The 10 best safeties in Green Bay Packers history

The safety play is important but often overlooked in the NFL. Talented cornerbacks are the focus, but without good support from the safeties, defenses can struggle to prevent big passing plays and slow down the offense.

The Green Bay Packers have a rich history at the safety position. Some of the greatest players in league history wore the green and gold and helped the Packers bring home the Lombardi Trophy.

Who are the best safeties for the Packers?

There is no single factor that can determine what makes a good safety. They are asked to do a lot on the back end of the defense and statistics don’t always give us the best comparison between different eras.

Everything has to be considered. Stats matter, as do big plays, longevity, memorable moments and how they contributed to the team’s success. Did they play in championship defenses? Were they leaders that the rest of the team turned to in crucial moments?

It’s not easy to measure all of these variables, but that’s exactly what this ranking attempts to do. Individual awards like Pro Bowls and All-Pros can also be helpful, as they show how their peers and voters perceived them during their playing days.

10. Steve Luke (1975-1980)

Steve Luke was selected in the fourth round of the 1975 NFL Draft and spent six seasons with the Packers, the only team he played for in the NFL.

Luke became a Packers fan after watching the Ice Bowl, the game Bart Starr famously won on a quarterback sneak. Luke’s arrival in Green Bay coincided with Starr’s first season as head coach of the Packers.

Although Luke appeared in four games as a rookie, he didn’t start in any of them. That changed the following season, as the Ohio State product became a starter for Green Bay over the next five years. Luke started 75 of the 90 games he played for the Packers, recording six sacks, ten interceptions (including a pick-six), and six fumble recoveries.

9. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (2014-2018)

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix’s time with the Packers is a tale of two halves. He proved the team was right to select him in the first round early in his career by posting 210 tackles, 16 pass defenses and eight interceptions. In 2014, he was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team, and just two years later, he became a first-time Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro.

However, his performance dropped dramatically in 2017 and the Packers traded him to the Washington Commanders midway through the 2018 season. He spent time with the Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders before retiring from Packer football in 2022.

8. Adrian Amos (2019-2022)

Desperately in need of a better safety in 2019, the Packers turned to free agent Adrian Amos. He became an instant fan favorite when he threw a game-winning interception in his debut against the Chicago Bears, his former team.

Amos never missed a game during his four seasons in Green Bay, starting all 66 of them. Although he wasn’t known for making big plays, he did make seven interceptions. He provided stability and consistent play at the back of the Packers’ defense and rarely made mistakes. Amos made 362 tackles, four sacks, seven quarterback hits and 30 pass defenses, making the Bears regret letting him go to a division rival.

7. Morgan Burnett (2011-2017)

Morgan Burnett made a brief impression on the Packers’ championship-winning defense in his rookie season in 2010. Burnett started his first four games and made 14 tackles and one interception. He seemed on his way to a stellar debut season before suffering a torn ACL.

He bounced back brilliantly, starting 98 games over the next seven seasons and providing consistency in the Packers’ secondary. During that time, Burnett had eight interceptions, eight forced fumbles and nine fumble recoveries.

While the Packers experienced many ups and downs on defense, Burnett delivered solid safety play throughout his career. After eight years in Green Bay, he finished his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. He ended his career as a Packer in 2022.

6. Johnny Gray (1975-1983)

Johnnie Gray spent his entire nine-year NFL career with the Packers. He is one of many undrafted free agents who had incredible careers in Green Bay and is now a member of the team’s Hall of Fame.

Despite going undrafted, Gray didn’t take long to impress the coaching staff. In his rookie season, he started all 14 games, recovered four fumbles and intercepted a pass, earning PFWA All-Rookie Team honors.

Gray emerged as the leader and captain of the Packers’ defense, starting every game in his first six seasons. He started 124 times in nine years in Green Bay and became one of the biggest stories in franchise history when he went undrafted.

5. Mark Murphy (1980-1991)

Not to be confused with Packers President Mark Murphy, who was also an NFL safety for the Washington Commanders. The other Mark Murphy spent his entire 12-year career with the Packers.

Murphy was signed as an undrafted free agent in 1980, but didn’t get many opportunities in his rookie season, appearing in just one game. That soon changed. By 1983, he was a regular, initially as a free safety but later as a strong safety. From 1983 to 1991, Murphy started 115 games and made 17 interceptions (including a pick-six) and 11 fumble recoveries.

He was an outstanding run defender and led the Packers in tackles three times in his career. Murphy retired after 12 years with the team and never played for another franchise again. He was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1998.

4. Nick Collins (2005-2011)

Had Nick Collins not been injured, he might have been at the top of this list. Collins had to end his career in his seventh season due to a neck injury, but he has made a significant impact during his time in Green Bay.

Ted Thompson’s first draft pick was Aaron Rodgers. His second? Collins. Now that’s a home run in your first try as general manager. Collins was a three-time Pro Bowl selection, a second-team All-Pro selection for the Packers, and played a key role in the Packers’ victory in Super Bowl XLV. Late in the first quarter, Collins intercepted a pass from Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown. It was a defining moment.

Collins was a game changer. He made 21 interceptions for the Packers, including four Pick-Sixes. In 2008, he intercepted seven passes and scored three of them as touchdowns.

He is one of the best safeties to ever play in green and gold. Collins was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 2016.

3. Bobby Dillon (1953-1959)

Bobby Dillon’s career coincided with the beginning of the Vince Lombardi era. He wasn’t part of the championship years under Lombardi, but he deserved to be. Dillon is one of the team’s all-time greats, making the first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams four times during his eight-year career, all with the Packers.

Dillon still holds the franchise record with 52 interceptions. Many Packers greats came close, from Herb Adderley to Charles Woodson to Willie Wood, but none of them could beat Dillon’s incredible interception record. It will probably never be beaten. Five of those were touchdowns, which is the third-highest in Packers history.

The 1952 third-round pick had an incredible performance from 1953 to 1957, throwing 41 interceptions in just 58 games. Quarterbacks threw in his direction at their own peril.

Dillon was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1974 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

2. LeRoy Butler (1992-2001)

Few Packers are as beloved by fans as LeRoy Butler. He changed the game.

Butler was a four-time first-team All-Pro selection, a four-time Pro Bowler, and played a key role in the Packers’ 1996 Super Bowl season. He is one of the best safeties in NFL history, becoming the first player at the position to record at least 20 sacks and interceptions in his career. Butler made game-winning plays against the passing game, both by intercepting quarterbacks and by blitzing. His 38 career picks rank fourth in franchise history.

Butler’s legacy lives on today through the Lambeau Leap, a celebration he popularized after hitting a pick-six against the Los Angeles Raiders in 1993.

It’s impossible to talk about the Packers’ best defensive players without mentioning Butler’s name at the top of the list.

He was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 2007 and finally – long overdue – into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022. In 2023, Butler was appointed to the Packers’ board of directors.

1.Willie Wood (1961-1971)

Willie Wood went from being an undrafted player to one of the best safeties in NFL history.

He played a starring role in the Packers’ dynasty under Vince Lombardi, winning five NFL championships and two Super Bowls. During that time, Wood was selected to the Pro Bowl eight times, the third-most in Packers history, and was named to the All-Pro first team five times.

Wood did a little bit of everything. On defense, he was one of Lombardi’s Packers’ best players. His 48 interceptions are the second-most in franchise history, only surpassed by Bobby Dillon. He even played on special teams, totaling 1,391 punt return yards and two touchdowns in his career.

The all-time bests make big plays when it matters most, and Wood did that. In Super Bowl I, with the Packers holding a slim 14-10 lead over the Kansas City Chiefs, Wood made a crucial interception and returned the ball 50 yards, setting up Elijah Pitts’ touchdown run for the Packers’ 35-10 victory.

Wood was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1977 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.