Green Bay Packers need their young secondary to take another step

The Green Bay Packers saw massive improvement in the secondary in 2019, but the group’s play in 2020 could play a huge role in dictating the team’s record.

In the team’s first year under head coach Matt LaFleur, the Packers fielded an opportunistic and, at times, dominant pass defense. Free agent additions Za’Darius and Preston Smith led a potent pass rush, and new safeties Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage Jr. cured the secondary of some of its deep-ball troubles.

The Packers also boasted one of their deepest cornerback groups in recent memory. Jaire Alexander flashed All-Pro talent in his second season, excelling in coverage and forcing three turnovers.

Third-year man Kevin King roamed the opposite side of the field, showing off his rare combination of size and ball skills in his first healthy season. King led the team with five interceptions, including two crucial late-game picks to seal wins over the Minnesota Vikings.

Tramon Williams and Chandon Sullivan were effective as well, with the latter expected to take on most of the former’s duties in 2020. However, for all of the talent that the young secondary showed, it was plagued by inconsistency.

At times, the unit looked like one of the best in the league, forcing 25 turnovers and giving opposing quarterbacks fits. However, when the defense failed to steal the ball away, it struggled. While Green Bay ranked near the top of the league in takeaways, they were middle-of-the-pack in passing yards allowed.

A common theme in the Packers’ three losses was a failure to take away the ball, with opposing quarterbacks completing 51 of 75 passes for 707 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions. For a secondary that lives on generating takeaways and taking advantage of field position, games like these are difficult to win.

Takeaways are one of the most unpredictable stats on a year-to-year basis, and some degree of luck will always go into them. It’s rare for a team to consistently steal the ball away, and at a certain point, a secondary needs to be able to get stops. In 2020, the Packers need to prove that they can do so.

Alexander, King, Amos, Savage, and Sullivan certainly have the talent to be a lockdown group, but consistency will be key. King has struggled with injuries over the course of his career, Savage still needs to build on a promising rookie season, and Sullivan has played on a limited basis so far throughout his career.

However, Amos is one of the most consistent safeties that Green Bay has had in a long time, and Alexander has a good chance to establish himself as a true shutdown presence in 2020. After gaining some valuable experience in 2019, this young group could impress in the fall.

However, high-powered passing games like New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, and Houston on the schedule, the secondary’s play could dictate Green Bay’s success.

Quarterbacks like Deshaun Watson, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady are known for taking good care of the ball, and a lack of discipline in coverage could sink the Packers’ talented defense. Poor performances in games like these, combined with statistical regression in takeaways, could spell disaster.