When I think about the best defenses in Green Bay Packers history that I've ever had the privilege to watch, of course, the 1996 and 2010 teams come to mind. Both squads were outstanding at getting after the Quarterback and taking the ball away. One thing both of those defenses had in common was that they both had Hall of Fame-caliber safeties. Leroy Butler of course was inducted into the Hall, and Nick Collins' name comes up a lot in consideration but he hasn't been elected yet. Had Collins' career not been cut short by a neck injury, he probably would be easily enshrined. Unfortunately, that neck injury in my personal opinion is one of the reasons the Packers did not return to the Super Bowl after their victory in the 2010 season. They've been chasing having that great safety ever since. 

There have been several attempts at that game-changing safety since Nick Collins' departure. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was drafted 21st overall in 2014. He had some flashes but never quite lived up to the hype many had behind him when his name was called by the commissioner on draft night. After Clinton-Dix was traded away in 2018 the Packers signed safety Adrian Amos and drafted safety Darnell Savage the following offseason. Amos was a solid safety, you'll never hear a complaint from this writer about his time in Green Bay, but he wasn't exactly the game-changer Butler or Collins were. Savage on the other hand was almost a repeat of Clinton-Dix, had some flashes, but never lived up to the hype. The Packers let Adrian Amos hit free agency in 2023 and the same with Darnell Savage in 2024. So, with a Safety position to essentially rebuild in 2024, enter Xavier McKinney. 

I was not shy about my desire for McKinney to be a Packer back in March. I made sure to make that known with an article regarding his fit with the Packers as well as a subtle mention when writing about signing and drafting safeties. I may have been a little off with my picks of rookies to put next to McKinney, but with the outstanding play of Javon Bullard and Evan Williams lately, I'm doing just fine with being wrong. My desire for McKinney's signing wasn't just because he was regarded as one of the top available safeties, it was because of his fit in new defensive coordinator, Jeff Hafley's projected scheme.

It was predicted that Jeff Hafley would be running with a deep safety role on passing downs. McKinney's excellent recognition and speed from back-pedaling in the middle of the field to turning on the jets toward the sideline to close in on a receiver made him a great candidate for this role. Not to mention McKinney's sure-tackling abilities. After suffering through Darnell Savage failing to make tackles as the last line of defense, hearing McKinney was excellent at wrapping up ball-carriers was music to my ears. Not to mention McKinney would only be 25 at the start of Preseason, which would mean if McKinney worked out, his third contract could come at only 28 years of age. 

Fast forward to week 8 of the 2024 season, and already McKinney's signing has been well worth it. If you look only at the stat line, you'll see after 7 games, McKinney has already hit his career-high of five interceptions in a season. He also has a fumble recovery, and a sack, and is on track for a career-high in passes defended. But perhaps the best part of McKinney's presence on the Packers' defense is just that, his presence. When you have a safety in the secondary who can make plays on any given down, it allows the rest of the defense to stick to their game and not worry about getting burned. So far in 2024, when targeted, QBs only have an 8.9 passer rating against Xavier McKinney. 

McKinney has been lights out so far for this Packers' defense, and there's reason to believe that he's only getting started. 

The sky is the limit for this defense.

After dealing with some pretty lackluster defenses over the last 10+ years, I'm honestly tickled to say that the Packers could end up with a top 5 or top 10 defense under Jeff Hafley for the foreseeable future. And a good majority of the credit for this is due to the play of Xavier McKinney. As of this week, the Packers are ranked in the middle of the pack in total defense, passing defense, and believe it or not, rushing defense. Ranks aside, when you compare this defense to years prior, they just have a much better ability to get off the field whether that be by forcing turnovers or making third down stops. 

In the past, if the offense would score a crucial go-ahead touchdown, it was fairly common to see the defense give it up the very next drive. It was like our cross to bear as Packer fans. Get excited about the team re-taking the lead, but then get angry when alas, the defense gave it up. That is seeming to be a thing of the past, and hopefully it stays that way. 

These first seven games have only been the beginning. Every team goes through an adoption time with a new offense and defense. One example could be Rashan Gary. He's still an outstanding pass rusher and his QB pressures could turn into sacks over the next few weeks as receivers are covered up by McKinney and company. 

Time will tell whether or not Xavier McKinney will reach the level of Leroy Butler or Nick Collins. But, I'd like to say after his performance in the first half of this season, he could be well on his way, and soon we could see a much better, lights-out defense.