Is Packers Defense Overrated? NFL Execs Apparently Believe So

There’s been a lot of hype surrounding the Green Bay Packers’ defense due to its supposed talent at every position group.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Jul 11, 2022 10:14 AM EDT

In this story:

Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Coming off a superb performance in the playoffs and what appears to be a strong offseason, there are sky-high hopes surrounding the Green Bay Packers’ defense.

“Our defense is looking salty,” said tight end Marcedes Lewis.

“Just nasty. It’s just nasty, honestly,” offered cornerback Jaire Alexander.

“Knowing our capabilities as a unit, it’s going to be scary,” predicted outside linebacker Rashan Gary.

The expectations stem from last year’s playoff performance against the 49ers. While the Packers lost the game, the defense didn’t allow a touchdown and held the 49ers’ top playmakers, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, in check.

Plus, Alexander is back after missing most of last season with a shoulder injury, and general manager Brian Gutekunst used his first-round picks on linebacker Quay Walker and defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt and re-signed All-Pro inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell and playmaking cornerback Rasul Douglas.

With Pro Bowler Kenny Clark anchoring the defensive line, Pro Bowler-in-waiting Gary pacing the outside linebackers, Campbell heading the inside linebackers, Alexander back atop a premier group of cornerbacks and Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage back for Year 4 together as the safeties, this looks like a defense without weakness.

NFL executives apparently aren’t quite so bullish about Green Bay’s personnel.

ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler surveyed more than 50 executives, coaches, scouts and players to create top-10 lists for each position group. Those lists are short players from that supposedly nasty defense.

At cornerback, Alexander ranked third behind the Rams’ Jalen Ramsey and the Ravens’ Marshon Lattimore. At defensive tackle, Clark ranked sixth. As expected, Rams star Aaron Donald topped that list.

That’s it.

At inside linebacker, incredibly, there was no Campbell.

At edge defender, there was no Gary or Preston Smith.

At safety, even Jamal Adams ranked ahead of Amos.

Campbell took delight in the snub.

Of course, none of this matters. The executives’ opinions don’t matter. The outside expectations don’t matter. The locker room talk doesn’t matter. Excellence is earned on the field, which Alexander quickly acknowledged.

“We’ve got to play a game first,” he said during minicamp, “but we’ve got all the pieces.”

The fact is Green Bay’s playoff performance adds some rosy perfume to what had been a finishing stretch that largely stunk.

After spanking the Seahawks 17-0 in Game 10, the defense was mostly miserable the rest of the regular season. From Game 11 against the Vikings through Game 17 against the Lions, the Packers ranked 28th in points allowed with 27.3 per game. They were 28th with 4.89 yards allowed per carry, 27th with 6.18 yards allowed per play and tied for last with 16 touchdown passes allowed. The only reason why the Packers went 5-2 is because the offense ranked second with 33.4 points per game down the stretch.

Barring an onslaught of injuries, there will be no excuse for Green Bay’s defense to perform so poorly in 2022.

“I think the expectations for this team and this franchise, we’re here for one reason,” defensive coordinator Joe Barry said. “Everyone says that; there’s 31 other teams that are saying that right now. When you have a quarterback like we have and if we keep doing our job building on defense, our mind-set is that we want to win a world title. We want to win a championship. That’s the mindset we have every single day when we walk into this building. Our process, we don’t get too far ahead, but that’s what we’re looking to do and that’s what we want to do and that’s why we’re working every single day.”