The Green Bay Packers defense is one of the most hyped defenses during this NFL offseason. Indeed, the Packers have made a plethora of moves to retain their best contributors while restocking with young talent. Preston Smith and Jaire Alexander both signed contract extensions. Rashan Gary and Darnell Savage each had their fifth year options picked up by Green Bay. De’Vondre Campbell and Rasul Douglas were rewarded for their breakout 2021 seasons with new contracts to keep them in the Green and Gold long-term. Finally, the Packers drafted Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt from Georgia in the first round of the NFL Draft. One spot, though, that stands out as a glaring weakness is safety.
The Packers Have a Problem at Safety
As I previously wrote about here, Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage make a more-than-adequate duo as the Packers’ starting safeties. However, after them, there is virtually no depth on the roster at that position. To be clear, this is no knock on either Amos or Savage. Amos should have been a Pro Bowl selection in each of the past two seasons and is regarded as one of the best safeties in the NFL. Savage had a down year in 2021, but should emerge as a valuable ball-hawking weapon in Joe Barry’s defense.
The issue is that there is no good quality depth after Savage and Amos. The Packers drafted Tariq Carpenter in the seventh round of this year’s draft, and he might be a quality contributor. However, there is no guarantee; besides, Carpenter was drafted more for his special teams prowess than anything else. Aside from the three safeties mentioned, the only other safeties on the roster are Shawn Davis, Innis Gaines, Vernon Scott, and Tre Sterling.
Landon Collins Could Fix the Safety Issue for the Packers
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, NFL writer Ian Wharton listed Landon Collins as the second-best NFL free agent under 30 left on the market. He listed the Green Bay Packers as one of the three best fits for Collins, along with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Of Collins, Wharton wrote:
“Collins is at his best as a downhill safety who operates more like a linebacker. He’s not good in man coverage, but as the NFL has embraced three-safety looks more, Collins has enjoyed a resurgence in potential value over the last two years. There aren’t many roster openings left, so he may need to be a super-sub-package weapon.”
Last season, Collins had 81 tackles, two interceptions, and a forced fumble while playing in 13 games for the Washington Commanders.
