The Green Bay Packers invested a lot into the defensive side of the ball in recent years. The on-the-field return hasn’t matched the investment. Whilethe offensive side of the ball needs help of its own, Green Bay could very well be going back to the defensive side of the ball early on in this year’s draft.
The defensive spending spree began during 2019 free agency when the Packers signed Adrian Amos, Preston Smith, and Za’Darius Smith, totaling over $150 million in contract values. In that same draft, equipped with a pair of first-round picks, the Packers drafted Rashan Gary and then Darnell Savage.
Fast forward to the 2021 draft, Green Bay selected Eric Stokes with their first pick. Then this past offseason, with limited cap space, the Packers signed Rasul Douglas and De’Vondre Campbell, which was then followed by them spending their two first-round picks on Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt.
Not that there hasn’t been some investment on the offensive side of the ball during this span, but you get the idea. The investment on the defensive side has been far greater. Six of the regular starters on defense in 2022 were former first-round picks, and Wyatt, as a rotational player, made seven. Amos, Smith, Campbell, and Douglas, meanwhile, were all signed in free agency.
But for a unit loaded with talent and a group that was supposed to lift this Packers team up as the offense figured things out, that really wasn’t the case for much of the season. From the coaching staff to the players, there was a disconnect that led to inconsistent play and many of the same issues, which included missed tackles, broken coverages, and a lack of timely adjustments, being prevalent for much of the season. In short, a group with high expectations greatly underperformed.
However, despite all of the free agency dollars and draft capital spent on this side of the ball, as we look to the 2023 offseason, specifically the draft, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see the Packers again spending early round picks on defense, even with the offensive side of the ball in need of help as well.
As we evaluate which positions should be addressed, some of the biggest needs come on the defensive side of the ball. The interior defensive line is losing Jarran Reed and Dean Lowry to free agency (unless re-signed), which makes this a thin room to begin with. On top of that, the Packers were one of the worst run defenses in football, and consistent pressure from the interior was lacking.
Edge rusher is also a need as well. Preston Smith is no longer a long-term solution, and while Kingsley Enagbare flashed, at this time, he still seems to be more of a rotational player. Not surprisingly, without Rashan Gary, getting after the quarterback regularly was an issue.
Safety comes to mind as well when talking about positional needs. It’s a position that greatly underperformed this season, and looking ahead to 2023, only Tariq Carpenter, a primary special teams player, and Savage are under contract.
The offense, of course, has needs of its own, but will they take precedence? Tight end, like safety, is very thin, with only Josiah Deguara under contract at the moment, not to mention that the Packers need more playmaking at it, but that’s not a position typically valued very highly.
Running back could be higher up on the priority list if the Packers move on from Aaron Jones – which I don’t believe they will – but again, is Green Bay spending a first-round pick on that position? I would guess not. Then there is receiver, but as we all know, that’s not a position the Packers have spent a first-round pick on. With Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Samori Toure the only receivers under contract for 2023, I would think a veteran addition in free agency is going to happen, and I also think the Packers will add to the position in the draft, but again, in round one, I’m not so sure.
Offensive tackle is a premier position and one the Packers have addressed in the first round in the past – although not recently – but with David Bakhtiari, Zach Tom, Yosh Nijman, Caleb Jones, Rasheed Walker, and even Elgton Jenkins, it’s not as if the Packers are lacking depth or talent.
As far as free agency goes, this again is shaping up to be an offseason where the Packers aren’t going to have a ton of buying power. They’ll round out some positions with veteran additions on both sides of the ball, but I wouldn’t expect any major additions.
After all of the resources spent on defense over the years, sitting here talking about more premium draft capital going into that side of the ball seems unnecessary, especially with an offense that had playmaking issues of its own. However, given the construction of this roster, along with positional value being taken into account, adding to the defense early on in the draft feels almost like a must.
