Green Bay Packers: Young secondary could make or break the season

The Green Bay Packers have a lot of youth in their secondary. These young players will have an important role in the upcoming season.

The Green Bay Packers are hoping to get back on track in 2019 and return to the postseason for the first time in three years. They have been flush with changes in recent seasons including a brand new head coach and a second-year general manager. These changes have had an obvious trickle-down effect to the team as well.

For the first time in years, it appears Green Bay is approaching the season with a different philosophy. New head coach Matt LaFleur loves to utilize the run game and will rely on it a lot next season. They also invested heavily in defense, signing three new starters and drafting at least one more. This change-up is meant to take the load off Aaron Rodgers‘ shoulders.

However, in order to lighten Rodgers’ expectations, the secondary must be up to the task. They are extremely talented and have a high ceiling if everything clicks. They are also very young.

Tramon Williams is the veteran of the group. He’s entering his 13th NFL season at 36-years-old and has some experience playing both cornerback and safety. He’ll be looked to guide and mentor the rest of the secondary in order to help the young guys feel capable of stepping up.

At 26-years-old, Adrian Amos isn’t necessarily a young buck. However, he’s coming from Chicago and will be tasked with learning a brand new scheme and new teammates. He’ll be given more responsibilities than he had with the Bears and we’ll see if he’s up for it. His partner in crime at safety will likely be rookie first-round pick Darnell Savage. Savage picked with the 21st overall selection in this year’s draft and is only 21.

The cornerback group is even younger. Kevin King is a third-year player out of Washington and is immensely talented. Unfortunately, the 24-year-old has struggled with injuries throughout his career. If he can stay on the field, he’s proven to be a good cover man.

After King is a couple of second-year players in Josh Jackson and Jaire Alexander. Jackson is 23-years-old and had a rough rookie season. The game might be too fast for him at corner, prompting him to eventually move to safety. However, the Packers are at least going to give him another try at corner and we’ll see how he does.

Alexander was a first-round selection last year and showed great potential during his first season. He’s undersized, but extremely fast and physical. He brings passion to every play and is an extremely hard worker. Oh, and he’s just 22-years-old.

If the Packers want their plan to work and their defense to hold their own, this young secondary must be up to the challenge. They have a lot of talent, but even more youth. The coaching staff will have to continue to work their magic and teach these young guys how to be professionals one very play. If it all works out, Green Bay’s payday could be immense.