The Green Bay Packers are in the midst of revamping their defense. The draft focused heavily on their defense and the free agent signing of Xavier McKinney was massive.
Now news is surfacing regarding one of their up and coming defensive stars.
The Green Bay Packers Get Exciting News Regarding 26-Year-Old Starter
According to Pete Dougherty of PackersNews:
The Green Bay Packers’ change from a 3-4 defensive scheme to a 4-3 means significant change for everyone on that side of the ball, but the change might be biggest for their defensive linemen.
The Packers are going from former coordinator Joe Barry’s two-gap scheme, where the emphasis for the line was often holding up offensive linemen, to more of an attacking front run by several NFL teams with the same scheme, most notably San Francisco, Houston and the New York Jets.
“It’s about (tackles for loss) and sacks,” Jason Rebrovich, the Packers’ defensive line coach, said about the new scheme. “We’re going to look to create havoc in the backfield, every down we’re looking to penetrate and make something big happen. Offensive linemen not moving so fast laterally, they’re going to have to stay on the line of scrimmage a little bit longer with the movements and the ability for us to get in the backfield.”
Rebrovich was among four Packers’ defensive assistant coaches who on Thursday conducted their first offseason news conferences, about 1½ weeks ahead of the start of organized team activities practices.
Among the linemen the Packers are projecting the new defensive scheme will help most is Devonte Wyatt, a first-round pick in the 2022 draft.
“He’s quick, fast and athletic,” Rebrovich said. “So you’re going to have to develop things around him to use those attributes. What a great opportunity for him and us. That’s the mind-set that we’re working to develop is creating those TFLs, that mind-set of getting in the backfield, and he executes every one of those, he checks all the boxes.”
The Packers Defensive Line Will Have A Lot To Look Forward To In 2024
Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt figure to headline the interior of the Packers’ defensive line. The Packers also brought in Spencer Waege from the San Francisco 49ers.
You watch the 49ers’ defense, and they obviously have a lot of talent. But stilistically, that’s what they want to look like. A player who knows that system and that defensive logic is another part of this process.
“Anytime you’re trying to create things in the backfield, you’ve got to have the whole group swarm to make the play. Can’t just be one guy making the tackle,” Rebrovich added. “So, you’ve got to make sure when you are creating a new line of scrimmage, when you are working to get in the backfield, there’s other guys that are going to converge. You can’t just sit there and watch one guy try and work to make one play.”
Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley worked for the San Francisco 49ers between 2016 and 2018 as a defensive backs coach — the last of these two years under head coach Kyle Shanahan. Because of that inspiration, he has already made a drastic change, and the Packers will have a 4-3 base defense for the first time since 2008.
