The Green Bay Packers have a great deal of questions on offense entering the 2023 season. However there are also just as many questions on defense, especially at the safety position. Darnell Savage is the only safety that is presumed to be guaranteed a starting role.
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After Savage, the list of safeties on the Packers’ depth chart is lacking in consistency. Rudy Ford, Jonathan Owens, and Tarvarius Moore are all candidates for the other starting spot; but each does not inspire confidence.
Related: Green Bay Packers Insider Reveals 1 Thing Fans Should Be Skeptical About in 2023
The Green Bay Packers Were Once Again Named a Top Destination for Free Agent Safety John Johnson III
Due to the lack of inspiring depth at the safety position, many NFL analysts have named Green Bay as a top destination for free agent safety John Johnson III. Bleacher Report‘s Maurice Moton joined that group in a recent article.
Of Johnson’s ability to be a quality addition to a NFL team, Moton wrote:
“In six seasons, John Johnson wore multiple hats in the secondary, lining up at both safety positions and in the slot. He’s the quintessential “glue guy” who can move around like a chess piece on the back end of a defense.
“Unlike a lot of defensive backs available, Johnson has remained steady in coverage, allowing no more than an 82.8 passer rating in coverage every year since 2018. Also, over the previous two seasons, he’s surrendered just three touchdowns.
“Aside from his coverage ability, Johnson can help out in run support. Even though a thumper role isn’t his forte, he saw an improvement in his missed tackle rate, which dropped from 12.9 percent to nine percent between 2021 and 2022.
“Any team that values versatile defensive backs should make an offer to Johnson, who’s still in his prime—turning 28 in December.
Moton then named the Los Angeles Chargers, Green Bay Packers, and Las Vegas Raiders as the top landing spots for Johnson.
How Does John Johnson III Compare to Other Green Bay Packers Safeties?
That passer rating when targeted should be very attractive to the Packers. The safeties currently on their roster did not perform nearly as well in 2022:
- Savage- 114.2
- Ford- 106.7
- Owens- 128.5
- Moore- 79.2 (targeted just two times and played just 41 defensive snaps)
That being said, each of them had a lower missed tackle percentage than Johnson’s 9.0% (except Savage):
- Savage- 9.4%
- Ford- 8.3%
- Owens- 6.0%
- Moore- 0.0%
As mentioned, Savage is going to be one of the Packers’ starting safeties. There is no doubt about that. It is, therefore, accurate to state that Johnson is better in coverage than the other three starting candidates, but is not as good of a tackler.
At this point in the offseason, Green Bay likely could afford to sign Johnson. As Moton notes, he is going to be 28 years old and, therefore, would not go against the youth movement that Green Bay as dedicated themselves to. However, one would imagine that if the Packers were going to add another safety, they would have done so already.
The fact of the matter is that Green Bay has signed two free agent safeties already this offseason (Moore and Owens) and drafted another (Anthony Johnson Jr., whom coaches are very excited about). With Dallin Leavitt having the favor of special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, there just does not seem to be room on the roster for another safety.
Is that they way it should be? That is open to debate. However, it is the way it is. As much as signing Johnson could add improvement to the safety room, it likely will not happen.
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