it does have some prospects who could develop into contributors. One name to keep an eye on is Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper. He could be had in the second round.
Cornerback
Many will argue that cornerback isn’t a position of need for the Packers draft this year. But the depth isn’t as strong as it was when the Packers entered the 2023 season.
There is a strong possibility that Jaire Alexander will have a bounce-back season in 2024. Alexander never looked comfortable in Joe Barry’s zone-style defense. Jeff Hafley is expected to play more press coverage, which better fits Alexander’s skills. Still, Alexander has been hobbled by injuries the past two seasons, and even when healthy, he has been as dominant. While carrying such a high salary cap number, 2024 will be an important season for the Packers star cornerback.
Eric Stokes had a solid rookie season in 2021. A lot was expected of him in 2022, but he only played in nine games before suffering an ankle injury. 2023 was just as rough for the former first-round pick. He played in just three games before he was lost to a hamstring injury. The Packers are taking a risk if they are depending on Stokes to man one of the starting boundary cornerback positions.
Nickel cornerback and returner specialist Keisean Nixon is a free agent this off-season. While it is likely he will be re-signed, he had struggles manning the slot cornerback position. The Packers are high on former seventh-round picks Carrington Valentine and Corey Ballentine, but both still have a lot of maturing to do.
Many of the early mock drafts have Iowa’s Cooper DeJean penciled in for the Packers first-round pick. It seems pretty logical. DeJean is a playmaker, and played cornerback well at Iowa. He has the potential to play the slot and possibly move to safety. Cooper could also move into a playmaking position that Hall of Fame defensive back Charles Woodson once played for the Packers.
Main Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski – USA Today Sports
