6 Days Until Training Camp: Packers Safeties Preview

The Green Bay Packers have an excellent tandem of safeties with Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage but a lack of proven depth.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – At a position group in which communication and chemistry is almost as important as talent, Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage will be entering their fourth season together. With the first practice of training camp set for July 27, here is a preview of the safeties.

Packers Safeties Depth Chart

Adrian Amos turned in his typically strong season. He started every game, as usual. He tackled well, as usual. He made some key plays, as usual. In 2021, Amos started all 17 games and led the defense with 1,048 snaps. Amos was second on the team with 94 tackles, tied for third with two interceptions – his fourth consecutive season with two picks – and fourth with eight passes defensed.

Darnell Savage and Rashan Gary were the team’s first-round picks in 2019 and both will be back through 2023 after the team picked up their fifth-year options. Savage started all 17 games and was second on the team in snaps. He wasn’t as impactful as in 2020, though. In 15 games the year prior, Savage posted 75 tackles, four interceptions and 12 passes defensed. In 2021, he had 63 tackles, two interceptions and nine passes defensed.

Shawn Davis will enter training camp as the No. 3 safety. The resume is thinner than rice paper. A fifth-round pick by the Colts in 2021, he failed to make their roster and wound up on Green Bay’s practice squad. He was added to the active roster for the final five games of the season but played only once, with a tackle on special teams vs. Cleveland.

Vernon Scott, a seventh-round pick in 2020, fell off the face of the Earth last year, which means a make-or-break training camp. At this time a year ago, he was supposed to be the front-runner to be the No. 3 safety – a key role in Joe Barry’s defense. Instead, he was beaten out by Henry Black, an undrafted free agent in 2020. In three games, he played zero snaps on defense and 17 snaps on defense. He contributed one tackle on special teams.

Innis Gaines went undrafted and unsigned in 2020 following torn ACLs that ended each of his final two seasons at TCU. He worked out for the Packers in August 2020 and signed with them in January 2021. In between, he worked at DoorDash. He spent last season on the practice squad and was elevated for a late-season game against Cleveland, when he recorded one tackle in five snaps on special teams.

Tariq Carpenter, a super-sized prospect from Georgia Tech, was selected in the seventh round of this year’s draft. At 6-foot-2 7/8 and 230 pounds, he ran his 40 in 4.47 seconds with a 39-inch vertical leap. A four-year starter, he finished his career with four interceptions, 22 passes defensed and three forced fumbles. He gave up four touchdowns last season, according to PFF.

Tre Sterling, a playmaker at Oklahoma State, was added in college free agency. While an injured right wrist that required surgery limited him to five games in 2021, he tallied 12 tackles for losses among his 74 tackles along with two interceptions in 2020 and eight tackles for losses and eight passes defensed in 2019. The injury and a 4.71 clocking in the 40 at pro day doomed his draft chances.

Leader of the Pack

Adrian Amos is one of the most underrated defenders. Without a bunch of splash plays, he’ll never be selected to a Pro Bowl. Two interceptions – Amos’ total each of the past four seasons – hardly moves the needle.

Sometimes, however, it’s not about the big plays you make but the big plays you take away. Of 64 safeties with at least 50 percent playing time in 2021, Amos ranked sixth with a missed-tackle rate of 6.1 percent (six misses), according to Pro Football Focus. That’s huge. If a linebacker misses a tackle, there at least should be help to minimize the damage. If a safety misses a tackle, the ball-carrier could be celebrating a touchdown. Amos is a consistent, productive leader of the defense and clearly one of the top players at the position.

Rising Star

Can a player entering Year 4 be a rising star? Perhaps, if Darnell Savage makes more big plays. So much of a player’s identity, especially at safety, is tied into making big plays. A safety can do his job perfectly and go unnoticed because the ball doesn’t come his way. Really, the only way a safety is noticed is by making a big play or giving up a big play. Savage intercepted only two passes last season but dropped three.

For his career, he’s dropped seven potential interceptions. Hang onto even two of those, he’d lead the entire 2019 draft class with 10 interceptions. “Darnell is a special talent,” safeties coach Ryan Downard said at the start of OTAs. “I think Darnell Savage has the ability to be an elite player in this league.”

The Training Camp Battle

Last season, the Packers were fortunate to have Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage starting all 17 games together. What if they’re not so fortunate this year? The Packers have no proven depth. That is not hyperbole. The group of five challengers for spots on the roster played exactly zero snaps of NFL defense last season. Not one. Zero. Last season, Henry Black played 262. That is almost one-fourth of the defensive snaps.

At least Vernon Scott (seventh round, 2020), Shawn Davis (fifth round, 2021) and Tariq Carpenter (seventh round, 2022) were drafted. So, while the cupboard is empty of veteran depth at least the cupboard is stocked with some decent prospects. For all the talk of putting Savage in the slot, the Packers can’t even entertain the thought if they can’t replace him at safety. As is the case at outside linebacker and cornerback, a huge priority during training camp and the preseason must be determining the next men up. Davis (pictured) was that man throughout the offseason practices.

The Big Question

Obviously, the biggest question is who will emerge as No. 3 safety. Since that was just tackled, let’s focus on rookie Tariq Carpenter. What’s Carpenter’s position? And can he emerge as that key backup? At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Carpenter is bigger than Krys Barnes, who has been a starting linebacker the past two seasons. Carpenter got a look at linebacker at the Senior Bowl.

“Teams see me like a big ball of Play-Doh,” he said of his potential NFL role. “I’m so flexible as far as my position.” During the offseason practices, the coaches had Carpenter glued in at safety. Whatever the position, Carpenter will be expected to be a key member on special teams.

Best-Case Scenario

Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage start all 17 games together again, with Amos replicating his super-steady play and Savage making more big plays while missing fewer tackles (42 the past three seasons). With a potentially dominant set of cornerbacks, there could be more opportunities for Amos and Savage to pad their interception totals.

Worst-Case Scenario

Darnell Savage’s career has hit a wall. He’s got three years of bad tackling on his resume, with PFF missed-tackle rates of 16.9 percent in 2021, 16.7 percent in 2020 and 17.7 percent in 2019 ranking him as consistently one of the worst tacklers in the league. Moreover, he gave up six touchdowns last year, including two at Baltimore, when the Ravens attacked him. With big-time speed, Savage has all the tools. It’s time to reach that potential.

One Superb Stat

In his three seasons in Green Bay, Adrian Amos has missed 20 tackles, according to Pro Football Focus. Last season, Jacksonville’s Andrew Wingard missed 22 and NFL stars Minkah Fitzpatrick and Budda Baker were among 11 safeties who missed at least 15 tackles.

Packers Training Camp Position Previews and More

Get ready for July 27, the first practice of training camp, with this unique series of features.

Part 1 (30 days): All Matt LaFleur does is win (in the regular season)

Part 2 (29 days): Dominant Rasul Douglas

Part 3 (28 days): Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon

Part 4 (27 days): 27 is the magic number

Part 5 (26 days): Rich Bisaccia’s brilliance on special teams

Part 6 (25 days): Aaron Rodgers vs. the NFC North

Part 7 (24 days): Can defensive live up to hype?

Part 8 (23 days; July 4): These players will provide the touchdown-scoring fireworks

Part 9 (22 days): Homefield dominance

Part 10 (21 days): Christian Watson and history of FCS receivers

Part 11 (20 days): 20 reasons why Packers will win Super Bowl

Part 12 (19 days): Packers excel at avoiding turnovers

Part 13 (18 days): Why Packers could lead NFL in interceptions

Part 14 (17 days): How Packers will replace No. 17

Part 15 (16 days): Mason Crosby kicking into NFL record book

Part 16 (15 days): Positional preview No. 1 – Quarterbacks

Part 17 (14 days): Positional preview No. 2 – Running backs

Part 18 (13 days): Positional preview No. 3 – Receivers

Part 19 (12 days): Positional preview No. 4 – Tight ends

Part 20 (11 days): Positional preview No. 5 – Offensive line

Part 21 (10 days): Positional preview No. 6 – Defensive line

Part 22 (9 days): Positional preview No. 7 – Outside linebackers

Part 23 (8 days): Positional preview No. 8 – Inside linebackers

Part 24 (7 days): Positional preview No. 9 – Cornerbacks

NFC North Insiders

Get ready for the 2022 NFL season with our 12-part NFC North Insiders series, with stories running every Saturday and Sunday until training camp. The series will conclude this weekend with our all-NFC North teams.

Part 1: Team MVPs for each team on both sides of the ball

Part 2: The biggest addition and loss for each team

Part 3: Most overrated player for each team

Part 4: Most underrated player for each team

Part 5: Best-case scenarios

Part 6: Worst-case scenarios

Part 7: Players most likely to surprise

Part 8: Players most likely to disappoint

Part 9: Biggest remaining question

Part 10: Most important rookies

Part 11: All-NFC North offense (coming Saturday)

Part 12: All-NFC North defense (coming Sunday)