There’s little doubt that the Green Bay Packers will bolster their defense in the offseason. Safety Xavier McKinney was the first to start it, but it probably won’t stop there.
The defensive coaching staff, which has been entirely reorganized, will keep bringing in as much talent as they can.
One player, though, is already committed and could have established himself as this defense’s starting lineup by 2024.
The starting defensive player for the Green Bay Packers may already be in place.
According to A to Z Sports’ Wendy Ferreria
De’Vondre Campbell was cut by Green Bay, leaving Quay Walker as the team’s sole reliable off-ball linebacker.
McDuffie will have more room even if they decide not to make a major investment in the position. This does not preclude them from adding a cheap free agent or a draft pick in the future.
The new defensive coordinator of the Packers has regard for the off-ball linebacker, who played with Jeff Hafley at Boston College.
Furthermore, McDuffie played 46.17% of the defensive snaps in the previous season, which was comparable to De’Vondre Campbell’s 51.76% total.
McDuffie is currently the starting middle linebacker option because Quay Walker is expected to be a weakside linebacker.
Will Isaiah McDuffie be the starting linebacker for the Packers in the long run?
Quay Walker and De’Vondre Campbell were sidelined by injuries in 2023, but McDuffie had an impact. Despite only making eight game starts, he had 82 tackles. That was sufficient to rank second on the list in 2023.
The Packers selected McDuffie in the sixth round of the 2021 draft because of his impressive senior campaign. He made just one start in his first two seasons. He started eight out of sixteen games in 2023.
He is set to start in 2024 as a result of his excellent play, irrespective of the coordinator. If Hafley implements the 4-3 scheme that he oversaw at Boston College, McDuffie might end up being a lock to start.