If you want to play defensive quarterback in today’s NFL, you have two real options: either you can cover a deep base like Ed Reed or Earl Thomas, or you have to be able to play multiple positions at an exceptionally high level.
The 2023 Green Bay Packers didn’t have either of those picks on their defense, which is why they were as aggressive as any team in redefining their safety group this offseason, first giving former New York Giants star Xavier McKinney a four-year, $67 million contract extension with $23 million guaranteed. Then they drafted two more safeties — Georgia’s Javon Bullard with the 58th pick in the second round and Oregon State’s Kitan Oladapo with the 169th pick in the fifth round.
All three of these safeties are capable of playing multiple positions, making them valuable assets for novel defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. But in terms of effective plug-and-play deployment from season to season, it’s tough to top what Bullard was able to do in Kirby Smart’s defense in 2022 and 2023.
In 2022, Bullard played primarily as a central defender, making 510 appearances in that position, with 64 coming in the penalty area, 20 in the central area and just 12 as a free defender.
Bullard’s profile has completely flipped in 2023. He’s played 362 deep third snaps, 144 in the slot, 80 in the paint and just three on the line. Smart needed Bullard to dominate a key position he’d rarely played before, and that’s exactly what Bullard did. Last season, he allowed 14 catches on 26 targets for 119 yards, 68 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, two interceptions, five pass breakups and a passer rating of 34.0. That ranks sixth-lowest among FBS defensive players playing at least 50 percent of their defense’s snaps.
In both the one- and two-pass-up reps, Bullard immediately showed many of the attributes expected of this type of player, from his understanding of route concepts to his range to work from the middle of the pitch to the boundary.
Javon Bullard almost never played as a deep-third safety until Kirby Smart needed him in 2023. Bullard responded by becoming one of the best deep covermen in FBS. A good choice for @packers… photo: twitter.com/WM3WqV9l91
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 8, 2024
Bullard not only excelled at playing deep; he also excelled at transitioning from slot to safety.
Javon Bullard’s slot skills came in handy on plays like the one against Tennessee, where he broke up a switch release outside the quarter. He’s the type of safety that can do a lot with, and I expect him to @packers DC Jeff Hafley will do just that. photo:twitter.com/S38UmnBVR6
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 8, 2024
Hafley tried tough to recruit Bullard when he was the head coach at Boston College (as did novel Packers passing game coordinator Derrick Ansley when Ansley was at Tennessee), but it’s safe and sound to say Hafley is more than joyful to have Bullard now.
“I just loved his tape” Hafley said about Bullard after the draft was made and rookie minicamp began. “I liked the way he played. He’s a physical guy. He can run, he can cover, he can play deep, he can play in the slot, he can blitz. He’s bigger when you see him.
“He’s a smart guy. His ability to learn and process in those two days [of rookie minicamp] was impressive. You get a guy who can play that fast and can take what he learned in the game and put it on the field, and he’s got a chance.”
Ansley agreed.
“Javon was originally a cornerback coming out of high school, very versatile. He was really tough then and he’s tough now. He’s just got a phenomenal skill set. He can do a lot of different things. He’s shrewd, he’s a quick learner, he’s very instinctive, and when he makes contact, he does it with his heart on his sleeve.
So now the Packers have three roaming safeties, when before you could credibly argue they lacked exactly that many. And Bullard could be the leader of the group in time. Doing what he’s done already — completely reversing coverage archetypes from one season to the next for one of the best college defenses of the last few decades — points to an impressive NFL future.
