Depth Chart If Packers Defensive Coordinator Jeff Hafley Shifts to 4-3
GREEN BAY, Wis. – As head coach at Boston College, new Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley employed a base 4-3 defense.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the Packers will switch out of the 3-4 scheme they’ve run since Dom Capers was hired in 2009, but it’s possible.
We’ll get into how that would look in a moment, but, for the most part, the difference in schemes is irrelevant. The NFL’s universal base defense is nickel. That’s how all teams line up most of the time. In 2022, for instance, the Packers were in nickel 66 percent of the time compared to 29 percent for their base 3-4, according to Sports Info Solutions.
Regardless of whether a team runs a 3-4 or a 4-3, nickel means four men at the line of scrimmage, two off-the-ball linebackers and five defensive backs. With the size the Packers preferred in their outside linebackers in a 3-4 scheme, their move to defensive ends in a 4-3 scheme would be relatively simple for Rashan Gary, Preston Smith and Lukas Van Ness.
As LaFleur said in November: “We have some of the bigger outside linebackers in this league. When you go nickel defense, those outside linebackers become defensive ends. And the way we always judge it is, would you want a running back blocking Preston Smith? Would you want a running back blocking Rashan Gary? The answer is usually no. So, they are defensive linemen.”
Beyond scheme, one scout said Hafley played with an “aggressive … mentality” at Boston College. He might play that way in the NFL. He might not. Any coach adapts to his personnel – both strengths and weaknesses – as well as the personnel of the opponent. Boston College was a middle-of-the-pack team, which might have necessitated his aggressive approach.
Or, how Hafley attacked in college might be exactly what LaFleur wants in Green Bay. It’s all a mystery at this point.
With all of that as a backdrop, here’s how a depth chart might look with a 4-3, with unrestricted free agents and significantly injured players not included.
Defensive end: Rashan Gary, Brenton Cox
Defensive tackle: Kenny Clark, Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden
Defensive tackle: TJ Slaton, Devonte Wyatt
Defensive end: Preston Smith, Lukas Van Ness
Outside linebacker: Isaiah McDuffie
Middle linebacker: Quay Walker
Outside linebacker: De’Vondre Campbell
Cornerback: Jaire Alexander, Robert Rochell
Cornerback: Carrington Valentine, Eric Stokes
Slot: ---
Safety: Anthony Johnson
Safety: Benny Sapp, Zayne Anderson
Where a schematic change might make the biggest difference from a personnel-picking perspective would be linebacker.
In a 3-4, the Packers play with only two off-the-ball linebackers: Quay Walker and, when healthy, De’Vondre Campbell. With the Packers facing a challenging salary-cap outlook, they might have elected to part ways with Campbell this offseason and move forward with Walker and Isaiah McDuffie as their starting tandem.
Going to a 4-3 would require three off-the-ball linebackers. Would that ensure Campbell’s spot on the roster? Or would the Packers have to use a premium draft pick at the position to fill that third starting role?
Another interesting player could be Karl Brooks. At Bowling Green, he frequently played on the edge. After an impact rookie season as a defensive tackle, the Packers could consider using the 6-foot-3, 296-pounder in multiple roles.
