Green Bay Packers fans have been begging for a change in defensive coordinator, and they got their wish when Matt LaFleur let Joe Barry go in favor of former Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley. We’re still months away from seeing Hafley’s version of the defense on the field, but it’s not hard to get pumped every time the new defensive coordinator takes to the podium.
Hafley brings a fresh perspective to Green Bay’s defense, offering a teaching style designed to help the defenders play more quickly and aggressively. By honing their instincts and putting players in the best positions to succeed, Hafley hopes to simplify the defense and craft a top-of-the-league unit.
The results have been promising. Multiple star players, including Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Keisean Nixon, and Quay Walker, have lauded Hafley’s approach. Hafley is cultivating a strong sense of buy-in from his players, which could make all the difference in building a championship-caliber defense.
Green Bay’s defense simply had too much talent to be as inconsistent as they were for most of Barry’s tenure. Despite the heavy investment of draft capital in the defense, quarterbacks like Tommy DeVito and Baker Mayfield could still carve them up.
No one in the locker room openly bashed Barry. Still, there were multiple signs late in the season that the defensive players were over the scheme and tired of what Barry was asking them to do. I won’t put words in their mouths, but there were clear frustrations when reading between the lines in comments from multiple star players.
So, a change in coordinators was likely a breath of fresh air, even though there was some chatter about players not being happy that the Packers hadn’t retained their position coaches. There’s a risk anytime new leadership is brought in. If they change things up too much or take a drastically different approach to interpersonal matters, it can build resentment.
Therefore, hearing nothing but glowing early returns on Hafley is a good sign. In a short time, Hafley has implemented a new defensive philosophy that has the players ready to learn and compete.
A common refrain from players at the end of mini-camp is that Hafley allows them to just play and do what they do best — a refreshing mindset after Barry’s more complex system, which often got “cute” in critical situations.
“Attack, attack, attack. Aggressive, and I’m loving it. I’m loving it,” Rashan Gary said last week. “Really just pin your ears back, relax, and play.”
Gary will be one of the players who benefits the most from this new system. Gary has evolved into one of the league’s best pass rushers, especially in terms of generating pressure. But to take the next step and truly get recognition, he needs to convert more of those pressures into sacks and improve his consistency. A defense better catered to his strengths can skyrocket Gary into stardom.
Preston Smith agreed with his rushing mate, loving the opportunity to hunt the quarterback more. “Yeah, man. Finally, I’m out here rushing more,” he said, “and I get to get after the quarterback a whole lot more. I just love the system.”
In the past few seasons, Barry had put Smith in some odd spots in coverage, and he relishes the opportunity to do what he does best instead.
Quay Walker compared what Hafley is letting him do to what he did in college, where Walker won a championship with Georgia.
“It’s a lot of stuff that I did in college, and I think it translates very well for a lot of us,” Walker said. “It fits what we do, and not only that, I think Hafley has done a great job of putting us in the right position. I love it so far.”
Walker is another player looking to take the next step in his career. He’s shown flashes of why the Packers took him in the first round and has grown a lot since his rambunctious rookie season. Still, Hafley may be the key to unlocking Walker’s full potential.
Hafley has had Walker and the rest of the insider linebacker group blitz the quarterback frequently during off-season activities.
Walker also noted the cultural effect Hafley has had on the group.
“I’ve been on a championship team, and I understand that it’s college and this is the NFL,” Walker said, “but the chemistry is there already. Anytime you have a team where the chemistry is there, that’s a good, good sign.”
That interpersonal factor is critical. We’ve seen individual players have awesome games for Green Bay’s defense the past few seasons, but it was rare that the entire group played like a singular unit. Building that chemistry will allow more complete games and complementary football.
Finally, Keisean Nixon noted that Hafley isn’t afraid to stand up to Matt LaFleur.
“He goes at Matt LaFleur, that’s something new for me,” said Nixon. “He brings the best out of us. His defense is ready to go for sure. He’s not scared of the head coach being an offensive guy. Haf came in right away, blitzing on third do. Hehe was ready to go.”
That bodes well for the defensive mindset. LaFleur has done his best to be involved with the defense, but he’s an offensive coach at heart. Having an advocate in the roowho is m unafraid to challenge the head coach and prioritize his players will build the defense’s confidence while pushing LaFleur to grow more as an offensive playcaller and head coach.
We won’t see how this early hype translates to the in-game product until the Packers head to Brazil in Week 1. Even then, there may be growing pains. But one thing is abundantly clear: Jeff Hafley has won over the locker room thanks to his aggressive, player-focused mindset, competitive nature, and willingness to adapt to his player’s strengths.