Eight is enough? Loaded with first-round picks, Packers defense under pressure to perform

Jordan Love was a first-round pick. Had you heard that before? The Green Bay Packers (infamously?) traded up for him in the 2020 draft despite appearing to have a championship window, setting off years of animous from both fans and the former QB1 who now resides in New Jersey.

But eight is more than one. Joe Barry’s defense currently boasts eight first-round picks. They have so many that, when everyone is healthy, they can’t all be on the field at once consistently. Yet consistency is the one thing this defense has lacked over the years. Given all the investment and the track Green Bay currently finds itself on with a question mark at quarterback, Barry and Co. have to perform this season or risk calling the Packers’ entire team-building strategy into question.

In London, the Packers coughed up a 10-point lead, giving up 14 fourth-quarter points to lose to an insurgent New York Giants team, getting booted and play-actioned to death when the entire world knew that was the only way the Giants could survive.

Two weeks later, they blew an 11-point first-half lead and couldn’t get off the field on a late third down in which Taylor Heinicke completed a pass with his eyes closed (no, seriously).

They wore down in the second half and Brian Robinson Jr. broke off several runs in the second half to keep the Commanders on the march. After two straight losses to New York teams -- the Green Bay offense was as much to blame for the Jets debacle as the defense, if not more -- against a backup quarterback, the Packers had to have this game and couldn’t manage it.

Just four days after the team’s biggest win of the season over the Cowboys, Green Bay had one job to do: stop Derrick Henry. Barry’s group clamped the King but let the court jester run wild, giving up over 300 yards in the air to Ryan Tannehill while he was throwing to an XFL group of pass catchers. Here they were, a passing defense that finished 9th by DVOA, successfully doing the one thing they needed to do, the one thing they’ve been the worst at doing for years in stopping the run, and it turned out they couldn’t walk, and chew gum at the same time.

And while Week 18 has to fall squarely on the right shoulder of Aaron Rodgers, the Packers lead the entire game until a fourth-quarter drive in which Green Bay played passively, couldn’t get off blocks, and failed to make tackles as the Lions drove for what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown.

Imagine how differently we would be thinking about the season had the Packers not blown a pair of double-digit leads to NFC East teams playing mediocre quarterbacks or hadn’t gotten worked by one of the worst passing games in the NFL at home after a season-saving win. Even just imagine they got a stop on that fourth-quarter drive against the Lions and get a chance to play post-season football.