Packers Make Surprising Secondary Upgrade in ESPN Prediction

The Green Bay Packers are in an excellent spot heading into the 2024 season. With one of the youngest and most talented rosters in the NFL, the Packers have a great shot of making a deep postseason run once again. However, they still have plenty of work to do this offseason. They are not in an optimal cap situation with plenty of bad contracts for unproductive players.

General manager Brian Gutekunst needs to get creative to get the Packers under the cap to give themselves maneuver room to acquire more talent in the offseason.

Xavier McKinney Considered a "Best Fit" for the Packers

One area that could use a talent upgrade is the defensive backfield. The Packers' defense was inconsistent all season, leading to a defensive coordinator change. Under Jeff Hafley, the coverage and pressure tendencies will certainly change in Titletown.

This could lead to a personnel change as well. Rudy Ford and Darnell Savage could be gone in free agency, creating a void at safety. ESPN's Matt Bowen thinks the New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney could be an excellent fit in Green Bay.

McKinney is not only one of the best safeties on the market, but he is also 24 and fits Green Bay's timeline. PFF graded him as the best safety in the league in coverage, and fourth-best overall. He had three interceptions and 116 tackles while playing every snap and both safety positions.

The Giants will be foolish to let McKinney walk. They will try to franchise or transition tag him, but if he is available, the Packers should do everything they can to sign him.

If the Packers make the right free-agency moves, they are a good bet to make it back to the postseason. However, FanDuel Sportsbook considers the Packers a long shot to win the Super Bowl at +2200.

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