Cornerback A Likely Pick Early

The NFL Draft begins Thursday and the Green Bay Packers have the 23rd pick in the first round. In the days leading up to the draft, we’re examining Green Bay’s current situation at each position and how likely the Packers are to take a player for that group.

Today, we’ll look at cornerbacks.

Part 9: CORNERBACKS

PACKERS DEPTH CHART

Let’s presume Jaire Alexander’s rocky career with the Packers is over. While Alexander remains on the roster, general manager Brian Gutekunst is trying to get any compensation possible before releasing the gifted, but injury-riddled and hard-to-manage corner.

So that leaves Keisean Nixon, free agent Nate Hobbs and Carrington Valentine to battle star-studded wideout groups like Detroit, Minnesota, Philadelphia, the Los Angeles Rams, etc., across the NFC.

Nixon and Valentine certainly played better than most would have guessed in 2024. And the Packers believe they have a versatile, rising player in Hobbs.

There’s not much after that trio, though, meaning Green Bay will be on the hunt for cornerback help.

OVERALL NEED: 8.0

Green Bay undoubtedly needs another player or two in the cornerback room to keep up with the powers-that-be in the NFC. The Packers will almost certainly add a corner in the first three rounds.

THEY SAID IT

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst on drafting a taller corner: “You know me, I’d love all those guys to be 6-3 1/2 and 220. I’d love that. I do think with what (defensive coordinator) Jeff (Hafley’s) trying to do, there’s a lot more vision and awareness and instincts out there than maybe we’ve played with in the past. So, again, it’s still very important to me that we’re big out there and have some length, but I will say both (Nixon and Valentine) played very, very well for us. I’m excited about what they’re going to do continuing in this scheme.”

Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley on his corners late in 2024: “What gives me confidence is the fight in that group, and what gives me confidence is the way our defense is hungry and has played together. They fight and they play hard and they tackle and they compete, and I’ll take that any day of the week.”

Gutekunst on Alexander: “We invested a lot in Jaire and want to make sure, if he’s not going to be on our football team helping us win games, that we get something back for that investment.”

POSSIBLE PACKERS?

Colorado cornerback/wideout Travis Hunter is a generational player almost certain to go in the first three picks. Michigan’s Will Johnson seems likely to go in the middle of the first round, but that’s far from a guarantee.

After that, beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder, so there could be several attractive options for Green Bay at pick No. 23, or in the second round where it holds the 54^th overall pick.

Here are five players the Packers could take in Rounds 1 or 2.

• Will Johnson, Michigan (6-1 ½, 194) — Johnson is widely considered the second-best corner in this draft, so odds are he won’t get to Green Bay at No. 23. If he’s still on the board, though, between say picks 15-19, the Packers should consider trading up.

Johnson can play press-man or zone. His ball skills are tremendous and he has terrific size. He had nine interceptions at Michigan and brought three back for touchdowns.

The biggest concern is Johnson’s durability, after he missed 10 games the last two years with shoulder and turf toe injuries. His arms are also short (30 1/8).

• Jahdae Barron, Texas (5-11, 198) — Has played all over the defense and excelled wherever he lined up. Ran a blazing 4.39 40-yard dash and is a terrific tackler for a corner.

Finished career at Texas with eight interceptions and 24 passes defensed and 21 tackles for loss. Tremendous hands and one of the smartest players on the field. Lacks ideal size and has short arms (29 5/8). Projection: Round 1

• Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky (5-11, 183) — Hairston’s 40-yard dash time of 4.27 seconds was the fastest at the NFL Combine. He also had a 39 ½-inch vertical jump a broad jump of 10-9.

Two-year starter who had six interceptions and 10 passes defensed at Kentucky. Undersized, but two inches taller than Packers’ 2018 first round draft pick Jaire Alexander. Projection: Round 1-2.

• Shavon Revel, East Carolina, (6-2, 200) — Terrific height and length for the position. Strong ball skills, fast and an explosive athlete. Revel suffered an ACL tear on Sept. 18, though, and likely fell out of the first round. Had knee surgery in October, so it’s unclear how much he can help a team in 2025. Projection: Round 2.

• Azareye’H Thomas, Florida State (6-1 ½, 196) — Press cornerback with tremendous length. Hurt his stock, though, when he ran a 4.59 40-yard dash at the Combine. Had 15 passes defensed, two interceptions and 8.5 TFLs during his three years at FSU. Arms (32 3/8”) and hand size (10”) were the largest among the top corners.

Previous Stories

Part 1 — Quarterbacks

Part 2 — Wide Receivers

Part 3 — Running backs

Part 4 — Tight ends

Part 5 — Offensive line

Part 6 — Defensive ends

Part 7 — Defensive tackles

Part 8 — Linebackers