Green Bay Packers: Unexpected Starter Has Arrived For Defense and Packers Formally Set To Bring Back Game Changing All-Pro

The Green Bay Packers will certainly make some additions on defense this off-season.  It already started with Safety Xavier McKinney, but it likely won’t end there.  The completely revamped defensive coaching staff will continue to bring in all the talent they can.

However, there is one player already under contract who may have already emerged as a starter for this defense in 2024.

The Green Bay Packers May Already Have Their Starter On Defense

According to Wendell Ferreria of A to Z Sports:

Green Bay released De’Vondre Campbell, and now Quay Walker is the only consolidated off-ball linebacker on the team. The option not to invest heavily in the position doesn’t necessarily mean that they won’t add a cheap free agent or a draft pick later on, but McDuffie will have more space anyway.

The off-ball linebacker played with Jeff Hafley at Boston College and is respected by the Packers new defensive coordinator. Additionally, McDuffie played 46.17% of the defensive snaps last year, close to De’Vondre Campbell’s 51.76% number.

With Quay Walker projected to be a weakside linebacker, McDuffie is right now the primary middle linebacker option.

Could Isaiah McDuffie Be The Packers’ Long Term Starting Linebacker?

Injuries kept Quay Walker and De’Vondre Campbell out of the lineup in 2023, but McDuffie made a difference. He had 82 tackles despite starting only eight games. That was good enough for second most on the tem in 2023.

In 2021, McDuffie was selected by the Packers in the sixth round due to his strong final season. During his first two seasons, he started only one game. In 2023, he started eight of 16 games.

As a result of his strong play, he Is positioned to be a starter in 2024, regardless of the coordinator. McDuffie may become a certainty to start if Hafley installs the 4-3 scheme he supervised at Boston College.

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The Green Bay Packers Widely Anticipated To Bring Back Game Changing All-Pro

The Green Bay Packers have moved on from a number of All-Pro players over the years.  Just recently the Packers have moved on from Aaron Rodgers (five-time All-Pro), David Bakhtiari (six-time All Pro), and Davante Adams (three-time All-Pro) within the last three years.  It is clear the Packers are trending for a younger future.

However, there is one all pro that the Packers are widely considered to bring back for 2024.

The Green Bay Packers May Actually Bring Back Two time All-Pro

Tyler Brooke of Heavy on Sports highlighted how the Packers could bring back All-Pro Safety Michal Hyde:

Few options remain outside of free agency, and while the team could pursue a potential starting safety in the 2024 NFL Draft, the team could also explore a potential reunion with veteran free agent Micah Hyde.

Hyde was a fifth-round pick by the Packers in 2013, playing four seasons in Green Bay before becoming a two-time second-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler for the Buffalo Bills.

An unconfirmed rumor has suggested that there is mutual interest between the two sides in a reunion this offseason, while TSWN with USA Today has listed the Packers as a top fit for the 33-year-old safety. It’s unlikely that the two could agree to a long-term move, but a deal for Hyde to return to Green Bay could make sense in 2024.

Big changes are expected for Green Bay on defense. Former defensive coordinator Joe Barry was fired this offseason, while former Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley is taking over as his replacement.

Hafley’s defensive scheme features a lot of single-high safety schemes, most notably with Cover 1 and Cover 3 coverages in the secondary. This scheme puts an added emphasis on safety play, requiring safeties to be able to play in a slot/box role and/or a “post safety” role to play sideline-to-sideline on the back end.

Will The Packers Double Dip At Safety This Off-Season?

It is almost guaranteed that the Packers will double dip in some way at the Safety position this off-season.  Xavier McKinney was an absolute massive addition.  However, it can’t stop there.

In 2019 the Packers doubled dipped at edge rusher with Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith in free agency.  They could very likely do something similar in 2024 at Safety.

However, if free agency doesn’t work out, it is almost guaranteed the Packers will take *at least* one in the 2024 NFL Draft.  The Packers have been linked to multiple Safeties in early rounds for the 2024 Draft including Tyler Nubin, Kamren Kinchens, or Calen Bullock.