The Green Bay Packers will enter the offseason with a pressing need at cornerback. Jaire Alexander has missed 34 of the last 65 games, turns 28 in February, and carries a big cap hit.

Whatever Green Bay decides about his future, they should still target a more reliable option. Furthermore, Eric Stokes, Corey Ballentine, and Robert Rochell are free agents. At least two likely won’t return next season.

A cornerback revamp is likely, just like the safety overhaul. Green Bay needs immediate starters and quality depth to stabilize the position.

Brian Gutekunst has the cap flexibility to address the position in free agency and the draft. Paulson Adebo and D.J. Reed are potential targets. However, Jahdae Barron should be high on Green Bay’s list if he looks for fresh talent.

Daniel Jeremiah ranked the Texas corner ninth in his top 50 draft prospects, mainly due to his versatility and instincts.

“Barron is a talented Swiss Army knife,” Jeremiah said.

He aligned outside, in the slot, and in the box as a dime linebacker for the Longhorns. He made impact plays in every game I studied. He’s a quicker-than-fast athlete with outstanding eyes and conviction. He’s at his best when he can play off and see through receivers to the quarterback. He reads the QB’s drop and anticipates to beat pass catchers to the ball. He doesn’t waste steps and has outstanding hands. He lacks elite top speed, but he’s always in position and he is excellent at locating/playing the football downfield. He has good timing and feel as a blitzer. He can adjust from pass to run defense to collect tackles. His batting average as a tackler in space is very high. Overall, Barron excels at taking the ball away and reminds me of Brian Branch when he was coming out of Alabama.

Jeff Hafley has a strong track record with defensive backs, highlighted by developing Jeff Okudah into a top-three draft pick at Boston College. Pairing Hafley with Barron could be a major win for Green Bay.

Last year, Hafley helped Evan Williams thrive in a versatile role, leading to a PFWA All-Rookie selection. Williams played 352 snaps at free safety, 91 in the box, 65 at slot corner, 23 on the defensive line, and two as a wide corner. He was arguably the best rookie safety in the NFL. If Barron follows a similar path, he could be Green Bay’s top corner by the end of next season.

Pro Football Focus listed Barron as Green Bay’s perfect 2024 draft prospect.

Jaire Alexander will be recovering this offseason after surgery on a torn PCL, and three other Packers CBs will have expiring contracts come the league new year. Luckily for Green Bay, the top 50 is rich with talent at the position.

Jahdae Barron was one of the top CBs in all of college football in 2024. He was tested 66 times in coverage, allowing just 35 receptions and 272 with no touchdowns. He picked off three balls and broke up another 10 passes. Opposing QBs had a dismal 31.9 passer rating when throwing at Barron.

Drafting a cornerback at 23 makes sense for Green Bay in terms of positional value and upside. While the Packers must improve their pass rush, all premium edge rushers will likely be off the board by the time they pick. Green Bay doesn’t need another developmental pass rusher in the first round; they need contributors from Day 1. Adding Barron or another cornerback high on their board would immediately fill a starting role.

If Green Bay drafts Barron, it will be interesting to see how they use him. His playing style mirrors Javon Bullard’s. As a rookie last year, Bullard played 361 snaps as a slot corner, 169 in the box, 259 as a free safety, 21 on the defensive line, and six at wide corner. Bullard played his best football near the line of scrimmage, which allowed Evan Williams to primarily play as the post safety.

I believe the Packers are content with Williams as the coverage safety and Bullard as the more instinctive, line-of-scrimmage player. Barron could spend most of his time as an outside corner. Still, with Jeff Hafley’s ability to move him around the secondary, Barron could bring a new dimension to Green Bay’s defense, making it even more dangerous.

Now that I’ve made a case for Green Bay to target Barron, a divisional opponent will draft him, or someone will take him a pick before the Packers. All jokes aside, he’s a prospect every Packers fan should be excited about. If Jeff Hafley gets his hands on him, Green Bay could have a starting-caliber cornerback for the foreseeable future.