Packers defense still needs a lot of work this offseason
The new league year has barely started and the regular season is still months away, but the Green Bay Packers defense is in need of work.
Packers fans don’t need reminding of the poor run defense in 2019, a unit that ranked 23rd against opposing ground games before being embarrassed in the NFC Championship Game.
The first week of free agency is almost over and, while the Packers have made a couple of moves, there’s still a lot of work to do on defense.
The Packers’ one addition on defense so far is linebacker Christian Kirksey. If Kirksey can stay healthy, he can be a consistent starter in Mike Pettine’s defense. He also has familiarity with Pettine’s scheme.
Kirksey now needs to show he can stay healthy after missing 23 games over the past two seasons. If he can play all 16 games next season, Kirksey will be a good addition to the Packers defense. But the work is far from done.
The Packers have also lost linebackers Blake Martinez, Kyler Fackrell, and B.J. Goodson, while cornerback Tramon Williams remains unsigned. Kirksey’s arrival helps fill the need at inside linebacker, but the Packers have lost some depth at edge rusher and cornerback.
Given Kirksey’s recent injury history, it’s fair to say linebacker remains a need for the Packers. They missed out on Cory Littleton and Joe Schobert in free agency but could turn to the draft to address the position again.
Another way the Packers can strengthen their defense in free agency is by signing a run-stopping defensive tackle. They missed out on Michael Pierce but will now have to watch him shut down run games for the Minnesota Vikings.
Green Bay could still upgrade the run defense by signing a free-agent defensive tackle like Damon Harrison. If not, it’s an area they’ll need to address in the draft.
But they won’t be able to fix every need in the draft. Given the offensive needs such as wide receiver, tackle and tight end, Brian Gutekunst will need to find a way of adding more talent to the roster via free agency.
It’s still early days in the offseason, but there’s work to be done.