The Green Bay Packers will probably trade Jaire Alexander , while Eric Stokes is slated to hit free agency. The team needs an overhaul at the cornerback position, and it might end up coming via free agency, and not the draft.
At the NFL Combine this week, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst talked about the areas of the draft in which he expects a surplus of talent. And it sounds like there are more big guys than fast guys available at the top of this class.
“There’s been a lot of talk about the offensive and defensive lines maybe being a little bit stronger than in some years,” Gutekunst stressed. “I think it’s a good draft overall, we’re excited for it. We certainly think there’s a bunch of opportunities to help our football team.”
If the Packers need cornerback depth and draft might not be the immediate answer, Gutekunst would be forced to explore the open market—even if he takes some defensive backs in later rounds, there will be a need for production right away.
The best value in free agency at the position, and the most aligned with what the Packers tend to do, is New Orleans Saints’ Paulson Adebo. He is still 25 and is coming off a freak injury that is not expected to create long-term implications.
Other cornerback options include Los Angeles Chargers’ Asante Samuel Jr., Detroit Lions’ Carlton Davis, San Francisco 49ers’ Charvarius Ward, New York Jets’ DJ Reed, and Minnesota Vikings’ Byron Murphy.
Adding a veteran piece would open the door for the Packers to take a developmental guy later in the process.
“There’s a lot of numbers in this draft, overall,” Gutekunst added. “I think that a lot has to do with the NIL and the guys staying around for school a little bit longer.”
Excluding Jaire Alexander, the only cornerbacks on the Packers roster at this exact moment are Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine. The team has also signed future deals with Kamal Hadden, Kalen King, and Kaleb Hayes, players who spent last season on the practice squad, and external addition Isaiah Dunn.
