Finally, the Green Bay Packers had a defensive coordinator to be proud of. Not since the Green Bay heyday of Dom Capers in the early 2010's were the Packers very proud of what their defense brought to the table. It resulted in two failed new DC's post Capers' eventual downfall before they ever could say they had a championship defense. Jeff Hafley brought that to the Packers in 2024, and you could say his hiring was one of Matt LaFleur's best decisions as head coach of the team. But whenever a coordinator has a lot of success, the rest of the league takes notice, and eventually plucks them from your staff with a promotion.

Jeff Hafley is now the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. The post-Joe Barry dream come true has come to a crossroads. Everyone is now wondering who the Packers are going to bring in as their new defensive coordinator. And regardless of who they bring in at DC, is the defense going to take a step back or a step forward? Will we bring in another Jeff Hafley? Or will we end up bringing in another Joe Barry?

Heading into 2026, one of the biggest changes needed in Green Bay is a re-evaluation of how aggressive they want to be. Everyone will mainly point at the offense in this regard, wishing for the "All Gas, No Brake" approach to stop being all talk. While that does need to change, the defense needs to do its part as well. They need to be more aggressive in swarming the ball carrier as well as trying to force turnovers. While Hafley's defense certainly did well swarming to the ball in 2025, takeaways were back to being a rarity. In 2025, the Packers ranked 25th in takeaways compared to 2024's 6th. In 2023, they ranked 26th, and in 2022, they were at 11th. So, basically a teeter-totter of whether or not the Green Bay defense is good at creating turnovers yearly.

While saying "we want to be aggressive and intense" is a good line for the podium, it's also what every defensive coordinator you bring in for an interview is going to say. The Packers need to bring in a defensive coordinator who not only says the line, but also brings that aggression and intensity with them to every practice. You don't build that characteristic in your players by just saying the line. 

There's a term that many of us are familiar with that has made its rounds in the sports world to describe a player who plays with that extra grit or aggressiveness, and it is that the player "has that dawg in them." While to be an aggressive defense, you need those "dawgs," it also helps to have coaches who have that dawg trait as well to push them along. 

Hiring That Dawg

Ultimately, if I had my own personal choice of any defensive coach candidate who I would want the Packers to bring in as defensive coordinator to uphold this aggressive style, it would be former linebackers' coach under Jeff Hafley, Anthony Campanile. Campanile brought an intensity that seemed to help build Edgerrin Cooper in the NFL and also seemed to bring out a more aggressive style in Quay Walker. During my visits to training camp in the 2024 offseason, I constantly took note of how intense Campanile was.

Unfortunately for the Packers, Campanile's style was also noted by the rest of the league, and he is now the defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Campanile also interviewed for the Baltimore Ravens' head coaching vacancy. So, even if Campanile were available, he might go the way of Jeff Hafley very quickly. 

When it comes to real candidates who fit this aggressive style, the Packers may not need to look much further than their own coaching pool, with Demarcus Covington, currently the team's defensive line coach/run game coordinator. Covington has displayed the same aggressive philosophy as Jeff Hafley, and players have also credited Covington with pushing them to deliver that "dawg approach." 

Other aggressive options from the outside could be Raheem Morris, Brian Flores, Jonathan Gannon, Jim Schwartz, Anthony Weaver, Christian Parker, and Jim Leonhard. 

Everyone who watched the Badgers possess one of the top defenses in the nation years ago wants Jim Leonhard. Rightfully so, Leonhard is an aggressive, blitz-heavy defensive play-caller who coaches the same intensity he played. Leonhard could be a good candidate again after LaFleur nearly hired him a few years ago, but is he even on LaFleur's list after the previous denial?

Raheem Morris, Jim Schwartz, and Brian Flores are defensive-minded coaches who have also served as head coaches in the NFL. Along with their aggressive approach, they provide Matt LaFleur with something he lacked with Joe Barry, and that is stability. Matt LaFleur is an offensive-minded coach. He needs someone to take over the defense he can trust to do their thing without him having to interfere. A veteran coach like Morris, Schwartz, or Flores undoubtedly provides this. 

Jonathan Gannon also falls into that category of defensive coordinators who have already coached in the NFL at a high level (former AZ head coach). It was reported late yesterday that Gannon is scheduled to interview with the Packers for the DC position. Gannon is another who brings intensity to the table. He calls his philosophy the "HITS Principle," centering around hustle, intensity, takeaways, and smart. However, Gannon is known to be a rather calm coach, which contrasts a bit with what he preaches and lacks a bit of the fire I personally believe the Packers' defense needs in a coach. But he does have a Super Bowl appearance to his credit, the last time he was a defensive coordinator with the Eagles in 2022, where his defense ranked high in total defense and scoring defense. So, if he brings that to Green Bay, we can overlook the lack of sideline fire. 

Christian Parker is an aggressive and fundamentally sound defensive coach who has been on LaFleur's radar before and may be again. Currently, as the Eagles' passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach, I think the success of that unit in Philadelphia the last few seasons speaks for itself. 

Lastly, before the Packers hired Jeff Hafley, I had Wink Martindale as a possible candidate. Coincidentally, Martindale could be a candidate this time around again, but I'm looking into a coach who learned from Martindale, Anthony Weaver. Weaver spent three years as the DC for Miami, but with the hiring of Hafley, Weaver may either stay or be available. Weaver provides experience as well as the same blitz-heavy and intense approach that the Packers may be looking for. 

With star players like Micah Parsons and Xavier McKinney, as well as a rising star in Edgerrin Cooper, the Packers could be a desirable draw for defensive coordinator candidates. Each of those players is known for having an aggressive style, and they need an aggressive coach to match. We'll be looking for Matt LaFleur to make the right call in getting them just that.