The opinion of Javon Bullard’s first NFL season may vary depending on who you ask. It’s fair to say there were highs and lows, but no one’s evaluation carries more weight than that of Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.

“I thought Bullard had a really good rookie year,” said Hafley Friday.

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After hearing his name called 58th overall in the second round of last year’s draft, Bullard played a prominent role in Hafley’s defense. He appeared in 15 games, starting 11 of them, and racked up 90 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and one pass defense.

Bullard got off to a hot start, recording 11 tackles in the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, but over the next two months, he experienced the same ups and downs most rookies go through.

Hoping to have a strong finish to the season, Bullard battled through what was believed to be an ankle injury, but later learned was a fractured heel when he was forced to leave their Week 14 game against the Detroit Lions early. Instead of opting for immediate surgery and missing the rest of the year, he sat out two games and played through the pain for the final three games, including the postseason loss in Philadelphia.

When it was all said and done, among safeties that played at least 700 defensive snaps, Bullard was rated tied for 55th out of 59 eligible safeties by Pro Football Focus. Playing through the injury didn’t help, but with a season of NFL football and a season in Hafley’s system under his belt, Bullard is ready to hit someone and hit the ground running in 2025.

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“He’s been healthy. He looks faster—more explosive,” Hafley said. “I think he’s one of the tough, more physical guys that we have.”

Last season, Bullard was used interchangeably in the slot, box, and deep safety. At this year’s training camp, the Packers continued to move him around on defense due to injuries to Nate Hobbs and Xavier McKinney and the team’s trust in him to fill in wherever needed.

“He has a ton of versatility,” said Hafley. “He’s played nickel and safety throughout camp, so he gives us the ability to move him around. He’s become a guy you really don’t want to take off the field.”

Where and how much Bullard plays this season could be matchup and personnel-dependent. It appears he will start in the slot when the team is in nickel, but it will likely be with Evan Williams alongside McKinney at safety in their base defense.

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With how much nickel defense is played in today’s game, Bullard won’t sit much, and certainly not during Sunday’s season opener against the Lions. Amon Ra St.Brown has had three straight seasons with at least 1,100 receiving yards and spends almost half of his time in the slot.

That means Bullard will be tested right out of the gate, but his defensive coordinator and head coach believe he is physically and mentally ready entering Year 2.

“I think he’s done a great job,” Matt LaFleur said. “He continues to get a little bit better each and every day, and I love his approach to the game. He loves ball, it’s important to him, and he invests everything into it.”

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Now healthy, Packers confident safety Javon Bullard is ready to build on rookie season