Coming into the 2024 season, no position on the Green Bay Packers’ roster experienced as much turnover as the safety group. Only one player returned from last year’s underwhelming group, and that was special teams ace Zayne Anderson.
Brian Gutekunst identified a weakness in the back end of the secondary and made significant moves to address it. He signed free agent Xavier McKinney to a lucrative deal, and McKinney has rewarded Gutekunst for that deal — he’s a frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year. Gutekunst also used three draft picks on safeties in 2024 to help aid his positional overhaul, selecting Javon Bullard, Evan Williams, and Kitan Oladapo in the second, fourth, and fifth rounds, respectively.
Until this past Thursday’s game against the Detroit Lions, the safety group had been one of the deepest and best-performing units on the team. McKinney and Williams are among the highest-rated players at their positions. Evan Williams is rated as one of the highest-performing defensive rookies in the NFL, regardless of position. Bullard’s versatility has also given defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley numerous options to work with. However, following Week 14, that group’s depth is about to be tested.
One of the biggest developments in Green Bay’s Week 14 matchup at Ford Field was the loss of both rookie safeties, Williams and Bullard, to injuries. Williams left the game in the first half to be evaluated for a concussion and was ruled out at the start of the second half. Bullard’s situation was less clear. He suffered an ankle injury in the second half and was carted to the locker room. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, reporters later saw Bullard leaving the locker room in a walking boot and on crutches – a concerning sign for his availability.
Green Bay made a notable mid-game adjustment when Williams exited. Instead of moving Bullard from his primary slot role to safety, the Packers turned to Anderson to fill the void. Bullard stayed in the slot, with Keisean Nixon playing outside corner due to Jaire Alexander’s absence.
That decision may have been due to coaching concerns about asking Bullard to switch positions mid-game, especially considering his struggles in a similar situation during Week 8 against Jacksonville when Williams left with a hamstring injury and Bullard moved from slot back to safety.
When Anderson came in, he performed admirably, especially for a player who had logged only eight defensive snaps all season before Thursday, when he played 53 snaps alongside McKinney. The coaching staff likely felt comfortable finishing the game with Anderson at safety as long as Bullard remained available.
Unfortunately, Bullard’s injury forced more reshuffling. Nixon moved back into the slot, and Eric Stokes stepped in at outside corner. What was once a deep safety group suddenly became a position of concern, with injuries creating ripple effects across the defense.
The outlook for Williams, Bullard, and Green Bay’s secondary remains uncertain. As of this writing, there have been no updates on the severity of their injuries. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Bullard underwent an MRI to assess his ankle injury. While results are pending, players who leave games on crutches and in a boot often miss time. It seems unlikely Bullard will play against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15, even with extra rest.
Williams’ return will depend on how quickly he progresses through concussion protocol. Concussions can vary in severity. For context, wide receiver Romeo Doubs suffered a concussion against the San Francisco 49ers on November 24 and missed two games despite practicing most of last week. Williams may face a similar timeline and could be unavailable for Week 15.
In the meantime, the Packers will probably rely heavily on Anderson and rookie Kitan Oladapo.
Anderson played well against the Lions, finishing with four total tackles, including a crucial stop of David Montgomery on third-and-one during Detroit’s final drive that forced Dan Campbell to make a decision and almost got Green Bay the ball back. Anderson has earned a respectable 68.7 PFF grade at safety this season, albeit on only 61 defensive snaps. If Williams and Bullard are unavailable, Anderson will likely start alongside McKinney on Sunday night in Seattle.
The Packers drafted Oladapo out of Oregon State and essentially redshirted him defensively this season. He has not taken a defensive snap and has contributed exclusively on special teams. His scouting report coming out of college highlighted his physicality and size for the position.
That physicality and size could make him a useful safety/linebacker hybrid in certain packages if the Packers feel comfortable enough with him on the field. A foot injury during the offseason slowed his development. However, they may need to play him with the current depth concerns.
Green Bay also has undrafted rookie Omar Brown on the practice squad as an additional option. Brown has not been elevated to the 53-man roster this season, but he would be the likely candidate if the Packers want a true safety as additional depth. If Bullard misses extended time, I expect a handful of safeties to come in for workouts this year to replenish the group.
Alexander’s potential return could help alleviate concerns about the secondary. Alexander practiced last week, but the Packers held him out to allow additional rest. He has been out of the lineup multiple times this season, but his return would come at a very opportune time for Green Bay.
Alexander’s presence as a shutdown corner could help mask sudden weaknesses in the safety group and improve Green Bay’s ability to defend the middle of the field – an area where they struggled against Detroit. With Alexander essentially shutting half of the field, Hafley can leave a safety down in the box, making easy throws more difficult.
As the Packers approach the season’s stretch run, their safety depth will be critical. According to the New York Times playoff predictions, Green Bay still has a 96% chance of making the playoffs and will need its reserves to step up. Let’s hope that promising rookies Evan Williams and Javon Bullard can return sooner rather than later. However, it’s next man up – Zayne Anderson and Kitan Oladapo – for now, and they will need to rise to the occasion in the interim.
