The Green Bay Packers relied heavily on the arm of Aaron Rodgers to win them games last season. Rodgers isn't getting any younger, and he will need more help from the Defense if they want to make it to another NFC Championship game. The defense has some holes, as many of their key players last year left in free agency. The NFL Draft could be home to some defensive talent, and free agency is only in its second week, but will that be enough to bring the defense back to dominant form?
Secondary problems
One of the biggest holes that the Packers will have to fill is in their secondary.
The Green Bay secondary was terrible last year, allowing 269 passing yards per game, which was second worst in the league. They released their best corner in Sam Shields and Micah Hyde decided to test the free agent waters. They did sign DB Davon House, who was drafted by the Packers. House isn't a No. 1 corner, but there is still some DB talent on the market. Darrelle Revis is still a free agent, but maybe the most notable name is Morris Claiborne. Claiborne only played 7 games last season, but he can provide a spark to the Packers' secondary.
Green Bay could be looking to the draft to pick up some talent as well. Marshon Lattimore is a possible option. He is a great cover corner, and has great athleticism to keep up with the best of receivers.
They might have to trade up to get him, though, as the Packers have the 29th pick in the first round. They could also look at Fabian Moreau from UCLA. He is a big body corner who plays well 1-on-1, and has good ball skills.
Everywhere else
The Packers need more than just a secondary to make their defense dominant. They need to get a better pass rush in order to help out those defensive backs.
The Packers had 40 sacks last season, 11 of them belonging to Nick Perry. Perry had a good season last season, and the Packers locked him up on a five-year, $60 million deal. Perry needed time to develop, with this being his fifth year in the league. With his new deal he will be getting more snaps, and hopefully he can continue the same production.
The Packers might've overpaid Perry, but they believe he will be worth it, putting together more 10+ sack seasons.
With Julius Peppers leaving for Carolina, the Packers need more edge talent. The draft is full of edge rushers. Myles Garret would be a dream pick, but he is projected to go 1st overall, as he is a monster talent. A more logical option might be Tim Williams from Alabama, who has the best combination of speed and power. They could also look at Carl Lawson from Auburn, who had nine sacks in 2016.
They could also use an inside linebacker. Yes, they have Clay Matthews, but he is more of a pass rushing linebacker. There is some talent in free agency for some veteran talent. Kiko Alonso, and Will Compton could be possible targets, as they all provide great talent for a team that needs a leader in the middle.
In the draft they could look at Zach Cunningham, who played very well at Vanderbilt, having 125 tackles and 16.5 tackles for loss.
The Packers' defense needs a complete overhaul in the offseason. It now depends if they want to go young in the draft, or get seasoned talent in free agency. You can find gems either way, but Green Bay needs a defense that will be dominant, helping Aaron Rodgers and the offense when games get down to the wire.
