The Green Bay Packers’ defense is one of the younger and more intriguing in the NFL, with homegrown talent at all three levels, and according to defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, there is a strong leadership presence emerging.
One year after signing with the Packers and pulling down a career-high eight interceptions on his way to becoming an All-Pro for the first time in his career, safety Xavier McKinney is stepping up as a leader.
“For our room, he’s created an environment where there’s obviously very high competition,” Hafley recently told reporters, of McKinney. “Which is a great thing, because there’s so many good players in our room, but they’re ready to help one another. He will speak to, it doesn’t matter who in the room, about how to look at certain things and here’s where your eyes should be and here’s what your thought progression should be, so when he sets that example from the top down, the other guys start to realize, OK, it’s all right to talk to this person even though we’re in a cut-throat competition for our jobs.
“Within that meeting room, we’re helping one another. He’s also established an environment where every man in the room knows if they earn a seat in that room, they’re going to be called upon at some point in time, and they’re going to have to perform for the sake of the defense and the team.”
McKinney’s blend of playmaking ability and willingness to mentor teammates could be the catalyst that elevates a young defense from promising to dominant.
If the Packers’ secondary follows his lead, the ripple effect could be felt all the way to January. And for a team with Super Bowl aspirations, that kind of culture shift might be just as valuable as the interceptions themselves.
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
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