In one day, the Packers reshaped their roster. On both sides of the ball, the team made splashes in free agency. In this piece, we’ll be grading Green Bay’s free agency decisions on defense.
Grading Green Bay’s Free Agency Decisions on Defense
Signing Xavier McKinney: A
For a team that had only three safeties under contract for the 2024 season heading into free agency, adding McKinney was huge. Safety was one position the team needed to target in free agency. Coming from New York, the former Alabama star brings versatility and range to the position. He occupied the slot role in New York while also playing as a free safety. During his time at Alabama, McKinney played all over the secondary. The skills that he showed at the college level translated to the pros. As a Giant, he flourished under Don “Wink” Martindale. Martindale was known for deploying his safeties in a variety of ways, so the transition to playing as the “post” safety in Green Bay should come naturally for McKinney.
The Packers are landing not only a young, ascending talent but also a player who is a strong tackler. Last season, McKinney was all around the ball and recorded a missed tackle percentage of 5.7. Given the names that were on the open market, the Packers nailed it by signing McKinney. Even if the safety market has hit a low, players of McKinney’s pedigree don’t often hit the open market. Green Bay was wise to invest in him, especially considering he has yet to turn 26.
Another Term for Nixon: B+
Bringing back Keisean Nixon was wise, but far from guaranteed. The All-Pro returner took on more snaps at cornerback in 2023 than he had previously as a Packer. He started 13 games and played in all 17. This led to mixed results for Nixon on defense. Nixon allowed a 77.8% completion percentage on targets his way and also allowed more than 325 yards after the catch.
Given the injuries Green Bay experienced and the youth at cornerback, Nixon was quickly thrown into the fire. Until 2023, he hadn’t started more than six games combined in his entire career. The logic behind signing Nixon, then, revolves more around his impact as a returner. It’s valuable for any team to have depth at cornerback. But, given how deep the class is at the position, it’s likely that Green Bay looks to draft heavily in the secondary. This means they’ll rely more on Nixon as a returner. After leading the league in return yards in 2023, Nixon should continue to be an impact player on special teams.
Releasing Campbell: B+
It’s never easy moving on from a player who has contributed as much on and off the field as De’Vondre Campbell did since signing with Green Bay. As well as being a dependable starter, Campbell was Green Bay’s nomination for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. Campbell’s career as a Packer started with a bang, but since then, his play regressed.
Hopes were high after he finished 2021 as an All-Pro in Green Bay, but Campbell’s age showed itself over the last two seasons. Last season, Campbell was out of place on multiple occasions and proved unable to keep up with coverage assignments. The decision to move on from Campbell clears cap space for Green Bay and also allows them to continue to go younger on defense. Between the ascending play of Quay Walker and Green Bay’s new-look defense, it’s safe to say that this decision will age well.
