If you’re going to be a high-ticket safety in today’s NFL, you have two realistic choices: You can either cover the deep third at an Ed Reed or Earl Thomas level, or you’d better be able to play multiple positions to an exceedingly high standard.
The 2023 Green Bay Packers had neither of those types of players in their defense, which is why they were as aggressive as any team at redefining their safety group this offseason. First, they gave former New York Giants star Xavier McKinney a four-year, $67 million contract with $23 million guaranteed. Then, they selected two more safeties in the draft — Georgia’s Javon Bullard with the 58th overall pick in the second round, and Oregon State’s Kitan Oladapo with the 169th overall pick in the fifth round.
All three of those safeties are capable of playing multiple positions, which makes them valuable additions for new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. But when it comes to effective season-to-season plug-and-play deployment, it’s tough to beat what Bullard was able to do in Kirby Smart’s defenses in 2022 and 2023.
In 2022, Bullard was primarily a slot defender — he lined up there on 510 of his snaps, with 64 snaps in the box, 20 in the slot, and just 12 at free safety.
In 2023, Bullard’s profile flipped completely. That’s when he played 362 snaps in the deep third, 144 in the slot, 80 in the box, and just three on the line. Smart needed Bullard to dominate at a key position he’d rarely played before, and that’s exactly when Bullard did. Last season, he allowed 14 catches on 26 targets for 119 yards, 68 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, two interceptions, five pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 34.0. Among FBS safeties playing at least 50% of their defenses’ snaps, that ranked sixth-lowest.
On both single-high and two-deep reps, Bullard immediately displayed many of the traits you want in that type of player — from the understanding of route concepts, to the range to work from the middle of the field to the boundary.
Javon Bullard barely ever played deep-third safety until Kirby Smart needed him to in 2023. Bullard responded by becoming one of the best deep cover men in the FBS. Good get for the @packers… pic.twitter.com/WM3WqV9l91
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 8, 2024
Bullard wasn’t just great deep; he was also just fine in the slot to safety transition.
Javon Bullard's slot skills came in handy on plays like this against Tennessee, where he broke up a switch release out of quarters. The kind of safety you can a lot with, and I expect that @packers DC Jeff Hafley will do just that. pic.twitter.com/S38UmnBVR6
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 8, 2024
Hafley tried hard to recruit Bullard when Hafley was Boston College’s head coach (as did new Packers passing game coordinator Derrick Ansley when Ansley was at Tennessee), but it’s safe to say that Hafley is more than happy to have Bullard now.
“Just loved his tape,” Hafley said of Bullard after the pick was made and rookie minicamp was underway. “Loved the way he played. He’s a physical guy. He can run, he can cover, he can play deep, he can play in the slot, he can blitz. He’s bigger when you see him.
“He’s a sharp guy. His ability to learn and process in those two days [of rookie minicamp] was impressive. You get a guy who can play that fast and can take what he learned in the meeting room and bring it out to the field, and he’s got a chance.”
Ansley agreed.
“Javon was a corner originally coming out of high school, very versatile. He was really tough then and he’s tough now. He’s just got a phenomenal skill set. He can do a lot of different things. He’s smart, can pick it up quickly, very instinctive, and when he gets to the point of contact, he gets there with a chip on his shoulder.”
So now, the Packers have three field-roaming safeties where before, it could be credibly argued that they were short just that many before. And Bullard could be the leader of the group over time. Doing what he’s already done — completely reversing coverage archetypes from one season to another for one of the best college defenses of the last few decades — tends to indicate an impressive NFL future.
