Paul Bretl | 3/24/2025
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers still have their share of unknowns at the cornerback position heading into April’s draft. However, what’s becoming more clear, particularly after the signing of Nate Hobbs, is the importance of versatility in Jeff Hafley’s defense and just how much of it Green Bay now has in the secondary, which can play to their advantage.
“You got to be versatile playing in this defense,” said Keisean Nixon late last season. “You can’t just learn one spot you gotta be able to learn multiple positions,”
Hobbs joins the Packers having spent the bulk of his career, especially over the last two seasons, playing in the nickel. But he does have boundary experience at both the NFL and college levels, and given where the need lies for the Packers at cornerback, that is where he could spend most of his playing time in Green Bay.
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However, when pontificating and having this conversation, it would be naive of us to think that he’s going to play one spot or the other. My early guess is that it’s both and when and where will be dependent upon the opponent and the situation at hand within the game.
“Obviously, there’s no secret, I’m a versatile player,” Hobbs said. “I play inside, outside. I’ve played inside and outside in the past, but it’s March. We’ll get to that. I’m willing to do whatever the team needs me to do. I’m a dog, so I’m gonna step wherever I step. If I step at nickel, if I step at corner. If they need me to play safety, god damnit, I’ll play safety.”
As we saw last season, Nixon brings a similar level of versatility to the Packers’ secondary, able to play inside and out and do so at a moment’s notice–a skill and ability that isn’t common at the NFL level, as defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley pointed out last season.
Throughout the season, Hafley would often rave about the versatility that Javon Bullard adds to the defense. As a rookie, Bullard wore a number of hats, whether it was playing from the slot, filling in as the deep safety, blitzing, or helping out in the run game. Green Bay also believes Evan Williams can take on a variety of responsibilities as well, which of course was a factor in their decision to draft him last April.
“We got some of these young guys who give us the versatility to move people around and get creative,” Hafley said last season prior to the Houston game in Week 7. “As you start to see each week, if you turn us on and really watch us, there’s something a little bit new every single week and it’s kind of talked about. We gotta build and build and build and find what we’re good at, who’s good at what and really start to roll.”
Then, of course, there is Xavier McKinney–the ultimate chess piece on the back end of any defense–who gives Hafley seemingly unlimited flexibility when it comes to what he asks him to do.
Versatility is obviously a crucial element for a few reasons. One of which is injuries happen. However, when that occurs, the ability to move your starters around to fill different roles hopefully minimizes the absence of the player who is sidelined.
But in addition to that important aspect, a versatile defense can put a lot on the plate for an opposing offense. From a preparation standpoint, there’s a lot to watch and be ready for throughout the week when the defense is putting a variety of looks on tape. Then pre-snap, quarterbacks won’t as easily get a beat on what’s coming based solely on where defenders are lined up because it’s either a different look or where players are aligned could change once the ball is snapped.
“You start having these different packages of people so you can get guys in different roles so you can create some mismatches,” Hafley said last season. “So you take advantage of situations. So you put yourself in better position to have success. I just think the more we go, the easier it’s gonna be. It takes detailing out by the coaches and the players and we kind of roll with it in the game. But the more competition there is, the more versatility there is, I think we’ll be better and better as we go.”
Hafley obviously has his playbook and defensive philosophies that he believes in and wants to generally stick to. But what we saw in 2024 and will continue to see is an ever-evolving defensive unit that will continue to adjust and adapt on the fly based on who the opponent is and what the players in the Packers’ secondary do well, so they can be put into positions to be successful.
In order to accomplish this, versatility is an important factor, and in the process, it makes life more challenging for offenses as well–and, of course, that’s always a good thing.
“This league’s about matchups and I think if you have guys that can play certain positions that gives you an advantage, then I think it’s our job to coach it and get it done,” Hafley said last season. “I think it’s about adapting. I’ve said this since I got here, it’s not like, ‘Hey, here’s the playbook. This is in. Go run the defense.’ It’s each week, what did we look like? What do we look like when they watch us on tape? What can we do a little bit different to counter that? What do we do really well?
“Let’s do more of it, make it look different. And then as we start to see certain players do certain things, how can we best use them to improve? We have to keep getting better. That’s the whole key to this whole entire thing as we go. Any way that we can adapt and get better, both coaching, playing, scheme, personnel, it’s not just like plug and play. Let’s evolve. I think that’s very important.”
While cornerback still remains a need that the Packers have to address in the draft, and there are areas within that position group that can improve this season, such as making more plays on the ball and limiting the number of receptions, the defensive scheme can continue to help with some of that heavy lifting by putting the players in positions to have the upper hand, and the versatility component that these defenders bring to the table is an important part of making that happen.
So when it comes to the draft and who might be on the Packers’ radar, keep versatility front of mind. Does the prospect have experience playing inside and out? Have they proven to be capable defenders in both man and zone coverages? In addition to that, we know how important size and length are at cornerback for GM Brian Gutekunst, along with the Packers prioritizing awareness and vision, two staples of playing cornerback in Hafley’s defense.
“You know me. I’d love all those guys to be 6-3 1/2 and 220. I’d love that,” Brian Gutekunst said at the NFL combine. “I do think with what Jeff’s trying to do, there’s a lot more vision and awareness and instincts out there than maybe we’ve played with in the past.
“So, again, it’s still very important to me that we’re big out there and have some length. But I will say both those guys played very, very well for us. I’m excited about what they’re going to do continuing in this scheme.”