Green Bay Packers 10 Keys to success: #8 Darnell Savage

Moving forward with my countdown of the 10 keys to a successful Green Bay Packers’ season, today we land at number eight with rookie Darnell Savage.

One of the Green Bay Packers’ biggest weaknesses last season was the poor play from the defensive backfield.

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix never took the big step that the team was hoping for. Kentrell Brice and Josh Jones were both inept in coverage. Jermaine Whitehead was released in the middle of the season and Ibraheim Campbell was injured. As a last resort, Tramon Williams was moved from cornerback to safety in the middle of the season.

Add it all together, and you have a team that was essentially back at square one at the safety position heading into the 2019 offseason.

To remedy this, GM Brian Gutekunst was aggressive in attacking what was perhaps the Packers’ biggest weakness – the safety.

Adrian Amos was quickly signed as a free agent to give them the veteran stability they had not had since the days of Charles Woodson roaming the back-end. However, the Green Bay Packers weren’t done as they traded up nine spots to select Maryland safety Darnell Savage with the 21st pick in the first round of the NFL draft.

At the time, the pick was considered a reach as many draft experts saw the safety class as one that did not have any first-round talent and they did not see a large amount of separation between the prospects.

Clearly, Gutekunst felt differently by moving up to get Savage.

Gutekunst stated that he felt there were not many players that paired well with Amos, and that he thought Savage was the best of that bunch. If he is right, Savage gives the Green Bay Packers a potential strength at a position that had been incredibly poor for them over the last three years.

Savage has the ability to transform this defense if he is able to perform and be assignment sound immediately.

Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine wants to interchange the way he uses his safeties and he can’t do that if Savage is brought along slowly. Pettine will be relying heavily on Amos to cover for Savage if he shows that he isn’t quite ready for all the responsibilities that come with being a starting safety in this Packers’ defense.

With that said, if he is ready, Pettine can use both players interchangeably in the box and as the deep centerfielder. Amos is very capable of doing both, as is Savage.

In addition, Savage allows Pettine to use players like Campbell, Raven Greene, and Josh Jones down in the box as the overhang safety that they enjoyed using so much a season ago.

Relying on a rookie is usually a risky business in the NFL, but this particular rookie has a chance to help the Green Bay Packers’ defense find their most effective form.

Savage will have a lot on his plate early in his career and the Packers knew that when they selected him. Both parties are aware of the expectations because of the investment that has been made in him.

If Savage is good, the Green Bay defense has a chance to be special. And if the defense is special, the Packers can get back to the playoffs regardless of how the offense performs under new head coach Matt LaFleur.