PFF: Packers secondary ranked 6th best in the NFL

Pro Football Focus recently ranked all 32 secondaries in the NFL ahead of the 2021 season with the Green Bay Packers’ unit coming in at six nationally.

With the upcoming season expected to be one of reigning MVP Aaron Rodger’s final yeasrs with the organization, the Packers are going all in on another Super Bowl run. A key factor in the Packers accomplishing their goal could very well be its secondary.

Jaire Alexander emerged as one of the best cornerbacks in the league in 2020. The Louisville product was selected to his first Pro Bowl and earned second-team All-Pro honors. He finished the season with 51 tackles, 13 passes deflected and an interception. Per PFF, Alexander and teammate Adrian Amos ranked one and two, respectively in PFF WAR, a statistic explained here

The aforementioned Amos and second-year safety Darnell Savage patrol the defensive backfield. Amos is not only rated highly in PFF WAR but also led the Packers in tackles last season with 83 total. He also recorded two interceptions and nine passes deflected. Savage took an encouraging step forward in his sophomore campaign, finishing the year with a 72.1 PFF grade, good for 17th among qualifying safeties. Statistically, he finished with 75 tackles, four interceptions and 12 passes deflected in 2020.

New faces in Packers secondary

Green Bay spent their first round pick this year on shoring up the cornerback spot opposite Alexander, drafting Eric Stokes Jr. from Georgia.

Stokes made waves in the leadup to the draft, recording a 4.29 40-yard dash at Georgia’s pro day. Per PFF, Stokes didn’t allow a single 20+ yard reception across 299 coverage snaps in his final season with the Bulldogs.

Stokes has already taken some lumps in training camp practicing against Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams, but Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has kept a positive mindset he told the Green Bay Press-Gazette’s Ryan Wood.

#Packers coach Matt LaFleur on what he tells rookie Eric Stokes, who has been taking his lumps vs. 12 and 17 in camp: "I just try to reiterate to him that you're going against the best at their position in Aaron and Davante, so there's going to be some tough moments."

— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) August 3, 2021

Other members of the Packers secondary include fifth-year cornerback Kevin King from Washington, fourth-year cornerback Josh Jackson and second-year safety Vernon Scott from TCU.

Jackson was named Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year and a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as a junior at Iowa. He appeared in 12 games last season and started in five. He recorded 26 tackles and two passes deflected. Scott appeared in 15 games as a rookie last season, recording 13 total tackles and a sack. Last season, King started 11 games, recording 57 tackles.