The Green Bay Packers could see a lot of turnover in their secondary this offseason, as the statuses of defensive backs like Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, Robert Rochell and Corey Ballentine are all up in the air.
Alexander is a cut or trade candidate, and Stokes, Rochell and Ballentine are all set to hit free agency. Safe to say, Green Bay’s secondary could look very different during the 2025 campaign.
With that in mind, Brian Sampson of Dairyland Express is urging the Packers to take a look at Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs in free agency.
“Hobbs has primarily played in the slot, which would allow Valentine and Nixon to stay on the outside while giving the Packers a reliable inside presence,” Sampson said. “He thrives in aggressive, attacking roles, where he can blitz the quarterback, crash down on running backs, and bring toughness to the secondary.
“At 25 years old, Hobbs also fits Green Bay’s preferred age range for free agents,” Sampson added. “He could be looking for a short-term deal to prove himself as a full-time starter, and if that’s the case, the Packers should jump at the opportunity to add him to their cornerback rotation.”
A slot specialist, Hobbs started in 38 games of the 51 games he played in over four years with the Raiders and improved his numbers in each season. The former fifth-round pick had his best season in 2024, posting career-best numbers in completion rate allowed (64.7%) and passer rating given up (87.2).
The biggest concern with Hobbs is his injury history. He has never played a full 17 games and has missed a total of 16 games the past three seasons, including six in 2022 and 2024.
As Sampson points out, Hobbs is a great fit for the Packers because he would allow Green Bay to deploy Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine on the boundary.
Spotrac estimates Hobbs will land a one-year, $2.8 million deal in free agency, which would be a steal. However, we do think that projection is a bit low, even with Hobbs’ injury history. After all, the veteran will be one of the best slot cornerbacks on the open market this offseason.
Either way, the Packers are well-positioned to afford him, as Green Bay has $42.1 million in cap space before making any cuts or restructures. We could definitely see Hobbs playing his home games at Lambeau Field in 2025.
