With a decision over Jaire Alexander’s future in Green Bay looming large, the Packers may well be in need of reinforcements at cornerback this offseason.
More than just another body at the position, they need a specific type of player to add some variety to their group. General manager Brian Gutekunst is likely to be on the search for a taller corner to complement his smaller group.
The Packers have only drafted two corners over six feet in Gutekunst’s tenure, but it is well established they like length, and it is important at cornerback to have at least one guy on the bigger side who can play outside.
Neither prospect he selected has worked out, with Josh Jackson, taken in Gutekunst’s first draft, and Eric Stokes, drafted in 2021, both failing to establish themselves as quality corners.
Ted Thompson also took a shot at it during his final draft as GM, drafting King in 2017. All three of those players were top 45 picks, indicating the Packers place a premium on cornerbacks with size.
Rasul Douglas filled the gap for a while, which made the misses on King, Jackson and Stokes more palatable, but with Douglas long gone, and Stokes about to depart, Kamal Hadden, a former sixth-round pick of the Chiefs, is currently set to be the only corner at least 6’0” tall on the roster.
Four years after their last big swing at a bigger corner, it feels like the time is now to try again. Gutekunst has shown that when he wants a certain type of player, he will keep trying until he hits on it.
After missing on Darnell Savage in the 2019 draft, he took Javon Bullard, a very similar profile of prospect to Savage in terms of size and ability to play multiple spots in the secondary, in 2024.
Amari Rodgers was another miss as a slot receiver, which Gutekunst then corrected with the selection of Jayden Reed in 2023.
Cornerback is a general need for the Packers, but they have plenty of options to play in the slot, even if Alexander leaves. Bullard, Keisean Nixon and Kalen King could all vie for playing time inside.
What they need is a longer corner to compete for snaps outside with Nixon, who transitioned to boundary corner during last season, and Carrington Valentine, who has shown real flashes in his first two years in the league.
Free agency does not offer too many enticing options. Unless Douglas comes back, which seems unlikely, there are only two pending free agent corners over 6’0” who would likely provide good starting level corner play.
They are Charvarius Ward, who had a down 2024 but previously played extremely well for San Francisco in 2023 and 2022, and Carlton Davis, who has enjoyed a solid career in Tampa Bay and Detroit.
The good news is; this draft has what they need.
Factoring in that the Packers also like their corners to be over 190 lbs, or at least close, there are already six prospects who are currently projected to be selected in the top 150 picks, according to the consensus big board, and have official measurements which fit the bill:
- Zy Alexander – LSU
- Trey Amos – Ole Miss
- Tommi Hill – Nebraska
- Darien Porter – Iowa State
- Shavon Revel – East Carolina
- Azareye’h Thomas – Florida State
After drafting Eric Stokes, Gutekunst made a point of mentioning his long arms at 32.5”. Kevin King also had long arms at 32”. Amos, Hill, Porter, Revel, and Thomas all have arms officially measured at 32” or longer.
There are also another four names to watch out for at the NFL scouting combine this week to see if they meet the marks, as their unofficial height and weight suggest they will:
- Denzel Burke – Ohio State
- Will Johnson – Michigan
- Benjamin Morrison – Notre Dame
- Nohl Williams – California
There are plenty of potential options for the Packers in the draft, and if the Packers spend a top 50 pick or sign a notable free agent at the position this offseason, expect it to be a corner on the longer side, rather than a Jaire Alexander type.
