The Green Bay Packers’ top three safeties from last season, Darnell Savage Jr., Jonathan Owens, and Rudy Ford, departed in free agency. Savage signed with the Jaguars, Owens signed with the Bears, and Ford remains unsigned. With their top three safeties gone, the Packers needed to address their weakest position.
They signed Xavier McKinney and drafted three safeties, including their 2nd-rounder.
The Green Bay Packers drafted a defensive back from the SEC
The Packers drafted Javon Bullard 58th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Bullard played college football for the Bulldogs since 2021 and has experience playing nickel and safety. He spent last season as the starting safety.
He looks to start alongside McKinney but will have to earn the starting job.
Javon Bullard will compete for a starting job
Since Bullard can play nickel and safety, he could be in the mix for both starting spots. He received first-team reps with the starting defense at safety to open training camp, while Keisean Nixon saw action in the slot.
Matt Schneidman of The Athletic has Bullard in “pole position” to start alongside McKinney.
“Behind him lies uncertainty after the Packers didn’t re-sign any of last year’s top three safeties in free agency. Johnson played more than 300 defensive snaps as a seventh-round rookie last season, but the second-round rookie Bullard figures to have pole position on a starting spot and can also play in the slot as a pair of Day 3 rookies in Williams and Oladapo will provide depth.”
Two players look to face off against him for the starting spot.
Player #1
The first player competing is Anthony Johnson Jr. Johnson, a 7th-round pick from 2023, who started four games as a rookie and logged over 300 snaps, the most of any returning safety. He has also received playing time with the first-team defense throughout the offseason.
Player #2
The second player competing is Evan Williams. The Packers drafted Williams in the 4th round, 111th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. He played his first four seasons of college football for Fresno State and transferred to Oregon for the 2023 season.
His best chance of starting is if Bullard wins the starting nickel job.