The Green Bay Packers are in an interesting spot with their starting secondary. Keisean Nixon said he wants to be CB1, and signing kick returner Mecole Hardman suggests he will focus solely on defense. The Packers also signed Nate Hobbs to a four-year, $48 million deal, and he should start alongside Nixon.
Who starts alongside Xavier McKinney is an intriguing question for Green Bay’s defense. Evan Williams looked more natural as a post-safety, showing better range and consistency on the back end. Meanwhile, Javon Bullard played the third-most snaps on the entire unit, including 259 at free safety. However, his best moments came when he lined up near the line of scrimmage.
An early prediction for Green Bay’s base starting secondary would have Hobbs and Nixon on the outside, with McKinney and Williams at safety. Bullard could rotate with Williams as a post-safety or play as a linebacker on second-and-long and third-and-long situations. However, unless he has a strong training camp, it’s hard to picture Bullard as a solidified starter in the base defense heading into 2025.
Bullard should also face competition for a starting spot in nickel packages. Hobbs primarily played in the slot last season with the Las Vegas Raiders, logging 304 snaps inside compared to just 104 as a wide corner.
The Packers reportedly feel comfortable with Hobbs playing both outside and inside, which gives them added flexibility in their sub-packages. If he performs at a high level in the nickel, it’ll be tough for Jeff Hafley to take him out of that role.
Bullard’s best chance to start will likely come in nickel packages, with Hobbs and Nixon on the outside and McKinney and Williams at safety. He could also rotate with Williams at safety in those looks, depending on the matchup.
However, if Green Bay allocates most nickel snaps to Hobbs in the slot, that would probably limit Bullard to a rotational nickel and safety role. He played only six snaps as a wide corner last season, so expecting him to transition to an outside role would be unrealistic.
The Packers love Javon Bullard, and he should remain an important part of Hafley’s defense moving forward – whether as a starter or a key rotational piece. It’s also worth noting that Hafley tried to recruit Bullard to Boston College in 2020, which shows how long he’s been a fan of Bullard’s game.
“Loved his tape. Loved the way he played, loved the playstyle. Loved the versatility,” Hafley said after the 2024 draft.
He’s a physical guy. He can run. He can cover. He can play deep. He can play in the slot. He can blitz. He’s bigger when you see him. He’s thick, strong. The best part of it is, you don’t really know what you’re getting until you get into a meeting room with him.
He’s a sharp guy. His ability to learn and process during those two days was impressive. When you get a guy who can play that fast and can take what he learned in the meeting room and bring it out onto the field, and he’s got a chance. Small little glimpse of what we’re going to get when they get here, but excited to have him.
Bullard must improve in coverage next year to secure a starting spot. Last season, he allowed a 121.4 passer rating when targeted, giving up 46 receptions on 55 targets (83.6%) for 483 total yards, including 237 yards after the catch and three touchdowns. Pro Football Focus gave him a 46.9 coverage grade. If he’s going to crack the starting lineup, improving in coverage is the first area he needs to focus on.
Bullard will likely continue to see plenty of playing time, but whether he earns a starting role is arguably the most intriguing question in Green Bay’s secondary. If he puts together a strong season, Jeff Hafley could be faced with a tough decision when it comes to shaping the starting lineup – a good problem to have for a defense looking to maximize its talent and versatility.
