Five free agents who have played under Jeff Hafley and make sense for the Packers

The Green Bay Packers have several talented pieces on defense, and the belief in it motivated a defensive coordinator change. Organizationally, there is a perception that the unit can have better results.

But that doesn't mean the front office won't look for new pieces and improvement. And that can come from places new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley already knows. He coached for the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers during the 2010s, and he also spent one year at Ohio State. He has worked with some players that are available now, and they could help the Packers make the transition.

"The things I believe in defense – whether you're playing 3-4 or 4-3, press man, which I do love, it comes down to can you take your players who you have and put them in the best position to succeed?" Hafley said during his first press conference in Green Bay. "Can you take your players and maximize their ability? Every player wants to get better, and that's our job to do. Our job is to put the players in the best position to succeed and make plays."

So, let's evaluate five players that have been coached by Hafley and could make sense for the Packers.

S Jordan Fuller

Fuller is certainly the most appealing option. The safety played under Hafley at Ohio State in 2019 and became a sixth-round pick for the Los Angeles Rams. Over the last four years, he played at a solid level — exactly what the Packers need at safety.

Last year, Fuller finished the season with a 67.9 PFF defensive grade, including a 75.0 run defense grade. The system will obviously be different compared to what Hafley ran at Ohio State, but Fuller has shown versatility to execute different roles. In 2023, he had most of his snaps as a free safety, but he also played in the box and in the slot, which bodes well for Green Bay's needs.

LB Malik Harrison

Transitioning to a 4-3 base, the off-ball linebacker position is more relevant to what the Packers will do. And Malik Harrison could be a solid addition — especially if the Packers end up cutting De'Vondre Campbell.

Harrison had the best season of his career in 2023 under Mike Macdonald for the Baltimore Ravens, with a 71.8 PFF grade. After being a backup for Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen, he could be an interesting role player for the Packers. And the cost might not be very high.

CB Jeff Okudah

Okudah is a great example of how good of a teacher Jeff Hafley is. The cornerback played so well at Ohio State that he ended up being the third overall pick in 2020. But his NFL trajectory hasn't been as successful, and he had bad stints with the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons. In 2023, he had a 50.5 defensive grade, according to PFF, including a 46.0 coverage grade.

It's hard to invest in Okudah expecting him to be as good as his pre-draft process would indicate. But the Packers could give him another shot to recover at least part of what made him special under Hafley — and for something close to a veteran minimum salary for a backup cornerback, it seems like a decent proposition.

CB K'Waun Williams

It's evident that Hafley likes K'Waun Williams, because the defensive back came into the league as an undrafted free agent for the Cleveland Browns in 2014, when Hafley was the Browns' DBs coach, and he followed Hafley to the San Francisco 49ers in 2017.

He spent the last two years with the Denver Broncos after five years in San Francisco, but he didn't play in 2023 because of a serious ankle injury.

The good: Williams is primarily a slot corner, and that's something the Packers need. The bad: he's already 32 years old, and will be 33 by the start of the season.

CB Emmanuel Moseley

Moseley played one season under Hafley in San Francisco. He's been a solid cornerback since, but injuries have prevented him from playing for a long time. Moseley suffered an ACL injury in 2022, still for the Niners, and signed with the Detroit Lions in free agency last offseason.

In his first game back, he suffered another ACL injury. That's pretty bad for a cornerback, who needs speed and explosion to perform at a high level. But he has a track record of solid play in the NFL, and the familiarity with the system could help his return with a short-term prove-it deal.