The Green Bay Packers already boast one of the premier safeties in the sport , after signing Xavier McKinney last spring, but could be on the cusp of fielding one of the most dominant duos at the position.
Since second-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s scheme is predicated on strong defensive back play, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Packers selected two safeties in the first four rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft even after inking McKinney to a $68 million deal.
One of those second-year stars might be primed for a breakout in 2025.
Javon Bullard Named Green Bay Packers’ Breakout Star
Bleacher Report NFL analyst Alex Ballentine put together a list of each team’s breakout star to watch this season, including Packers safety Javon Bullard.
“The Packers double-dipped at safety in the draft,” Ballentine points out for B/R. “When they took Javon Bullard in the second round and Evan Williams in the fourth. In a lot of ways, Williams outplayed Bullard. He gave up a passer rating of 77.8 when targeted while Bullard surrendered a 120.6. Bullard ranked 141st among safeties in PFF grade while Williams was 34th.
“That doesn’t take into account that Bullard had a much more nuanced role. He was asked to play in the slot, in the box and occasionally play deep. The Packers put a lot on his plate and the result might have been a player who was stretched a bit too thin. That likely made his learning curve a bit steeper, but it could pay off in his second season.”
Bullard showed plenty of promise as a rookie, logging 90 total tackles, recovering one fumble, and breaking up a pass. But, a second year of experience as well as playing alongside a dynamic disurptive playmaker like Mckinney could give the former Georgia standout the opportunity to level up his game in 2025.
