By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
It’s perhaps a little extreme to say the Green Bay Packers failed at cornerback. After all, they have a reliable starting trio of Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs, and Carrington Valentine. But after ending the Jaire Alexander era, they are rolling the dice due to their lack of depth or star talent at the position.
Fortunately, it’s not too late to solve the problem. The Packers should’ve made more moves at cornerback sooner, but they can still add to the room before training camp.
That’s what Bleacher Report suggests. Kristopher Knox put together a to-do list for the Packers before training camp, and it included adding cornerback help.
“After failing to trade cornerback Jaire Alexander and instead releasing him outright, the Packers also should consider any and all free-agent and trade options at the position,” writes Knox.
It’s a fair point.
Brian Gutekunst has expressed confidence in Nixon, Hobbs, and Valentine, which is fine, but what happens if they suffer an injury?
Javon Bullard’s ability to play in the slot helps, but even that comes with risk. Per PFF, Bullard gave up 84.2 percent of passes in his coverage for 487 yards and three touchdowns for a 119.8 passer rating. We shouldn’t assume Bullard is ready for full-time duties at nickel.
Packers should explore their options at the cornerback position before training camp
The options might be limited, but the Packers can still find ways to add talent to the cornerback room.
In free agency, they could consider signing a veteran, like Stephon Gilmore or Asante Samuel Jr. Neither is a perfect solution, as Gilmore turns 35 in September and regressed slightly last season. Samuel’s poor tackling ability is potentially enough of a red flag to scare off the Packers. He also played only four games last season due to injury.
We can likely rule out a reunion with Rasul Douglas — he even said so himself. The veteran allowed a career-worst passer rating of 122.0 last season, per Pro Football Reference. Douglas is known for his ability to force turnovers, but he had zero interceptions in 2024.
The Packers’ best option is the boldest they can make: a trade for Jalen Ramsey.
It’s a risk, as Ramsey is 30 years old and would bring his massive contract to Green Bay, but he is still a top-tier cornerback who would immediately upgrade the secondary for a team with Super Bowl dreams.
How much do the Miami Dolphins want in compensation? Anything more than a Day 3 pick, and they can forget about it.
Trading for Ramsey is hardly a typical Packers move, and it’s especially unlikely given Gutekunst’s confidence in the current roster.
But he should explore options. Green Bay enters the season with Super Bowl aspirations but faces potential problems in the secondary. An injury or two could derail the cornerback depth chart.
No perfect solutions exist, but the Packers should explore their options.
