Major Roster Concern Already Puts Packers in Backseat Against Lions Despite Adding Micah Parsons

A week from now, the Green Bay Packers will host divisional rivals, the Detroit Lions, at home. Everything is set… or is it? Well, if we take the word of an expert, Micah Parsons hasn’t fixed all the potholes in the Packers’ defensive line. Underneath their ‘Micah is here for Lombardi’ mentality lies a bigger concern. 

The Packers’ defensive turnaround started last year under new coordinator Jeff Hafley, jumping from 17th to fifth in total defense, posting their best run defense in 15 years, and forcing 13 more takeaways than the year before. Still, Hafley saw one major area for growth, and this offseason Green Bay pounced on the chance to add Micah Parsons, the cornerstone of the 2024 No. 1 defense. Parsons brings the “flexibility” Matt LaFleur wanted and immediately upgrades the pass rush after generating a 16.4% pressure rate last season. But the move doesn’t fix everything—the cornerback room remains thin after Jaire Alexander’s release, a concern CBS Sports’ Emory Hunt bluntly underscored on air.

“The only concern I have for Green Bay on that side of the ball is cornerback,” said Hunt Jr. “‘Cause you got rid of Jaire Alexander. You got some guys that are there, you’re hoping they can step up and rise to the occasion.” Well, this does appear to give an edge to the Lions’ offense. Alexander was let go by the front office, and he failed to find a common ground in revising the contract. They brought in Nate Hobbs in a lucrative $48 million deal for four years. Though Hobbs rings promise, reliance on untested talent introduces risk, especially against a team known for its passing offense. And of course, they also have more arms like Bo Melton, Carrington Valentine, and Keisean Nixon. But the bigger picture is the addition of Parsons and what he brings to the table. 

Even Hunt Jr. added, “If you have the ability to get pressure on the quarterback and you have the type of pressure they’re going to apply on Micah Parsons. It doesn’t matter who’s back there at cornerback.” If you think about it, Green Bay had Alexander last year, but against Detroit’s offense, the defense stumbled big. Why? Because they lacked a constant pass rush threat. That’s precisely what the three-time All-Pro edge rusher brings to the table. This allows Hafley to scheme more aggressively, and who knows? It might cover up the deficiencies at cornerback. “To put it lightly, but you do have McKinney, who’s going to turn the ball over. You do have those guys to the ability stop the run and pressure the quarterback. This defense changes things in my opinion,” Hunt added further. 

Last season, the Packers struggled to disrupt Jared Goff, posting early-down pressure rates of just 16.1% and 14.3% in their two matchups with Detroit. Even with heavier blitz calls, they couldn’t rattle him, giving up their third- and fourth-worst success rates on passing downs. Lacking both elite rush talent and reliable coverage, Green Bay’s defense simply had no answers for a top-tier offense. This year, though, they’ve added a difference-maker up front… And if the breaks go their way, that single advantage could flip the matchup.

Micah Parsons ready to be a ‘moving piece’

When Coach LaFleur was asked whether the addition of Parsons would give the defense more flexibility, he confidently replied yes. And looks like the four-time Pro Bowler heard him loud and clear. Parsons has been a man of many talents, but he shines the best when he’s a ‘moving piece’ like he was under the Cowboys’ former defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn. That’s why, if Green Bay’s DC decided to utilize him by moving him around the defense at different positions, Parsons is open to the idea. 

“I like to move around,” Parsons said after arriving in Wisconsin. “I think that creates the matchups that we like. Let’s be honest, it’s hard to get to the quarterback in this league, and you gotta win favorable matchups.” Although Hafley has usually kept defensive ends in their usual positions, he has previously made Rashan Gary adjust his position by standing up like a linebacker and rushing through the middle or aligning closer to the center to attack different gaps. Plus, the fact that, Micah’s coming in with the winning-mentality would give more confidence to the group.

“Winning is everything to me. I don’t think you’ll find a more competitive person on the team or anywhere in the NFL,” Parsons said. “I trust Coach LaFleur, I really feel like we can do it, and I really want to win.” That competitive fire is exactly what Jeff Hafley wants to weaponize, building a defense where opposing quarterbacks can’t predict who’s coming. With Parsons’ versatility, Hafley finally has a piece he can move around the formation, making it that much harder for offenses to double-team and that much easier for the Packers to dictate.