The Green Bay Packers defense does not have as many questions surrounding it as the offense does. One of the main questions, though, that has been a concern of knowledgeable fans and analysts for over a year is the team’s safety situation. Darnell Savage will start, but beyond that certainty the depth at the position is questionable.
Fortunately, the top five best PFF grades on defense included multiple players competing for a roster spot at safety. If the Packers can turn this apparent weakness into a strength, the defense will be much improved this season.
Related: Green Bay Packers- 5 Highest and 5 Lowest PFF Grades on Offense in 36-19 Victory over Bengals
PFF’s Top 5 Defensive Grades for the Green Bay Packers
Undrafted free agent cornerback William Hooper led all Packers defenders with an overall PFF grade of 90.3. He was targeted eight times, but allowed just three receptions for 19 yards. The other Packers players who rounded out the top five were:
- Carrington Valentine- 89.8
- TJ Slaton- 89.5
- Tarvarious Moore- 81.7
- Anthony Johnson Jr.- 76.5
Valentine, of course, was one of the highlighted players of the night due to his interception and two pass breakups. It is promising to see Moore and Johnson on the list as they are each competing for a spot in the safety room on the 53-man roster.
PFF’s Worst 5 Defensive Grades for the Green Bay Packers
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Second-year defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt has had very high expectations this season placed upon him by multiple analysts. He has been playing well in training camp, too, and is one of the team’s most hyped players.
Unfortunately, Wyatt did not play particularly well in the nine snaps he did get on Friday night. He ended the night with a PFF grade of 29.1. The other four players that bottomed out the list were:
- Kenneth Odumegwu
- Lukas Van Ness
- Jonathan Owens
- Jason Lewan
Seeing Odumewgu here is not surprising. As part of the international players program, he just learned how to play American football very recently. Lewan, like Wyatt, only got nine snaps on the night.
What is somewhat troubling, though, is the presence of Jonathan Owens and Lukas Van Ness here. Owens started at safety and many consider him to be the favorite to land the second starting job. Then again, he only play 15 snaps and likely would have played better as the game progressed.
Van Ness is certainly raw. He oftentimes misread runs and found himself out of position on plays, He still has a lot to learn, but will be a massive problem for opposing offenses once he figures it out.
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