Matt LaFleur had to get his defensive coordinator choice right. After sticking with Joe Barry for at least one season too long, the pressure was high to find a suitable replacement.
Jeff Hafley checked that box, to the point that he is already drawing interest for vacant head coach jobs.
The defense unquestionably took a step forward, but one noticeable issue hurt them all season: the pass rush. At times, Green Bay's defensive front looked unstoppable, including its eight-sack performance against the Tennessee Titans, but these moments were few and far between.
Preston Smith requested a trade at midseason, citing the switch from a 3-4 to a 4-3 system not playing to his strengths. The Packers' pass-rush problem ultimately led to Matt LaFleur firing defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich.
The Packers understand that the pass rush underperformed, and LaFleur pretty much admitted it in his end-of-season press conference.
Matt LaFleur made it clear where Packers need to improve this offseason
LaFleur revealed that the defense he envisioned ended up looking quite different. Hafley had to adjust throughout the season out of necessity.
"I thought there was an incredible amount of growth. Maybe a vision of what we wanted to do and where we went to were kind of two different things, but that's good coaching. You make the necessary adjustments," said LaFleur.
It was his follow-up comments that seemed to indicate where the problem lay. The Packers had a pass-rush problem, forcing Hafley to find new ways to generate pressure.
"I envisioned rushing four and playing three deep, four under a heck of a lot more," LaFleur added. "We ended up doing a lot of simulated blitzes and different pressures and playing a bunch of Cover 2. You always evolve throughout the course of the season."
Translation: We couldn't pressure quarterbacks with four rushers and had to get creative.
He didn't outright say the Packers needed to add pass-rush talent, but he made his point crystal clear.
Making a defensive line coach change is a start. The Packers have identified New York Jets defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton as a potential replacement and will interview him, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. They will have plenty of intel on Whitecotton, who was part of Robert Saleh's staff in New York and also worked with him in San Francisco and Jacksonville.
Saleh has spent time as a consultant with Green Bay and is a close friend of LaFleur's.
Along with improving the coaching staff, the Packers must add pass-rush talent. Rashan Gary is an excellent player but lacks the consistency of the elite edge defenders in the NFL. In a perfect world, Gary would become Green Bay's No. 2 pass-rusher behind a new addition. That's easier said than done, of course.
Free-agent options could include Azeez Ojulari (who the Packers were rumored to have considered trading for), Malcolm Koonce, and Khalil Mack. Perhaps they make a blockbuster trade for Maxx Crosby. It's highly unlikely, but Josh Jacobs did say he plans to recruit players to Green Bay, and Crosby is a former teammate.
It will take better coaching and some offseason additions at the position. No matter which offseason path the Packers take, they must significantly improve their pass rush to have any shot at making a deep playoff run in 2025.
LaFleur couldn't have made it any clearer.