Jonathan Gannon arrives in Green Bay with the difficult task of replacing Jeff Hafley, who left to become the Miami Dolphins’ head coach after meaningfully improving the Packers’ defense. Micah Parsons likely will miss the first month of the season, which will make Gannon’s situation more difficult.
Gannon’s first major test will be keeping Green Bay’s pass rush effective during a Micah Parsons-less stretch, especially after how underwhelming the unit looked last year whenever he wasn’t on the field. Even with offseason additions like Javon Hargrave, Chris McClellan, and Dani Dennis-Sutton, it will be impossible for the Packers to replicate the kind of impact Parsons brings off the edge.
Who will start alongside Lukas Van Ness? Will Barryn Sorrell earn that role outright, or will Green Bay rotate him with Collin Oliver and Dani Dennis-Sutton? The Packers have several intriguing young options at the position, but determining how to distribute those snaps and which combination gives the defense the best chance to succeed will need to be evaluated throughout training camp and the early stages of the season.
Once No. 1 returns, the challenge for Gannon won’t just be maximizing the pass rush through Parsons, but also making sure his presence elevates the players around him in the front seven, including Van Ness, who has had a strong offseason after the Packers picked up his fifth-year option.
“I think Luke is someone that people sleep on the most, and I don’t know why,” Parsons said of Van Ness via The Athletic. “I think by the end of this season, if Luke stays healthy, I think he’ll probably be the favorite. That’s how much confidence I have in him.”
“I definitely think I’m going to have my hands full with Luke on who’s going to be the best,” he said. “I believe in him. I think sometimes, he looks into y’all and that gets to him, but I think he can be as great as he wants to be.”
The middle of Green Bay’s defense will look quite different this year. Quay Walker, who started for the team for four seasons, signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency.
Meanwhile, the Packers traded for Zaire Franklin to help fill that void. Early reports indicate Franklin has been wearing the green dot, which means one of Gannon’s priorities will be getting him comfortable as the defense’s on-field communicator while also developing chemistry with Edgerrin Cooper, who had spent the past two seasons playing next to Walker.
Finally, and arguably most importantly, Gannon has to figure out the cornerback situation. Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine struggled last season, prompting the Packers to add Brandon St-Juste, Brandon Cisse, and Domani Jackson this offseason.
There should be plenty of competition throughout training camp and the preseason, but Green Bay needs someone to separate from the pack and provide stability on the outside. Ideally, Cisse proves he is the most talented player in the group and earns meaningful playing time early in the season.
There are still plenty of questions to answer, but many will likely fall into place once Parsons returns. His presence changes everything about how Green Bay’s defense operates and how opposing offenses prepare for them each week. Nevertheless, the Packers must first find a way to survive without him, and ensuring the defense remains competitive during that stretch should be Gannon’s top priority entering next season.
