The Packers have made their move on the defensive side of the ball, bringing in Jonathan Gannon as their new defensive coordinator. Gannon, fresh off a stint as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals and previously the architect behind the Eagles’ Super Bowl-caliber defense, steps into the role vacated by Jeff Hafley-who’s now calling the shots in Miami as the Dolphins’ head coach.
Hafley’s time in Green Bay was marked by flashes of strong defensive play, but let’s be honest: the defense was often left holding the bag. The offense’s inconsistency-especially late in games-meant the defense was constantly being asked to do too much. When the offense stalled, the defense was forced to stay on the field longer than it should’ve, and eventually, cracks started to show.
Now, Gannon inherits that same challenge. And while his scheme has sparked plenty of discussion over the years-both when he was in Philly and more recently in Arizona-the truth is, no scheme can overcome a roster that’s missing key pieces. Gannon might have a different playbook than Hafley, but unless the personnel improves, it may not matter much.
Let’s talk about that personnel. The Packers’ defensive front took a major hit last year when Kenny Clark left.
That created a vacuum in the middle of the line, and things only got worse when Devonte Wyatt went down midseason. Suddenly, what was already a thin unit became paper-thin.
The depth just wasn’t there.
In the secondary, cornerback remained a sore spot. The team didn’t do much to address it in the offseason-aside from signing Nate Hobbs, a move that fizzled quickly.
So much so that Hobbs is now being talked about as a potential cap casualty. That tells you everything you need to know about how that signing worked out.
And the draft? It didn’t bring much help either.
Injuries didn’t help Hafley’s cause, either. Losing elite pass rusher Micah Parsons to a torn ACL was a gut punch.
You don’t just replace a guy like that. But it wasn’t just Parsons.
The broader issue was that the Packers simply didn’t have the depth or talent to consistently compete on defense. And no matter how sharp your scheme is, there are some problems you just can’t coach your way out of.
Let’s break it down: What defensive scheme is going to stop the Cowboys from running all over a front line made up of Colby Wooden, Karl Brooks, and Nazir Stackhouse-two Day 3 picks and an undrafted rookie? What scheme turns Isaiah McDuffie into a coverage linebacker with the length and speed to hang with today’s tight ends and slot receivers?
What scheme teaches Carrington Valentine to wrap up and tackle consistently? And what scheme gets Rashan Gary to finish plays with the kind of urgency and discipline you need from a top-tier edge rusher?
These are the kinds of questions that plagued Hafley, and they’re the same ones Gannon will face unless the Packers make some serious upgrades. Hafley’s units did enough to keep the team in games, but they were constantly pushed to their limits. More often than not, it wasn’t the scheme that failed-it was the personnel.
Gannon saw similar issues in Arizona. The Cardinals had a weaker roster than Green Bay and were hit hard by injuries throughout 2025.
That’s not an excuse-it’s just the reality of what he was working with. And unless Green Bay shores up its depth and addresses some glaring holes, Gannon could be looking at a similar uphill battle.
Bottom line: Gannon brings experience and a fresh perspective to Green Bay’s defense. But unless the front office gives him more to work with, he might find himself in the same spot Hafley was-crafting solid game plans that ultimately fall short because the pieces just aren’t there.