There is no doubt that in years past, due to injuries and other factors, the offense has not always been the caliber of a Super Bowl champion, but far more often than not the defense has been the culprit of the Packers’ postseason woes.

So, with the all-important draft approaching, and with fans and mock drafts alike calling for another year of defensive-focused drafting, the question should be asked: How much improvement do the Packers need on defense to go all the way? How reasonable is it to expect such a performance in 2017 on the defensive side of the ball?

Warning: There are a lot of numbers here to digest. History and literature brains should proceed slowly to avoid burnout - this includes me. Math and science brains will be disappointed there aren't more numbers. You can't please everyone.

Let’s look at some recent history of Super Bowl champions’ defenses in comparison to what the Packers have done, and a little bit of broader Super Bowl champion defensive history.

One area in which the Packers have performed relatively well compared to the rest of the league has been in the pass rush. No doubt it needs to improve, but based on the numbers it has been serviceable. Nearly every Super Bowl champion, going back to the days of Willie Davis, has registered 30 or more sacks. The last four seasons the Packers have registered 40 (2016), 43 (2015), 41 (2014), and 44 (2013) and been ranked in the top third of the league.

Naturally the conversation about the pass rush will bring to mind what happens on the back end of the Packers defense when the opponent throws the ball. It is no secret that performance has not been good enough.

The passing defense rank for the regular season of the last five Super Bowl champions is as follows: 2016 New England – 12th, 2015 Denver – 1st, 2014 New England- 17th, 2013 Seattle – 1st, 2012 Baltimore - 16th.

The Packers' passing defense rankings the last five years are as follows: 2016 – 31st, 2015 - 6th, 2014 - 10th, 2013 - 24th, 2012 - 11th. These numbers reflect a true roller coaster and the years where the defense is performing well against the pass, injuries were plaguing the offense. Except when it was all coming together in 2014.

Recent Super Bowl champions have averaged 9th in pass defense, while the Packers have averaged 16th.

Turning now to the run defense rankings of the five most recent Super Bowl champions, they are as follows: New England – 3rd, Denver – 3rd, New England – 9th, Seattle – 7th, Baltimore – 20th.

The Packers' run defense rankings the last five years: 2016 - 8th, 2015 - 21st, 2014 - 23rd, 2013 - 25th, 2012 - 7th.

Recent Super Bowl champions have averaged 8th in run defense, while the Packers have averaged about 19th.

In the history of all 51 Super Bowls, the team with the best scoring defense during the regular season has won it all 15 times (29%).

The most recent four Super Bowl champions (Super Bowls 48-51) have been dominant in the category of points allowed, but the four before that (44-47) were surprisingly below average with the exception of the 2010 Packers.

The regular season rankings in points allowed for the winners of Super Bowls 44-47 are as follows – Baltimore – 17th, Giants – 27th, Packers – 5th, Saints – 25th.

The regular season rankings in points allowed for the winners of Super Bowls 48-51 are as follows -- New England - 1st, Denver - 1st, New England - 8th, Seattle - 1st.

The 2009-2012 period in Super Bowl history broke from the overall trend of Super Bowl history. The average defensive ranking through the first 47 Super Bowls was 7th.

14 teams with the best overall scoring defense have appeared in the Super Bowl, and 10 won it.

The average scoring defense ranking of the last 11 Super Bowl champions is 10th. The Packers have averaged 16th the last five years.

So, let's summarize and oversimplify. The Packers need a 6-spot jump in scoring defense, 11-spot jump in run defense, and a 7-spot in pass defense, based on comparing their season averages with those of the Super Bowl champion of that year. The Packers sack the quarterback pretty well, so they have that going for them.

Based on these numbers, can the Packers make it back all the way next season? If not, how long might it take? How many successful drafts?

Also, I am trusting the comments section to add more context to the data I've provided. I know you'll do good work.