Three traits the Packers’ new defensive coordinator must have

The search is underway for a new defensive coordinator for the Packser. DC After Green Bay’s playoff exit, Joe Barry was fired, and head coach Matt LaFleur may find that selecting his successor is the most important choice of his career.

With quarterback Jordan Love and wideouts Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs leading the way, LaFleur has established himself as an offensive guru, and his young group appears capable of contending in the upcoming campaign.

The defense has plenty of promise, but Barry could never get the most out of them. The Packers’ Super Bowl window is wide open, but LaFleur has to make the right decision on this next hire. With that in mind, here are three qualities he should look for in his next defensive coordinator:

1. Aggressive

One of the reasons Barry didn’t work in Green Bay was because he was famously passive. It was far too often that the Packers would be defending a third-and-short and Barry’s secondary was caught looking 10 yards back — and sometimes even further than that.

2. Able to adjust

Another problem of the Barry era in Green Bay was the Packers’ inability to adjust when things weren’t working. It seemed that once Barry had game-planned for an opponent, that game plan was set. When he got it right, things, of course, looked good. When an offense had him figured out or adjusted at halftime, Barry seemed unable to answer, though.

Too many easy first-round completions led to a defense that would both bend and break, especially when it mattered most. Throw in Barry’s apparent allergy to blitzing and Green Bay’s defense was far too soft. A defensive coordinator who can be aggressive with the elite athletes at his disposal such as Jaire Alexander, Rashan Gary and Quay Walker is a must.

Take a look at the 2022 season opener for the Minnesota Vikings, when wide receiver Justin Jefferson caught nine passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns. From the beginning of the game, he was running open, and Barry was unable to modify his defense to stop him.

Superstar players on the opposite sideline can make games like that happen, but that was far too common in Green Bay during Barry’s tenure.

3. Be able to punish average quarterbacks

Part of the reason Green Bay’s defense was so maligned in 2023-24 was because of its inconsistency. The Packers had a stretch where they played great against quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff and Justin Herbert. They then followed that up by making mid-tier quarterbacks like Tommy DeVito and Baker Mayfield look like future Hall of Famers.