With the departure of defensive coordinator Joe Barry, the Green Bay Packers they had a vital piece to fill. The Packers’ defense has always been an issue with getting consistent output. They gave up career games to Baker Mayfield, Bryce Young, and Tommy DeVito this year. They also had great games against the Chiefs, Cowboys, and the Lions. There was never consistency with the team, and they could never be counted on to get a stop to win the game.
Can new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley change that for the Green Bay Packers?
Who is Jeff Hafley?
When the notification hit my phone, I was confused. The Packers had six interviews made to the public, none including Jeff Hafley.
He coached for 11 years in college before coaching in the NFL. From 2012 to 2013, he was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ assistant defensive backs coach. He was working with the cornerbacks and safeties. In 2013, the Bucs were third in the NFL with 21 interceptions.
2014, Hafley was hired by the Cleveland Browns to coach the secondary, where he coached through the 2015 season. In 2016, He coached the secondary in San Fransisco for three years before returning to college. During the seasons of 2017 and 2018, he worked under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
Richard Sherman shared his thoughts on coach Jeff Hafley.
2019, Hafley was hired to be the co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State. That year, Ohio State had the number-one-ranked defense in the nation. He then became the head coach at Boston College. He coached four years with a record of 22-26.
The Green Bay Packers Will Be Much More Aggressive
The early expectations are that the Green Bay Packers will return to the 4-3 defense. Four down linemen with three linebackers, rather than the 3-4 look. Hafley has said he likes to run press man and disrupt the wide receiver’s route trees — a much different look than the Joe Barry soft zone.
I expect the Packers to create more turnovers, a category they have lacked in the past few years. Being more aggressive increases the risk of getting beat deep. The Packers’ safeties will be a staple on this defense. That said, I expect the Packers to draft one or two safeties in the upcoming draft.
With the 4-3 defense, it also leaves a question mark at linebacker. The Packers have Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie, De’Vondre Campbell, and Eric Wilson. That will be another position, either filled in free agency or the draft.
Final Thoughts
This hire is probably not the homerun hit everyone was expecting. We all can make our judgments now, but it all comes down to how the defense performs next year. The defense has a plethora of first-round talent. Can Hafley get the most out of the guys? All we can do now is wait and see.
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