Green Bay added two established defenders this offseason when the Packers acquired Zaire Franklin in a trade and signed Javon Hargrave in free agency. Franklin will turn 30 next month and Hargrave is 33; their arrivals brought experience to a team that had been the NFL’s youngest three years running.
During OTAs, Franklin worked beside rising linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and wore the green dot, indicating he will take defensive calls for new coordinator Jonathan Gannon. Franklin is effectively replacing Quay Walker, who signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency.
Hargrave, who played last season with the Minnesota Vikings, has been described as a calming presence along a defensive line that has seen significant turnover. Kenny Clark was part of the August Micah Parsons trade; Colby Wooden was sent to Indianapolis in the deal for Franklin; and Rashan Gary and Kingsley Enagbare left in free agency. Parsons is expected to miss at least the first month of the season.
Coach Matt LaFleur praised both additions, saying, “Both those guys have played a lot of football. Obviously ‘Z’ was a captain in Indy, and you can see why because you can feel his presence. But having Hargrave in the mix, a guy that I’ve got a lot of respect for… it’s not a surprise to why he’s had so much success.” All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney said the team now has “a lot of experience, people that can go out there and make a lot of plays.”
Both newcomers have prior ties to Gannon: he was on the Colts’ staff as a cornerbacks coach during Franklin’s first three NFL seasons and served as Hargrave’s defensive coordinator in Philadelphia in 2021 and 2022. Franklin said he learned the Packers had long been interested in him and called the move “a bit of fate,” while Hargrave embraced the veteran role, noting, “They call me ‘the old head,’ but yeah, I just appreciate it and seeing how hungry they are.”
