7 Packers defensive coordinator candidates ranked from worst to best (Updated)
We already know several of the Green Bay Packers' potential Joe Barry replacements.
Head coach Matt LaFleur is interviewing candidates for the vacant defensive coordinator job, and he has options. Brandon Staley, Christian Parker, Aden Durde, and Bobby Babich are among them. There could be more candidates shortly, especially if LaFleur is interested in hiring a member of the Baltimore Ravens' or Detroit Lions' coaching staff since they are now eliminated.
Who would be the best fit for Green Bay? It's impossible to say with certainty which defensive coaches will become the best coordinators. But based on everything we know, here are our rankings of the Packers' defensive coordinator candidates.
Note: This was updated following reports of the Packers interviewing Baltimore Ravens assistants Dennard Wilson and Zach Orr.
7. Brandon Staley
Brandon Staley led the league's No. 1 defense with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020. It earned him the head coach job for the Los Angeles Chargers a year later. However, his defenses struggled each year, ranking 23rd, 20th, and 28th in yards allowed during the past three seasons. Staley was fired after a 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Packers need a change in defensive philosophy, but Staley runs a similar system to Joe Barry's. And they had similar results last season. The Packers finished 27th in defensive DVOA, but the Chargers were only one spot above.
Green Bay ranked 17th in total defense, ninth against the pass, and 28th against the run. Los Angeles finished 28th, 30th, and 17th in those categories.
Maybe a return to defensive coordinator without the head coach pressures would benefit Staley. However, his Chargers' defenses underperformed, and there's a risk the Packers won't make the necessary improvements with his similar scheme.
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