The Green Bay Packers’ defensive coaching staff is undergoing a serious transformation - and that might be putting it lightly. As of Wednesday, the exodus of coaches from Green Bay to Miami has continued, with passing game coordinator Derrick Ansley and quality control coach Wendel Davis becoming the latest to join former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s new staff with the Dolphins. That brings the total number of defensive coaches leaving Green Bay for Miami to five, including linebackers coach Sean Duggan and defensive backs coach Ryan Downard.
If you're keeping score, here’s who’s still around from the Packers’ 2025 defensive staff:
- DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach/run game coordinator
- Vince Oghobaase, assistant defensive line coach
- Nathaniel Hackett, defensive analyst
- Jeff Koonz, defensive assistant
- Jamael Lett, defensive quality control
But here’s the thing - only Covington is currently in an on-field coaching role. The rest are either analysts or assistants, and even Covington’s future in Green Bay isn’t exactly set in stone.
He interviewed for the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator job this offseason, as well as the Packers’ own DC vacancy. So while he’s still listed on staff, that could change quickly.
Oghobaase, for context, was one of two former Boston College assistants (alongside Duggan) who followed Hafley to Green Bay, and now he could be in line for a bigger role - or possibly an exit - depending on how the staff reshuffle plays out. Hackett, who once served as Green Bay’s offensive coordinator, is now working on the defensive side in an analyst role, reportedly helping reverse-engineer offensive schemes for the defense while he’s still under contract in a buyout year.
As for Koonz and Lett, both bring positional expertise that could come in handy. Koonz has a linebacker background, having worked as a special teams coordinator and inside linebackers coach at West Virginia. Lett, on the other hand, specializes in the secondary and is currently coaching defensive backs for the National team at the Senior Bowl - a sign that he’s still very much in the mix at the NFL level.
The biggest surprise in this coaching shuffle? That would be Ansley’s departure.
With new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon taking over, Ansley’s experience seemed like a natural fit. Gannon’s defenses have leaned heavily on Cover 4 concepts - more than any other team over the last five seasons - and Ansley has a strong background in that system, both in the NFL (with the Chargers) and in college (Alabama, Tennessee).
That kind of schematic alignment doesn’t come around often, which makes his exit to Miami all the more unexpected.
To fill Ansley’s role, the Packers are bringing in Bobby Babich, the former defensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills. Babich was reportedly hired Wednesday morning and will step into a key role as the staff rebuilds under Gannon.
This all points to a broader trend: Gannon appears to be putting his own stamp on this defense, opting for a staff that aligns with his vision rather than simply retaining holdovers. But what’s notable is that most of the coaches leaving Green Bay weren’t fired - they’re simply moving on, often to join Hafley in Miami. That kind of mutual parting of ways - without buyouts or forced exits - echoes past situations in Green Bay, like when long-time offensive line coach James Campen was allowed to leave for Cleveland back in 2019 while still under contract.
Looking back at Gannon’s track record, there’s a pattern to how he builds his defensive staffs. In Philadelphia, as a defensive coordinator, he kept things lean - just one on-field coach per level of the defense (defensive line, linebackers, secondary). In Arizona, as a head coach, he expanded to five on-field defensive assistants, including specific coaches for 3-4 outside and inside linebackers, plus two for the secondary.
So what does that mean for Green Bay? Depending on whether Covington stays, the Packers could be looking to hire anywhere from one to four more on-field defensive coaches this offseason. And considering head coach Matt LaFleur reportedly interviewed every defensive assistant during the DC search, it’s telling that nearly all of them have now left the building.
This is more than just a routine offseason shuffle - it’s a full-scale reboot of the Packers’ defensive coaching identity. Gannon is clearly building from the ground up, and the moves we’re seeing now are just the beginning of what could be a very different-looking defense in 2026.