Who is going to play where for the Packers in Jeff Hafley’s defense?

Aaron chats with Cody Alexander, the founder of Match Quarters, about the new pieces on defense and how they may all fit together in Jeff Hafley’s new defense in Titletown.

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what’s going on Packers fans Aaron
negler here joined by Cody Alexander the
founder and proprietor of match quarters
a former defensive coach Cody how are
you today doing great thanks for having
me on absolutely thanks for taking the
time I know we spoke a couple months ago
about the switch to a new 4-3 scheme
under Jeff Halley though I know there’s
lots of other layers to it especially
when it comes to third down packages
pressure situations I just want to get
first of all your impressions of what
the Packers did on draft weekend because
look you’re a defensive guy and the
Packers added a lot of bodies on the
defensive side yeah they definitely are
are painting a picture of what they want
this defense to look like completely
rebuilding the linebacker room outside
of quay walker uh they brought a that
yes they got a couple of what they got a
couple of corners and they got a couple
of safeties and to me what they did is
they showed you through that how they
want to build this out so each one that
they took especially the safeties uh
there’s a plan in place for them and
then you can kind of have an idea this
is going to be a 4-3 defense that’s
probably going to spend a lot of time in
nickel yeah and that’s let’s start there
as far as what that means because I know
we’ve heard it a lot Brian’s talked
about it we heard Matt reiterated um
after the draft was over on Saturday
when you’re talking about the base in a
4-3 and then moving to a nickel can you
explain to people out there what that
means yeah so there’s really what we’re
doing is your traditional Sam linebacker
we’re now going to take him off the
field and we’re really just going to be
playing with a a will linebacker and a
Mike linebacker and so that extra DB can
be a multitude of different things it
can be a third corner it can be a big
nickel so it could be a safety it could
be a guy I mean we’re in the we’re in
the age of football now where there’s
guys that that’s just what they play
they are a nickel guy they they play in
the slot um and so we have guys like
that I think Brian Branch for the Lions
staying within the division that’s a
great example of a guy that really that
he’s a nickel and he’s really nothing
else and that’s where that’s where he
plays do you let’s talk and start with
the safeties because I think you talk
about the nickel position Andor people
playing along the interior of the
secondary I think we’re you know
understanding that Jer Alexander and
most likely either Carrington Valentine
or Eric Stokes will be your main
perimeter Corners right but when you
kick inside they did reassign kesan
Nixon but they got a bunch of guys in
this draft who have a lot of experience
playing along the interior and you look
at Javon Bullard for example that’s a
guy who I expect to compete right away
and maybe even force them into some
three safety looks I I don’t know what
you think about his skill set and how he
fits in this defense but uh I think
these safeties are going to compete
sooner rather than later yeah if you
just go down the list second round draft
pick you get Javon Boward Boward can
play from the nickel all the way to a
deep safety so what what this signals to
me is that they can carry three safety
packages against certain teams that they
want to have a a big nickel presence but
then also he can with m m Xavier mcken
who got signed by the Giants Xavier
mckin to me played a lot of box safety
he was kind of 5050 uh with the Giants
and so he can play Down Boward gives you
that hybrid guy that can either play
down if we get motion we can kind of he
can be the adjuster on that you feel
comfortable with McKenna or him playing
deep but then also he can go in and play
slot if that’s somewhere where you feel
like he can excel in that to me he’s
kind of the uh to me he’s like the
lynchpin of this this whole thing is
where he’s that key cog that’s gonna
make this thing work if that if he can
actually produce because now you can
move him wherever you want and then
McKenna can play down when you look at
the other safeties you got Williams and
oladapo I I’m really familiar with
oladapo I’m not that familiar with
Williams but it seems at first blush
that the somewhat similar in regards to
having done a lot kind of all over both
back end dropping down into the box but
do you think this is a possible
indication as far as we have talked
before about the pressure packages right
coming out of the Rex Ryan tree is this
a case where they’re going to want to
get lots of different body types maybe
involved dependent on who the opponent
is it feels like they want
interchangeable parts but also they want
guys who can do a lot of different
things and keep offensive coordinators
kind of guessing yeah Evan Williams to
me is your prototypical down safety I
think he’ll probably start behind
McKenna and then be able to fight with
Bullard for reps if they feel like he
can transition maybe even playing some
of that big nickel uh towards the bottom
like you said he’s coming from Oregon
same with Boward is comeing from Georgia
very coverage diverse I mean this is the
Sabin system so we are talking about uh
and I know we’ve talked before like Quay
Walker I think is he even said in is
like these these scouting reports and
what we’re doing on Sundays is much
easier than anything that we had a carry
on a Saturday in Georgia it’s kind of
the same thing so you’re going to get
that from Boward you’re going to get
that from Williams who I really think uh
he’s your mix use guy if you need a big
nickel that can be your guy if you want
to move bowler down he then comes in uh
and let McKenna play deep and let him
play down just depending because I feel
like we’re going to get a lot of single
High coverage uh from this group but
then that everybody here has the ability
to play split field which means they
have the ability to play back I really
like Oladipo to me is and I’m going to
stay in the NFC this is going to be uh
the Maris Bell Dallas guy like this is
your nickel backer this is your big if
we want to go big nickel like in all
caps we want to go big ni like th this
to me is a pick where we’re playing the
Lions they’re in their 12 Personnel
stuff they’re butting it up they’re
running the ball with Montgomery we
still want to run or we still because
they still play uh 11 Personnel passing
Concepts out of it we want to be able to
have a presence on that but then a guy
that I feel like uh will be a coverage
guy so to me that they’ve they’ve got a
guy at every spot in safety that they
didn’t have in Prior years and it shows
you kind of an idea of where this
defense is headed how much of this
defense is predicated on that because it
feels like we hear that a lot on the
offensive side of the ball right as far
as sending out Personnel packages to try
and get defense is guessing as far as
okay well they’ve got a number of pass
catchers out there but then they come
out in some kind of power-like formation
to run the ball feels like this defense
is trending towards a place where
they’re almost wanting to dictate with
their personnel as opposed to always
kind of being reactionary to what the
offense is doing is that something that
is akin to this scheme or is am I
reading too much into that well I do
feel like if you’re going to play a lot
of single high you need moving Parts in
that nickel spot and that down safety
spot so that you can match up remember
the NFL is a space sport we we’ve moved
past it it’s a spread League now uh
where you know you’ve got to have guys
that can match up in space and so what
you’re what you need in the safety
position uh and which is ironic because
the safety position a lot of times is
kind of similar to linebackers where it
kind of like oh well we’ll just get a
guy out out of the draft but I think
part of that problem is that in terms of
just cap where you’re not spinning a lot
of cap on that is just that you’re
looking at safety position more as these
interchangeable parts so when you get a
guy that can play three Downs at at your
deep safety or as your down safety you
pay the guy otherwise you find you kind
of you know it’s the land of Misfit Toys
where we’re gonna have a dime back in
one sense but then we have a big nickel
and another guy then we kind of have a
guy that can play everything we have a
deep guy we have a down guy and so what
you really look at is is these the draft
picks that they took and then the guys
that they have on the roster there’s a
clear path of how they’re going to play
and where they’re going to play and then
it’s just up to the draft picks really
to produce in the in the OTAs in the
preseason to be to earn the right to
play on on Sunday and help the defense
kind of figure out what they’re going to
be you mentioned you know the guys they
took kind of suggests you know where
they’re going to play how they’re going
to play you look at Edan
Cooper I would say pretty much by
consensus the number one linebacker in
this draft he’s not a old school middle
guy right he’s not a guy who you kind of
dream up of in if you were talking like
late 80s football where you’re running a
lot of iso lead with a fullback in the
whole like taking on blocks with uh
trying to shed blocks from guards and
centers Etc he’s not that but the league
isn’t that anymore how do you see him
fitting into Halle scheme this is your
money backer right this is your will
linebacker this is your coverage backer
this is a guy that’s going to follow the
tight end that’s going to let Quay
Walker be what he was at Georgia which
is a blitzing linebacker and then a box
backer uh that’s so to me you look at
the body type difference of that Cooper
probably is a little bit on the you know
the Lesser side when when you’re looking
at Walker Walker’s kind of the guy
that’s G to play you know from C to C
Gap this is a guy that can then match up
with maybe tight ends in zone coverage
he can kind of Shadow a tight end if you
need him he can run that’s kind of the
big thing with him this to me also
allows you to move Isaiah McDuffy uh to
the same linebacker spot so if you are
going to play base this is a guy now you
have a true Sam now you have a true will
linebacker and so to me drafting him and
pairing him with Walker now you have
with the rest of the draft picks this is
what a nickel defense looks like in the
NFL and to that point that means I mean
essentially you’re in nickel 75 plus
percent of the time right we’re going to
see a lot of Walker and Cooper together
that that would be my guess that would
be what I would assume as well and then
what you have with with Tyron Hopper who
you drafted later in Miss that’s that’s
a guy that’s going to back up Quay
Walker like that’s he’s a true
traditional box linebacker ctoc guy
that’s where you’re going to get that
now you have two athletic guys you have
a guy that can play Sam you have a guy
that can play your money backer uh and
so now you can have that and that’s one
of the things when you’re in a three4
and you play a lot of five down front
you really don’t need that many
linebackers because they’re all kind of
the same guys your edges are are the
ones that are kind of the answers in the
in the The Zone coverage piece or you’re
bringing in an extra guy for nickel
running that Penny front which is 51 so
you can really tell this is they’re
really leaning into the four down front
stuff and and the linebacker selection
as well just kind of highlights uh where
this defense wants to go it’s
interesting you talk about the fourman
front right and I do think we’re going
to see a lot of it but per our
conversation a couple months ago you
know hle does come out of a kind of
lineage where the pressure situations at
least you know the the big passing Downs
he likes to send pressure he does come
out of a Rex Ryan tree almost as far as
what he’s drawing up are we going to see
guys with you know obviously their hands
in the dirt on early downs but are they
going to be you think standing up along
the edges kind of mixing and matching
depending on down and distance and
opponent yeah of course yeah and to me
really hand down hand uh standing up
that really has a lot more to do with uh
the the Personnel that you have so if
you have an edge rusher a lot of those
guys especially if you’re going to drop
them into coverage you want those guys
standing up it’s a little bit more
natural for them it really doesn’t
change anything in terms of their pre in
in their pressure path or the rush path
uh what it’s really doing is C is seeing
movement being able to see where the
back placement is being wide being able
to stab and drop and not necessarily
have your hand down uh I think that’s
what it lends itself to so I do think on
third down that’s pretty much a basis
anymore I really don’t there I you will
be hard pressed to find guys now if they
are a true defensive end like let’s say
we’re we’re playing the 49ers those guys
they’re not gonna stand up just because
they don’t drop those guys in coverage
so they’re down in that you know the
famous Bosa Sprinter stance they look
like they’re he’s getting ready to run a
40 yard dash you know and so to me
that’s that’s philosophical about that I
think what he’s said too halfly has said
about the the line is very much Schwarz
like and kind of what we saw with the
Browns just like hey we’ll stop the run
on our way to the quarterback we’re
going to Jet this and that to me that
tells me you’re going to play a lot of
single single Gap meaning you’re going
to play a lot of Middle Field close
coverage and that’s something I did want
to talk to you about as far as their
responsibilities upfront because they
didn’t add any bodies right so we’re
were kind of looking at who’s already on
hand talking about the Kenny Clarks the
Devonte Wyatts of the world what is
going to be the difference up front
because from what I’ve read it feels
like it’s much more as you just said
stopping the run on the way to the
quarterback rather than two gapping
rather than reading
it it’s going to be just get off the and
kill that Gap yeah I I think the front
structure wise if there was somebody
that I could look at and say okay what
are we going to look like I think it’s
going to be very much like the 49ers the
Jets in the same breath of the the
Browns where we’re going to get our guys
in a two ey and a three inside we’re
going to go hammer the gaps we’re going
to Jet those gaps our outside guys are
going to try and go to the quarterback
uh and then box runs when we can really
allow our linebackers to be fast in
their Gap uh if you really look at it
they’re athletic at linebacker that’s
really what they want to lean into and
then now that coverage aspect of what
you know if you’re gonna play a lot of
cover one you got to be able to cover
that box because nothing can leak
outside of it because everybody’s back’s
pretty much turned so to me that’s where
we’re GNA get I think listening to
Halley it sounds to me like we’re going
to get a a pretty good amount of cover
one with a lot of vision quarters on the
back end so it will look I that to me
it’ll look a lot probably like what the
Jets look like well that’s the Hope
because they actually have a good
defense and we haven’t seen that in
Green Bay in a very very long time uh
one last thing I did want to touch on
with you uh regarding the selection of
kin King there I mean all right at the
end of the draft he had such a promising
2022 pretty disappointing 2023 but when
you turn on the tape I think that’s a
guy who can compete right away I mean
I’m talking about you know Stokes and
Valentine most likely having you know
the the chance to start there but I
wouldn’t be surprised if King isn’t
involved somehow is either on the
perimeter or I think he has played
somewhat in the slot how how do you see
that selection and how do you see him
fitting in yeah if you really look at
the Penn State Defense I mean the past
couple years it has been very under
Manny has been very Man heavy I mean
these they have a lot of man refs I do
agree with you when I saw that he was on
I was like wait a second I know that guy
right I was like and if you go back I
mean if you you even go back you know
you know uh just a year ago this is a
person that was slated to be a late
first round draft pick he just didn’t
have a very good season uh and then he
slides all the way to the seven I don’t
think he tested very well as well but
this is a guy who I think you can keep
around as maybe the fourth or fifth
Corner that you might turn around uh
about three four you know games into the
season and you’re finding ways to get
this guy on the field he is an outside
man Corner Guru that is what he is
that’s what he does I think he played
like almost 80 to 85 snap percent of his
snaps outside maybe he has the size and
the quickness to move inside as like a
third Corner in the slot and maybe
that’s the plan for him just having hey
maybe we’re gonna try if he doesn’t he
can still play outside but yeah I
thought if you look for a late round
steal in this draft it’s probably gonna
be king for the Packers because if he
can hit or if he can play like he did in
2022 uh you may have a starting corner
in the next two three years absolutely
love it Cody I cannot thank you enough
everyone make sure you’re checking out
match quarters for everything when it
comes to the defensive side of the ball
whether you’re talking NFL you’re
talking College Cody covers it all I’ll
have a link in the description of this
video Cody thank you so much for the
time man yeah thanks for having me on
really appreciate it