Why the Packers should reunite with free agent Micah Hyde

The Green Bay Packers are in the midst of a major change on defense. Not only will Green Bay be running a new scheme, but they've seen familiar faces such as Darnell Savage, Jonathan Owens, and De'Vondre Campbell find new homes.

Green Bay has already brought in star safety Xavier McKinney—who is an immediate upgrade to the position group as a whole—but that won't be enough for new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.

"We've been more middle-closed defense with a safety in the middle of the field than probably most people in college football," said Hafley about his defensive scheme at Boston College on Next Up.

Micah Hyde can come in for a short amount of time to fill a role the team desperately needs. He has remained a consistent player throughout his career and is coming off a comparable season to Savage's, giving up a lower completion percentage, a better passer rating, and missing fewer tackles, per Pro Football Reference.

What makes Hyde even more valuable is his ability to stay on the field. Despite what some would label as an "injury-prone" player, Hyde is consistently on the field and has recorded at least 750 defensive snaps in seven of his last eight seasons. As many know, staying healthy has been a major problem for Green Bay in the past few years.

Packers should bring back Micah Hyde on short-term contract

Signing Hyde would also be smart since it's becoming increasingly unlikely the Packers can find an immediate starter at safety in the draft. If you're familiar with the way the Packers draft, then you've heard of a Relative Athletic Score, which is used to compare players based on their physical measurements as well as Pro Day or NFL Combine results.

According to Paul Bretl of Packers Wire, since becoming GM of Green Bay, Brian Gutekunst has drafted 61 players, 40 of whom had an RAS score of over eight, and only seven didn't record a score.

There's a clear message that the Packers want the players they draft to be highly athletic, and the top safeties on the board for 2024 don't fit that mold.

If Green Bay follows its usual pattern, one of the only potential early-round options at safety is Jaden Hicks, who earned an 8.94 out of 10. Tyler Nubin (2.91), Javon Bullard (N/A), Kamren Kinchens (1.83), and Calen Bullock (N/A) are simply just too risky in the eyes of the front office.

Even if they did end up with Hicks, he is seen as a late second-round pick and could need time to develop instead of just being tossed into the top of the depth chart. That is when having a veteran such as Hyde for even just one year becomes extremely valuable.

More Packers news and analysis