“Again, it’s an exciting time for us because we’re just going through that process right now (and) I’ve been able to spend a lot of time in the defensive room and get a different perspective than I’ve had in comparison to last year.”

LaFleur and Pettine obviously have two veteran defensive building blocks in outside linebackers Za’Darius and Preston Smith, although neither player was able to hold the edge and stanch the bleeding against the run against the 49ers back on Jan. 19. Both players were field-tilters as pass-rushers, however, combining for 29.5 sacks (including playoffs) and spearheading a much-improved pass rush that pressured quarterbacks far more than the group did the previous year, when the Packers actually had more regular-season sacks (44, compared to 41 in 2019) but seldom made opposing passers uncomfortable.

“I think the sky’s the limit for them,” Gutekunst said. “Their challenge, I think, is obviously (last year with) free agency and hitting it, just kind of keep that drive, keep that desire, keep the work ethic through the offseason. And then just kind of carry the culture that they started. That’s part of what their challenge is in front of them.”