The Green Bay Packers were one of the best tackling defenses in the NFL during the first season under defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley in 2024.
According to Next Gen Stats, the Packers ranked seventh in overall tackling grade last season, with high marks in tackling efficiency (seventh) and yards allowed after missed tackles (fifth).
The defense was especially good into the winter months, ranking first in the NFL in tackling efficiency rate from Week 10 and on.
From Next Gen Stats: “First-year coordinator Jeff Hafley has clearly put together a connected, fundamentally sound unit in Green Bay.”
A few factors likely came together to improve the Packers’ tackling. For starters, the team added Xavier McKinney, one of the NFL’s most reliable tacklers at safety. He missed only five tackles despite playing over 1,100 total snaps (counting the postseason). His addition — combined with the departure of inconsistent tackler Darnell Savage — provided a huge boost on the backend of the secondary. Also, Quay Walker had a terrific season as a tackler, missing on only 7.6 percent of tackle attempts, per Pro Football Focus, and rookies Edgerrin Cooper, Javon Bullard and Evan Williams were generally reliable tacklers in their first season. Additionally, defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt, who had 15 misses last year, only missed a handful of tackles in 2024 as he improved as a finisher.
According to Next Gen Stats, the Packers’ two biggest offenders in terms of missed tackles were Isaiah McDuffie and Eric Wilson, who each had 14. Both are free agents this offseason.
Two teams that finished ahead of the Packers were the Kansas City Chiefs (No. 1) and the Philadelphia Eagles (No. 6), the two Super Bowl teams. By overall grade, the top nine teams in Next Gen Stats’ ranking made the postseason — highlighting how important tackling is to overall team success in pro football.
Next Gen Stats wasn’t the only analytics site that loved the Packers’ work in the tackling department. The Packers ranked fourth in tackling grade at Pro Football Focus in 2024, up from a 14th place finish in 2023.