7 Packers defensive coordinator candidates ranked from worst to best (Updated)
A number of the Green Bay Packers’ possible Joe Barry successors are already known to us.
Interviews are being conducted by head coach Matt LaFleur with potential applicants for the open defensive coordinator position. Among them are Bobby Babich, Aden Durde, Christian Parker, and Brandon Staley.
In the near future, there might be more applicants, particularly if LaFleur is keen to bring on a coach from the Detroit Lions or Baltimore Ravens, who have already been eliminated.
Who would fit Green Bay the best? Which defensive coaches will develop into the top coordinators is impossible to predict with any degree of precision. Here are our rankings of potential defensive coordinators for the Packers based on all the information available.
Note: This was amended in response to rumors that the Packers had interviewed Zach Orr and Dennard Wilson, two assistants with the Baltimore Ravens.
7. Staley Brandon
In 2020, Brandon Staley commanded the Los Angeles Rams defense, which was ranked first in the league. A year later, it helped him land the position of head coach with the Los Angeles Chargers. But over the last three seasons, his defense has suffered every year, finishing 23rd, 20th, and 28th in yards allowed. Following a 63–21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, Staley was let go.
The defensive philosophy of the Packers needs to be changed, although Staley employs a system akin to Joe Barry’s. And last season’s outcomes were comparable. In terms of defensive DVOA, the Packers placed 27th, but the Chargers were only one spot better.
Green Bay was ranked 28th against the run, ninth against the pass, and 17th overall in terms of defense. In those categories, Los Angeles placed 28, 30, and 17th, respectively.
Perhaps Staley would benefit from going back to defensive coordinator instead of under the head coach’s supervision. But his defenses with the Chargers didn’t perform well, and there’s a chance the Packers won’t enhance their similar approach enough.
