The Packers are set to kick off training camp in just over two weeks, and like every offseason, there are some questions that need answering.

It's been a busy few months at 1265 Lombardi Avenue. Plenty of roster turnover, new faces stepping into new roles, key contract extensions, fresh coaching perspectives, and even an unresolved legal situation still lingering. That's a lot to keep an eye on this summer.

This week, the focus is on the defense. There's always the usual mix of health questions, contract negotiations, and "is this the year" storylines that come with any roster — but 2026 brings its own extra layer. They have an almost entirely new defensive coaching staff, including defensive coordinator, they added several new veteran leaders, and drafted some fresh, young faces. Plenty to watch before the pads come on.

Here's the thing everyone can agree on: this defense needs to be better in 2026. The potential is there. The youth is there. All the pieces exist for this to be one of the league's best defenses when healthy — but having the pieces and putting them together aren't the same thing. That's where these questions come in. Each one plays a real role in whether this defense lives up to expectations.

So let's get into it. Here are five big questions that need answers before the Packers kick off the 2026 season.

What Will Jonathan Gannon’s Defense Look Like?

There's no better place to start than the top. The Packers have a new defensive coordinator, so like it or not, this defense could look different in 2026. Jonathan Gannon arrives in Green Bay after three years as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals — where, notably, he didn't call the defense — and before that, a successful two-year run as defensive coordinator in Philadelphia.

Under outgoing coordinator Jeff Hafley, the Packers ran a zone-heavy 4-3 base. [Verify: man coverage and blitz rate percentages against your source.] The idea was simple — rush the passer with four, keep everything in front, and let opposing offenses try to string together long drives rather than give up chunk plays. Death by a thousand paper cuts. With Hafley now in Miami, the obvious question is how much of that identity survives the transition.

Gannon hasn't given away much about what this defense will actually look like. "It really is the truth when I tell you guys this is going to be a new system this year," he said. "It's the 2026 Green Bay Packers... I don't really get caught up in 4-3, 3-4. We're an NFL-style defense hopefully."

Jonathan Gannon on 3-4/4-3/defensive philosophy. pic.twitter.com/z1aPIUTjRd

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) May 4, 2026

Still, his track record offers some clues. The Packers will likely shift to a 3-4 front — though "multiple-front" might be the more accurate description, since the goal is to be flexible and adaptable. Gannon's past defenses have also leaned zone-heavy, prioritizing rushing with four over sending extra bodies, and limiting explosive plays over the top. Gannon wasn't calling the plays in Arizona, but he still had influence, and their defense last year only ran man coverage 15% of the time and blitzed minimally — sound familiar?

As for identity, Gannon wants this defense to play fast and physical. "A fast, violent, physical team that takes the ball away," he said. "Matt calls it play style. I love that. So, that's been cool with our guys, to define that for them. Here's the expectation, here's what you're accountable for. We're all accountable for it, because I think that's what a good defense looks like."

Will the Defense Actually “Take the Ball Away?”

Gannon's desire for a "fast, violent, physical team that takes the ball away" sounds great on paper, but Packers fans have heard this before. Last summer, Jeff Hafley made forcing turnovers the number one emphasis — going so far as to name a defensive assistant the "Ball King" and dedicate meeting time to celebrating every takeaway on tape. The emphasis came after a strong 2024 season, when the Packers forced 31 takeaways, tied for fourth-most in the league. The goal was to build on that success and lead the NFL in forced fumbles. Instead, the Packers finished 2025 with just 14 total takeaways — fifth-fewest in the league. Whatever the emphasis was supposed to accomplish, it did the opposite.

So that leads us to the real question: will the Packers actually force more turnovers in 2026? Gannon says this defense will take the ball away — but so did Hafley, and it didn't happen. Until it shows up on the field, take it with a grain of salt.

Gannon's past defenses weren't turnover machines, but they trended in the right direction. In 2021 — his first season as a coordinator — his Eagles defense forced only 16 turnovers (12 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles). The following year, that number jumped to 27 (17 interceptions, 10 forced fumbles). The same pattern held in Arizona, where his defenses forced more fumbles each year he was there. Hafley's Packers defenses, by contrast, went the wrong direction.

The good news: the Packers have real playmakers on this defense. Xavier McKinney ranked second in the NFL with eight interceptions in 2024, Edgerrin Cooper is a splash play waiting to happen, and Micah Parsons is a human wrecking ball when healthy. That trio alone could account for 14 turnovers on its own. The problem is opposing offenses know that too, and they'll game-plan around it. Forcing takeaways can't be a three-man job — it has to be a collective effort.

Fourteen turnovers isn't going to cut it again in 2026. Look at the Chicago Bears: a defense that gave up a ton of yardage but led the league in takeaways, and it helped them steal games they otherwise wouldn't have won. That's the kind of value a turnover-heavy defense can add — the difference between nine wins and eleven or twelve.

Do the Packers' New Veterans Actually Move the Needle?

Usually the Packers' roster gets younger, but this offseason Brian Gutekunst took a different approach — the Packers actually got older at a few key spots. Three preferred starters from 2025 are no longer on the team: Colby Wooden (25), Quay Walker (26), and Nate Hobbs (27). In their place: three veterans in Javon Hargrave (33), Zaire Franklin (30), and Benjamin St-Juste (28). Whether that trade-off pays off remains to be seen, but watching these veterans mesh into a new defense is going to be one of the more interesting storylines of the summer.

The easiest transition is probably Hargrave. The 11-year veteran spent two seasons playing for Jonathan Gannon in Philadelphia, and they were two of the best of his career — PFF credited him with 118 pressures and 18.5 sacks combined over that stretch. He hasn't been quite that player the last few seasons, but he's still an upgrade over the guy he's replacing. Colby Wooden was thrust into a full-time role last year, and while he flashed at times, it was clear he's better suited as a rotational piece.

The Packers don't need Hargrave to replicate his peak Philadelphia seasons — his worst season as a pro was still better than Wooden's best — they just need a reliable starter who can hold up against the run and still get after the passer. Hargrave sounds confident he can be exactly that. "My old DC, Jonathan Gannon. I had my best years with him. He did a lot of things to give me options, give us all options," Hargrave said after signing. "I think his defense fits my style, what I like to do."

The transition might not be quite as seamless for Franklin, who's taking over for Quay Walker. He and Gannon overlapped in Indianapolis, but Franklin was primarily a special-teamer during that window and never played directly under him. Still, the locker room is thrilled to have him. "Hell of a person, hell of a player," said safety Xavier McKinney. "From the leadership standpoint, he's really going to help us in that aspect and then obviously his play speaks for itself. He's a guy that's going to be around the ball all the time. He makes hella tackles. He makes a whole bunch of plays, and he's also smart. Even now, he calls out things before a lot of us do."

A change of scenery could be exactly what Franklin needed. He's a six-time team captain, a former league leader in tackles, and just one year removed from All-Pro honors. That said, 2025 was his roughest season since becoming a full-time starter — about 50 fewer tackles than any of his previous three years, and just one forced turnover. Now he's 30, adjusting to a new city, a new team, and a new coaching staff all at once. Not exactly ideal conditions for a bounce-back.

Then there's St-Juste, whose fit is the hardest to project simply because his role isn't clearly defined yet. He had four rocky seasons as a full-time starter in Washington, then quietly put together an impressive year in a part-time role with the Chargers. The Packers' cornerback room is wide open, so he'll get every chance to compete for a starting job — the question is which version shows up: the Washington player or the Los Angeles one.

After the Nate Hobbs experiment fell flat on its face, the Packers badly need someone to step up at corner. St-Juste might be that guy. At worst, he's an experienced special-teamer who can carve out a role there regardless. "I am excited about the player," LaFleur said. "We've gone against him when he was in Washington, certainly what he put on tape last year with the Chargers I thought was impressive. He's a really intelligent guy, so I'm excited about him. Obviously you can't coach that size and length that he possesses, so he'll definitely be in the mix."

On paper, Hargrave, Franklin, and St-Juste should all be upgrades over the players they're replacing. But football isn't played on paper. Integrating into a new defense with new teammates rarely goes perfectly smoothly, and there's likely to be some growing pains along the way for each of them. If it clicks, though, these three could end up being the difference this defense needed.

Zaire Franklin: “Who I am and who I’ve been is just a great fit for this organization and what we trying to accomplish.” pic.twitter.com/UJTaMQCYXh

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) June 2, 2026

Can the Packers Rush the Passer Without Micah Parsons?

The Packers had a genuinely good defensive line last season. They generated pressure on 39.4% of dropbacks, the ninth-best rate in the NFL per Sharp Football, and PFF ranked them the 12th-best unit. They did a lot of that damage without sending extra rushers, too — their pressure rate without blitzing was 36%, good for seventh in the league. Not too shabby, right? Wrong — because almost none of it happens without Micah Parsons.

Parsons was one of the best pass rushers in football last season, and he was the driving force behind those numbers. Outside of Myles Garrett, there's a real case he was the best in the league — he posted a roughly 23% pass-rush win rate despite drawing the bulk of opposing offenses' attention. Now the Packers have to get through a chunk of the season without him as he recovers from his torn ACL.

Life without Parsons wasn't pretty. In the four games he missed, the defensive line recorded just three sacks, allowed almost 28 points per game, gave up over 400 yards in three of the four, and lost all four contests. He's expected back sometime in October or November, which likely keeps him out for the first month-plus of 2026. That's a long stretch for this defense to figure out where the pressure comes from without him.

Lukas Van Ness is the most obvious candidate to fill the void. He managed only 1.5 sacks a year ago, but posted a strong pass-rush win rate in limited action after missing significant time to injury. Fans have had their gripes with Van Ness, and not without reason — but he still has real buy-in from the locker room and the front office. Parsons made that as clear as possible this offseason. "I think Luke is someone that people sleep on the most, and I don't know why," Parsons said. "I think by the end of this season, if Luke stays healthy, I think he'll probably be the favorite. That's how much confidence I have in him... I definitely think I'm going to have my hands full with Luke on who's going to be the best. I believe in him. I think sometimes, he looks into y'all and that gets to him, but I think he can be as great as he wants to be."

That's about as strong an endorsement as a teammate can give. Veterans Devonte Wyatt and newcomer Javon Hargrave should also factor into the conversation from the interior. Wyatt looked like an ascending interior pass rusher before an injury cut his season short, and Hargrave brings a track record of getting after the quarterback from the inside. Neither needs to be a star — they just need to collapse the pocket enough to free things up on the edge.

After that, it's genuinely unclear. Second-year edge rushers Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver are both looking for more productive seasons, and rookies Chris McClellan and Dani Dennis-Sutton could push for early snaps if they show something in camp. Outside that group, it's hard to point to where else the pressure comes from. Karl Brooks? Brenton Cox Jr.? Warren Brinson? I wouldn't bet on it.

If the Packers want to start the season on solid footing, someone in that group needs to step up. And even once Parsons returns, this defense can't lean on him alone. He commanded an absurd amount of attention last season — chipped on 20% of his rushes, double-teamed on 57%, triple-teamed on 12%. If nobody else can win one-on-one matchups, it's going to be a long year up front.

Who Steps Up at the Cornerback Position?

Aside from the pass rush, cornerback is the biggest question mark on this roster. The Packers intercepted just seven passes all of last season — only two of them by cornerbacks. That's the backdrop heading into 2026, where the group returns Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, and Kamal Hadden, and adds free agent Benjamin St-Juste along with rookies Brandon Cisse and Domani Jackson. Not exactly a group that inspires confidence.

Let’s start with Nixon, who figures to factor into this picture one way or another. On the surface, he had a decent 2025: a Pro Bowl nod (as a replacement for an injured Devon Witherspoon), all 17 games started, 72 tackles, three tackles for loss, an interception, and a fumble recovery. His 17 passes defensed tied for sixth-most in the league. But the surface numbers are a little deceiving — PFF also charged him with a 105.2 passer rating allowed, 570 yards given up, and seven touchdowns surrendered.

Across from him, it's anybody's guess. Carrington Valentine, entering his fourth season, needs a real bounce-back if he wants to see the field. He regressed hard in 2025 — a 109.4 passer rating allowed, five touchdowns given up, and just 28 tackles. Worse yet, he managed only 4 pass breakups all year despite being targeted 61 times. And then there's the tackling: Valentine missed 10 tackles last season, good for a 21.3% missed-tackle rate. That’s bad, to say the least.

Second-round pick Brandon Cisse could and should push for reps early. He's got the draft pedigree and the athletic profile to force the coaching staff's hand. In his lone season at South Carolina, he allowed a 78.9 passer rating and broke up seven passes in the SEC. It's still early, but he was already turning heads at OTAs. "Until you get the pads, you never truly know," Matt LaFleur said. "But in terms of just athletically, there's no doubt he has the skill set. That was pretty evident I would say when he was coming out in the draft. Just the attitude, the effort, the preparation, the thing he's in control of, he's done an outstanding job. He had a great play yesterday as a cloud corner, so he's doing a lot of good things."

St-Juste, who was touched on earlier, will also be in the mix. After four up-and-down years in Washington, he revitalized his career last season with the Chargers, even in a limited role. In 356 snaps, he allowed just a 64.0 passer rating and a single touchdown, while proving to be a sure tackler — missing only one all year. It's a small sample, but if that performance continues in Green Bay, the coaching staff won't have a choice but to play him.

If the Packers don't get anything from this group, they're in real trouble. Honestly, they might be in trouble even with this group of four. The safeties and linebackers should help clean up the middle of the field, but it's on this position group to hold up on the outside — the exact area that got exposed in 2025. Bottom line: somebody at corner needs to step up, or this defense has a real liability on its hands.