Winners, Losers from Packers’ Change to 3-4 Defensive Scheme

The Green Bay Packers under new defensive coordinator appear to be going back to the future in moving back to a 3-4 base defense.

As with any big change, there will be winners and there will be losers. Here’s a look at what the schematic change means for some members of the Packers.

Winner: DT Jonathan Ford

The Packers drafted Jonathan Ford in the seventh round of the 2022 draft. He failed to make the roster as a rookie and spent the season on the practice squad. He failed to make the roster again in 2023 and spent the season on the practice squad. He failed to make the roster yet again in 2024 and spent most of the season on the practice squad until he was signed to the Bears’ 53-man roster.

Ford returned to the Packers at the end of last season and re-signed in free agency. The 3-4 scheme requires a nose tackle. Ford has the size and, now, he has some experience, which should help him in his fourth try to make Green Bay’s roster coming out of training camp.

“Just with my attention to detail,” Ford said in December of how he improved. “I came here as a young player. This is where I started. So, when they got me, I was still a puppy. I'm not a 10-year vet, but I've grown over the years as far as my technique, my attention to detail, just the way I play the game overall. I just think that as a player I just grew.”

No doubt the Packers will add a nose tackle between now and the start of training camp in about four months, but Ford will have a real shot at breaking through.

Winner: DE Collin Oliver

At Oklahoma State, Collin Oliver missed most of his final season with a foot injury. In 2023, according to Pro Football Focus, he played 371 snaps as an off-the-ball linebacker and 350 snaps as an edge rusher.

A fifth-round pick by the Packers in 2025, Oliver missed the first 16 games with a hamstring injury sustained during offseason workouts.

“We talked a lot about just having guys like that that can chase the quarterback down,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said after making the pick. “I think with Collin, he can stand up and play some linebacker, too; he can play some Sam linebacker. I think that versatility made us comfortable with it [his lack of size].”

With Oliver, the Packers could line up with the same 11 players and play in a 3-4 with Oliver on the edge or 4-3 with Oliver as an off-the-ball linebacker.

He’ll just have to stay healthy to learn and earn a role.

Winner: LB Edgerrin Cooper

Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (56) takes down Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Edgerrin Cooper can be used in the same mold as discussed above with Collin Oliver. During his final season at Texas A&M in 2023, he had eight sacks and an SEC-leading 17 tackles for losses.

Cooper had an excellent rookie season in 2024, and putting him in attack mode was the plan before the Packers traded for Micah Parsons. It’s easy to see Cooper bouncing back and forth between linebacker and edge rusher to take advantage of his playmaking ability.

Winner: DE Micah Parsons

Before Micah Parsons became one of the NFL’s greatest pass rushers, he was simply one of the most well-rounded defensive players.

Parsons was an All-American linebacker at Penn State in 2019 and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year as a linebacker for the Cowboys in 2021. He played more snaps at linebacker than edge rusher as a rookie.

Parsons was such a great pass rusher that the Cowboys moved him full-time to the edge in 2022. Parsons isn’t going to play off-the-ball linebacker for the Packers, but 3-4 outside linebackers are asked to drop into coverage on occasion. Parsons is well-schooled in that role.

For what it’s worth, Parsons’ brother, Terrence, likes the move.

Coming back soon to GB 3-4 defense https://t.co/IzhuKBe3Hc
— Terrence Parsons Jr (@Tpars_boii) March 20, 2026

Micah in a 3-4 gonna be sooo nasty what I been wanting for so long less double teams 😏 https://t.co/yvV74EBXqh
— Terrence Parsons Jr (@Tpars_boii) March 19, 2026

Winning and Losing: DE Lukas Van Ness

Lukas Van Ness is the one player on the roster with the size and strength to be able to play on the edge, whether it’s as a 4-3 defensive end or a 3-4 outside linebacker, or play some defensive end in a 3-4.

At about 275 pounds, the Packers presumably wouldn’t want Van Ness playing a bunch of 3-4 end, but his ability to play both spots would allow Gannon to bounce between defenses while using the same 11 players.

Potentially thriving in multiple roles in a contract year would be huge, obviously.

On the other hand, it’s another offseason of change for Van Ness, who was drafted into Joe Barry’s 3-4 scheme in 2023, migrated to Jeff Hafley’s 4-3 scheme in 2024 and got a new defensive line coach in 2025 when DeMarcus Covington replaced Jason Rebrovich. Now, it’s back to the 3-4 with Gannon, though at least he’ll keep Covington as his position coach.

Losers: LBs Isaiah McDuffie/Ty’Ron Hopper

Green Bay Packers linebacker Ty'ron Hopper (59) intercepts a pass intended for Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A 4-3 defense uses three off-the-ball linebackers. A 3-4 uses only two. The Packers have Edgerrin Cooper and traded for Zaire Franklin. What does that mean for Isaiah McDuffie and Ty’Ron Hopper?

Presumably, it means less playing time for McDuffie, who played in 50 or 51 games with 37 starts the last three seasons. During that span, he played almost 1,700 snaps on defense and made 256 tackles.

Hopper was a third-round pick in 2024. He’d barely played on defense before starting in the meaningless Week 18 game last season. That the Packers opted to trade for Franklin rather than elevate Hopper would suggest the team has some doubts about Hopper’s ability to be a starter.

Gannon has some 4-3 in his background, so he could incorporate some of that and get McDuffie or Hopper on the field. However it shakes out, there will be fewer linebacker reps.

Loser: Brian Gutekunst

A general manager prefers to draft for the ubiquitous “best player available” than be forced to draft for need. Will general manager Brian Gutekunst be forced to draft a big nose tackle, even if he’s not the best player on the board?

In 2009, then-general manager Ted Thompson had the No. 9 pick at his disposal when he selected B.J. Raji to be the fulcrum of Dom Capers’ new 3-4 defense.

Picking 52nd, there won’t be an abundance of big guys on the board for Gutekunst. Iowa State’s Domonique Orange, who measured 6-foot-2 and 322 pounds at the Scouting Combine, is one obvious potential target. Bypassing a player like him in the second round might mean he won’t be on the board in the third round.

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