“While the Packers excelled offensively last season, the same can’t be said for their defense,” the authors, Jim Wyman and Dalton Wasserman, wrote. “New defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley will be looking for improvement at linebacker and safety, in particular. Those groups ranked 31st and 24th, respectively, in overall grade last season. Several new additions to both units will be key to the Packers’ success.”
The Packers made three huge additions to the defense in hopes of solving that shortcoming.
First, it was signing safety Xavier McKinney in free agency. During his fourth and final season with the Giants, McKinney had 116 tackles, three interceptions and 11 passes defensed. Green Bay’s primary safeties last year, Darnell Savage, Jonathan Owens and Rudy Ford – none of whom remain with the team – combined for two interceptions and 10 passes defensed.
“Like I said, we know what our end goal is, and I told the guys today, every day counts because we’re actually one of the first games to be played, which is a little earlier, and obviously it’s out of the country so it’s going to be a big game. So, just kind of letting them know that we got to be prepared, we got to take these days seriously at OTAs, and we got to make sure we’re on our Ps and Qs come that moment.”
Next, it was drafting safety Javon Bullard in the second round. Bullard’s a bit undersized but had a strong history of playmaking, versatility and physicality at Georgia.
“I feel like we’re going to complement each other very well,” Bullard said of he and McKinney as the presumptive starting tandem. “At the end of the day, I know he’s going to do his job and he expects me to do the same thing. Just making sure we’re on the same page and making sure we get the job done.”