There is a lot of pressure on the Green Bay Packers’ defense heading into the 2023 season. They know that the offense is going to need some time to find their footing with Jordan Love taking over as the starter for the first time in his career and it will be up to the defense to provide them that time.
On paper, the Packers have the pieces in place to have a dominant defensive unit. They have invested a ton of draft capital into that side of the ball, as there could be as many as eight first-round picks on the field at the same time. Now, it is up to defensive coordinator Joe Barry to get the most out of them.
All eyes will be on Barry and his defense in 2023 as this could be a make-or-break campaign for him. If the defense falls short of expectations once again, he very well could be on the lookout for another job in 2024. That is partly why Mike Santa Barbara of YardBarker has selected Barry as having the hottest seat amongst anyone in the NFC North.
“Despite having multiple first-round picks at his disposal, Barry’s defenses have unperformed. After the addition of linebacker Lukas Van Ness with the 13th overall pick this spring, 2023 will likely be a make-or-break season for the coordinator. Last season, the Packers’ defense was tied for 17th in points allowed (371) while grading 21st in Pro Football Focus metrics. Without a step forward this year, Green Bay may look for a different voice to lead the unit.
Ahead of his third season with the Packers, Barry received a vote of confidence from head coach Matt LaFleur. However, if there aren’t serious strides made on the defensive side of the ball, it could be his last.”
Barry may be cut some slack until his unit is healthy as the Packers may be without star pass rusher Rashan Gary at the start of the season. However, if this unit doesn’t show overall improvement with or without Gary, it will be a bad look on Barry.
Last season, the Packers struggled to get after the quarterback consistently. Gary, despite playing in only nine games, finished second on the team with 6.0 sacks, trailing only the 8.5 that Preston Smith produced. Putting in a scheme that results in more pressure is key for Green Bay in 2023.
Also, Barry has to figure out a way to get his guys to slow down the opponent’s run game. The Packers were abysmal at stopping the rush last season, ranking 26th in rushing yards allowed and 28th in rushing yards per attempt. If that area isn’t cleaned up, it will be tough for them to win games.