Paul Bretl | 3/21/2025
GREEN BAY, Wis. — On the outside, there continue to be questions about the state of the Packers’ cornerback position, even with the addition of free agent Nate Hobbs.
Where will Hobbs play–the slot or the boundary? If he moves to the boundary, how smooth will that transition be after being a nickel defender for the last two seasons? What about Jaire Alexander? Who will be the other starting boundary cornerback if Alexander doesn’t return? What about the inexperienced depth on the roster currently?
All valid questions. However, internally, the Packers don’t seem to have those same unknowns. Instead, the Packers appear to be quite bullish on Keisean Nixon and his ability to continue starting on the boundary.
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“I think he played really, really well,” GM Brian Gutekunst said at the NFL combine. “I think he really fit what Jeff (Hafley) was trying to do. First of all, he’s an outstanding competitor. I didn’t blink when we asked him to do that, but I just think his athleticism and his ability … with his eyes and his ability to tackle served us well out there. For me, he may not have the length that some of those guys on the outside have, but his awareness and ball skills make up for that.”
While we always have to be mindful of GM-speak, there is a noticeable difference at the NFL combine in how Gutekunst spoke about Nixon and the cornerback position as a whole versus the pass rush, which was evident by his words, has to improve.
After beginning the 2024 season as the Packers’ nickel cornerback, Nixon transitioned early on to the boundary, which helped fill a need there and also allowed Green Bay to get rookie safeties Javon Bullard and Evan Williams on the field together. Although this move from inside to out can be overlooked, it’s a difficult one to make.
“I had a couple guys in college that have been a nickel or a safety, or a dime and a safety,” said defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley late last season. “Never a guy that really went from cornerback inside to nickel. It’s a testament to Keisean’s ability to compete, because nickel is totally drastic, different from corner.”
On the year, Nixon allowed a completion rate of 66% on 86 targets and held opponents to just 9.3 yards per catch with six pass breakups and an interception. Among cornerbacks who played at least 375 coverage snaps, only seven had a lower yards per catch allowed than Nixon. He also ranked 32nd out of 127 eligible cornerbacks in snaps per reception when in man coverage, according to PFF.
The “awareness” and “ball skills” that Gutekunst mentioned when describing Nixon are important elements when it comes to playing cornerback in Jeff Hafley’s defensive scheme and are two elements that, from the sounds of it, the Packers will further prioritize in their evaluation process with draft prospects.
Along with the all-important coverage abilities, Nixon also proved to be a sound tackler and a capable run defender, which didn’t go unnoticed by the Packers’ coaches.
“I think what he’s done is, I think he’s taken his game up another level in terms of every year, he’s a guy that’s shown the ability and has gotten better and more consistent in his football in terms of him going out there and performing,” said Matt LaFleur late last season. “So Kei is a guy that we’ve got a lot of confidence in, and he’s shown the versatility to play not on the inside, but to go out on the outside. And not everybody can do that.”
In addition to Nixon’s play, the Packers were also encouraged later in the season by the growth of Carrington Valentine. Admittedly, quarterbacks were efficient against Valentine but didn’t produce much against him. Over the final three games, Valentine allowed just 9.0 yards per catch on 11 receptions. He also had a late-season stretch of coming away with two interceptions in three games.
“I think CV is a young player, and the more he plays, it seems like the better he’s getting,” LaFleur said late in the season. “And I think he’s addressed some of the things that we wanted him to work on throughout, not only last year, but into this year, and he’s done a nice job, and certainly he’s made some plays for us … I expect him to get better.”
Now, all of this isn’t to say that the Packers are content and won’t add to this room. Taking that approach last offseason, where the only somewhat significant addition came in the seventh round of the draft, and the depth of this unit then being tested during the year should be a learning opportunity.
Collectively, last season, the Packers’ cornerbacks did well at eliminating explosive pass plays. However, there wasn’t much ball production from that group, with Green Bay ranking 31st in pass deflections. In addition to that, while Nixon and Valentine both limited yards, they gave up a high percentage of completions, with Nixon at 66% and Valentine at 82%.
Adding competition at cornerback, for both playing time and when it comes to the depth of this group and competing for roster spots, should certainly be on the draft to-do list. However, just because it’s something that has to be done, doesn’t mean there is concern internally about having to do it. Think of your own to-do lists–not everything is a level 10 urgency, even though it might command your attention. Perhaps the Packers view the cornerback position that way.