Packers: Brian Gutekunst’s three best moves as general manager

3. Revamping the secondary

When Gutekunst took over following the 2017 season, the Packers’ secondary was a mess. Damarious Randall and Davon House were the starting cornerbacks, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Morgan Burnett were the starting duo at safety. Burnett was a solid starter throughout his career, but Clinton-Dix was coming off his worst season in Green Bay.

The Packers had the No. 23 pass defense in 2017, allowing 236.7 yards through the air per game. They allowed 30 passing touchdowns, tied for second-most in the NFL. Green Bay allowed a 102.0 passer rating to opposing quarterbacks. Again, second-worst in the league.

To make matters worse, it’s not like the Packers hadn’t attempted to fix their secondary. The defense included former high draft picks Randall and Quinten Rollins.

Gutekunst has made fixing the secondary one of his top priorities over the past two offseasons. He traded away Randall within months of taking the job, then used his first two draft picks at cornerback. Jaire Alexander is a home-run addition, although Josh Jackson can’t get on the field currently.

Gutekunst signed undrafted Tony Brown before the start of the 2018 season after he had been waived by the Los Angeles Chargers. He’s an important part of the secondary a year later.

In midseason, the Packers traded away Clinton-Dix for a 2019 draft pick. With a need at cornerback, Gutekunst signed Bashaud Breeland, who made an impact right away. In seven games, he had four passes defended and two interceptions with a touchdown.

Safety was an issue for the remainder of the 2018 season, but Gutekunst used a first-round pick on Darnell Savage and signed Adrian Amos in free agency in 2019. He had also brought in Raven Greene and Ibraheim Campbell in 2018.

Overall, the secondary is a lot better now than it was when he took over. Alexander is a rising star. Savage also has star potential. Amos is a great starter. Greene, Campbell and Brown were also good additions.