Green Bay Packers draft signals increase of hybrid defense

By Keegan Matheson | May 9, 2015

The Green Bay Packers’ class from the 2015 NFL Draft has once again left us wondering why we ever attempt to predict the actions of general manager Ted Thompson. Choosing to forego Green Bay’s great need at inside linebacker until the fourth round, Thompson addressed the secondary with each of his first two picks. While this aligns with his philosophy of taking the best player available, it could also lead to an increase of hybrid formations or the Packers.

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Damarious Randall was Thompson’s round one selection out of Arizona State where he played safety, but his coverage abilities and the current makeup of the Green Bay Packers’ roster point to a clear shift to cornerback. With Ha Ha Clinton-Dix prepared to take a jump in his second season, Morgan Burnett producing steady play across from him and Micah Hyde providing a high-quality depth piece, the safety position is fine and well.

The Randall pick was sensible when viewed in a vacuum, especially with the recent departures of Tramon Williams and Davon House, but the selection of Quinten Rollins suggests that defensive coordinator Dom Capers will look to improve this defense with new schemes, not just new faces.

Capers’ 3-4 defensive scheme has already shown the value of hybrid players in Micah Hyde, who has excelled while moving between corner and safety in the nickel and dime packages. Damarious Randall should fill a similar role when called upon, especially with his impressive mirroring talents that project him as a strong slot option, but the under-the-radar player I’ll have my eyes on is safety Sean Richardson.

Richardson, the 2012 undrafted free agent, stands at 6’2″, 216 pounds with room to add more weight if needed. He grabbed headlines early in April when the Oakland Raiders signed him to a one year, $2.55 million offer sheet, but the Packers chose to match the deal in a surprise move for a depth and special teams piece. Given his capabilities against the run, however, Dom Capers may have bigger plans for Richardson.

Oct 26, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marques Colston (12) carries the ball beside Green Bay Packers safety Sean Richardson (28) in the first half at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

With Jake Ryan and Sam Barrington the early favorites to start at inside linebacker, Green Bay may not receive quality pass coverage from that position. Instead, Capers could experiment with using Jake Ryan as a two-down tackler and Richardson at inside linebacker on passing downs alongside Barrington. Richardson’s coverage abilities would presumably outshine those of Ryan, and he has shown glimpses of strength against the running game should that be needed.

When opposing offenses choose to spread the field wide with receivers, Richardson could hold his own in coverage, especially against athletic tight ends with a strong secondary around him. This move allows for Green Bay to remain strong enough in coverage without completely sacrificing their run defense, which was the achilles heel of the unit in 2014.

The schematic versatility could go well past Richardson, of course, but the extent will depend largely on the short-term development of Randall and Rollins. Cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt Jr., who I consider to be one of the league’s hidden gems, once turned an undrafted flier into a starting corner named Sam Shields, so I’m optimistic to see what he can produce from top-tier talent.

While neither are all-world tacklers, the versatility of Hyde and Richardson can again help to cover that deficiency on running downs from the slot while a healthy defensive line could even allow for Capers to roll out a four-man front with Mike Daniels, B.J. Raji, Letroy Guion and Datone Jones to attack the run.

The existence of these discussions are a positive sign for the Packers defense as the conversation at cornerback has shifted from who will play to who won’t play. The more chess pieces in Dom Capers’ drawer, the better, and I expect him to unveil fresh hybrid looks on defense throughout the 2015 season.

Next: Packers draft profile: Damarious Randall

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