LaFleur: Darnell Savage will begin at S for Packers and Rasul Douglas at CB
By Paul Bretl
Matt LaFleur provided some clarity on what the makeup of the Green Bay Packers secondary could look like in 2023
LaFleur told reporters on Tuesday that Darnell Savage will begin the year at safety for the Green Bay Packers while Keisean Nixon will get every opportunity to earn the starting nickel cornerback role.
More opportunities for Nixon in the slot is a topic that Gutekunst discussed as well. He played 244 slot snaps this past season, holding opponents to under 10 yards per catch while also being a willing tackler in the run game. Gutekunst called Nixon “highly impactful.”
Savage, meanwhile, had a rough 2022 season, where missed tackles and communication breakdowns on the back end happened all too frequently. He was even benched at one point and relegated to dime duties, resulting in minimal playing time.
Savage has been at his best playing closer to the line of scrimmage, and we saw that at the end of last season when he was starting in the slot. The Packers, however, find themselves low on experienced options at the safety position.
The recently signed Tarvarius Moore, who was more of special teams player with San Francisco, has the second-most defensive snaps at safety right now with 1,073 career snaps over four seasons. It’s also worth noting that he played just 60 defensive snaps in 2022, and over half of his total snaps came during the 2020 season.
Given the construction of the Packers’ secondary, a potential solution to the hurdles they face at the safety position could have consisted of Savage playing in the slot, along with Rasul Douglas moving to safety, something GM Brian Gutekunst brought up at the NFL Combine.
But that won’t be happening– or at least not for the time being. With Eric Stokes still sidelined with an ankle injury, if the Packers went the route I just described, they would have an opening at the boundary cornerback position with no real options on the roster to fill it.
By Douglas staying at outside cornerback, his best position, LaFleur specified, he and Alexander will defend the boundaries, with Nixon in the slot and Savage – plus someone else – lined up deep. Once Stokes returns, however, we could see a change. Green Bay has wanted to keep Stokes lined up outside, which could mean that Douglas then moving to safety would be the logical move.
The Packers could then pair Douglas with Savage deep or choose to have Savage take over the slot duties. Another option would be having Alexander be the primary nickel corner with Douglas and Stokes out wide, but that then limits his ability to follow around the opponent’s top receiver.
Adding to safety in the draft is likely an item high up on Gutekunst’s to-do list, although it’s worth noting that this year’s class is short on high-end talent at that position. I also wouldn’t be surprised if the Packers add a cornerback early on either, given the amount of talent at that position group early on in this draft.