Green Bay Packers: Ranking the NFC North secondaries
Do the Green Bay Packers own the best secondary in the NFC North?
The defensive backfield, also known as football’s last-line of defense, isn’t for the faint of heart. One must possess equal parts physical ability and killer instinct to step in front of throws, knock ball carriers off their feet and throw the first shot at opposing receivers at the line of scrimmage while also maintaining a measure of discipline and self-control.
If that sounds like it a lot to handle, the job description is actually tougher to master in today’s game than in any other era given the size and athletic tools of wide receivers that are being featured now more than ever with the increased usage of spread formations with empty backfields.
If that weren’t enough, defenders entrusted with pass coverage duties often find themselves competing against two forces: pass catchers and the zebras. NFL officials, in fact, are often quick to err on the side of caution by throwing a flag against the defense on even the most questionable of calls where a defensive back may or may not have committed an infraction.
The demand for quick-footed cover corners, safeties and even linebackers is peaking, as NFL personnel departments continually scower every region of the country to find athletes that fit a certain profile or come close to matching their prototype. Twenty-percent or one-fifth of the prospects that were selected in rounds one through seven in last April’s draft were either cornerbacks or safeties.
Teams in the NFC North are no exception to this practice of pounding the pavement for defensive backs that check in at a minimum of six-feet in height with long arms and 4.4 speed or less.
Having one outstanding shut-down corner, however, isn’t the answer to building a highly successful defense; rather it’s having a high volume of athletic cover men that can be thrown at the opposition. None of them may be Darrelle Revis circa 2010, but there is strength in numbers.
The Green Bay Packers have been one team that has proactively sought to accumulate as many defensive backs as possible in the draft and the undrafted free-agent market in order to handle multiple-receiver sets. The Bears and Vikings have also been able to hit on some of their free-agent and draft investments in recent years, while the Lions have traditionally struggled in that area, but they too are showing signs of progress.
So how do the defensive backfields stack up in the NFC North where all four franchises ranked among the league’s upper half in passing yards allowed?
Have offseason changes on the part of any these teams been enough to shake up last year’s overall rankings that saw Green Bay lead the way in categories, such as completion percentage allowed and touchdowns against?
A case can be made for any one of these four teams being the lead dog in the Black and Blue division. Here’s the way things look from this writer’s perspective with training camps roughly a month away.
Next: No. 4