GREEN BAY, Wis. The last time the Green Bay Packers finished in the https://www.prideofmarlins.com/miami-marlins-jersey/martin-prado-jersey top eight in scoring defense was 2010. Ranking second in points allowed, the Packers won the Super Bowl.The 2022 defense has that sort of potential. General manager Brian Gutekunst has a sembled a defense without a weakne s. In fact, you could argue there isnt even a mediocre starter on the unit. Led by Pro Bowler Kenny Clark, Green Bays defensive line is as deep and as powerful as it has been in years. With rampaging Rashan Gary and Preston Smith, the Packers have a superb duo at outside linebacker. With All-Pro DeVondre Campbell and first-round pick Quay Walker, they have a pair of three-down inside linebackers. With a healthy Jaire Alexander, the return of Rasul Douglas and a potential Year 2 jump from Eric Stokes, there might not be a better set of cornerbacks in the NFL. Steady https://www.prideofmarlins.com/miami-marlins-jersey/blank-jersey Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage are entering their fourth season together as the safeties.The beauty is the depth that we have at each level, quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. Usually, even if its a great defense, you can always find one guy to pick on, but I dont feel like we have that in this defense.Scroll to ContinueWhile Green Bays offense might not be as good without Davante Adams, the defense should be able to pick up the slack and then some so long as everyone stays healthy and the players dont buy into the hype. The key will be turning all that potential into production, especially on third down and the red zone, two areas where they finished in the bottom third of https://www.prideofmarlins.com/miami-marlins-jersey/caleb-smith-jersey the league last season.Here are three reasons why Green Bays defense might be great, not just good. Bringing the Heat: Rashan GaryOn a defense filled with quality starters, Gary is one player who can change a game on any snap. His 9.5 sacks last season, while leading the team, werent especially impre sive, but he finished second among edge defenders with 81 pre sures, according to Pro Football Focus. After a breakout season, Gary seems poised to hit full-fledged stardom this season. He was a constant menace during training camp, including during the joint practices against the Saints. Every offenses game plan will start with finding a way to keep him out of the backfield.Rashan has really made himself a game-changer, Rodgers said on Wednesday. In the two-minute drive today, our protection was slide to his side just because hes such a game-wrecker. Preston is a fantastic player on one side, but weve got to slow down 52 and offenses are going to have to have a plan for him.I need to be my best version of https://www.prideofmarlins.com/miami-marlins-jersey/neil-walker-jersey myself, he said. That comes from my conditioning and my hands, to the way I play my run and pa s. I understand my standard, so just trying to play to my standard and trying to get better than what I was last year. Thats the goal. Locking It Down: Jaire AlexanderGreen Bay finished 10th in opponent pa ser rating last season. That was without Alexander for most of the season due to a shoulder injury, Stokes learning on the fly as a first-round pick and Douglas not getting on the field until mid-October.With Alexander back in the starting lineup and capable of locking down any receiver in https://www.prideofmarlins.com/miami-marlins-jersey/miguel-rojas-jersey the NFL, opposing quarterbacks are going to have a hard time finding any breathing room.Its the best secondary, Alexander said last month.Why?Youve got me on there, first of all, he said. And then youve got Sul thats primetime pick man; he gets all the picks. And youve got Stokes young, up-and-coming savage.According to Sports Info Solutions, Alexander is the only cornerback in the NFL to allow a sub-50 percent completion rate each of the past three seasons. He returns to action with something to prove.I got goals I want to accomplish in this league, so Im always going to have something to prove, Alexander said. If you want to be the greatest of all time, the best, youve always got to keep that chip, like (Charles) Woodson.No quarterback knows the skill of those cornerbacks better than Rodgers, who faced that group throughout training camp. https://www.prideofmarlins.com/miami-marlins-jersey/curtis-granderson-jersey He rarely threw the ball at Alexander and . Alexander is great, Douglas greatne s last season doesnt appear to be a fluke and Stokes has a chance to be great.You got one of the top corners in the game in Rasul, whos having a hard time getting minutes in base. That tells you how good they are on the back end, Rodgers said. Obviously, Ja has been a lockdown guy all camp and 21 Stokes keeps getting better. If he learns how to catch the ball, hes going to be a perennial Pro Bowler for us. Swagger: Mind-Set of Defensive DominanceIt was startling to see the defense talking trash at the offense throughout the summer. That just hasnt happened on a Packers practice field. Or in the locker room.They cant me s with us, Douglas said. They cant me s with us. Theyre not ready for us.Generally speaking, Douglas was correct. On more than one occasion, rather than trying to https://www.prideofmarlins.com escape the pocket to extend the play, Rodgers just chucked the ball to the turf. On one such instance, Gary jumped up and down in front of Rodgers. It was like in-his-prime Muhammad Ali staring at some chump he had toyed with before beating him into submi sion.At the end of the day, this is practice, Gary said when asked about that play. Weve got a big opportunity regular season first game against the Vikings. Were just trying to make sure were taking the right steps by getting better at all phases day by day. Were on each other about the small things.While Gary downplayed that moment, it showed a rare and growing swagger. For most of the last decade, the defense has taken the back seat to Rodgers and Co. https://www.prideofmarlins.com/miami-marlins-jersey/brian-anderson-jersey With offensive-minded head coaches and an MVP quarterback, past teams had been built to score a lot of points on offense and force turnovers on defense. While Rodgers would take exception at the statement, these Packers are built on their defense.I know how good we can be but none of that means anything if we dont go out and show it, Campbell said. Weve just got to go and handle busine s, one game at a time.The Green Bay Packers have won 13 games an NFL-record three consecutive seasons. Can they do it again? Here are game-by-game predictions by Bill Huber of Packer Central and Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated.Week 1 at MinnesotaBill Huber: Win. Conor Orr: Lose.The Vikings with a new coach and new schemes didnt play their starters in the preseason, either. So, whatever happens on Sunday, you can flush that story line down the toilet. If David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins play, the Packers will win. If they dont, theyll lose.Week 2 vs. ChicagoBill https://www.prideofmarlins.com/miami-marlins-jersey/j-t-realmuto-jersey Huber: Win. Conor Orr: Win.All-time, the Bears have 783 wins and the Packers