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When Jeff Hafley left Boston College last offseason to become the Packers’ defensive coordinator, leaving his role as head coach to take an assistant position at the NFL level, some initially wondered what the move said about the state of college football . After watching Hafley thrive in Green Bay this season alongside former college assistants Mike Macdonald (Seahawks HC) and Jesse Minter (Chargers OC), I think it’s time for a new topic of conversation: How the college game plays Defensive coordinators prepared to dominate the pros.

The Packers have emerged as a 2024 contender, and their defensive play video is a must-watch for anyone who wants to know why. Under Hafley, the Packers rank in the NFL’s top 10 in the two most important defensive categories: points allowed (20.5 per game, eighth) and takeaways (26, fourth). Championship teams keep opponents out of the end zone and find different ways to create turnovers, and Green Bay excels at both tasks thanks to a creative approach incorporating elements routinely found at the collegiate level.

From extensive use of simulated pressures (four-man rushes with linebackers or safeties/cornerbacks as the fourth rusher) to hot blitzes (six-man pressures with three-deep/two-under coverage), the Packers are devastating their opponents a thinking man’s plan that challenges quarterbacks and play-callers to make sound decisions under mental and physical pressure. Additionally, Green Bay involves its entire defensive squad in the pass rush every week to keep opponents guessing – a whopping 16 Packers have at least half a sack this season.

The variety and versatility of Hafley’s defensive deployment gives opponents headaches when trying to identify potential rushers at the line of scrimmage and at the second/third level. Additionally, his unique approach allows the Packers to maximize a defensive lineup full of young, athletic defenders with a diverse skill set.

Consider how pass rusher Rashan Gary serves as the so-called “queen of the chessboard” in third-down situations, able to line up anywhere on the defensive front to attack a weak link in the offensive line. Then there are linebackers Quay Walker (a 2022 first-round pick) and Edgerrin Cooper (a second-rounder this year), who have the speed, athleticism and physicality to overwhelm and overwhelm running backs in pass protection. Her interchangeable skillset allows Hafley to mix in various blitzes and simulated pressures to keep quarterbacks guessing on every snap. And should Walker be sidelined at some point due to an ankle injury that sidelined him just before halftime in last week’s win over Seattle, Cooper should be able to pick up the slack based on the stats he put up in that game (five tackles). , a sack, an interception).