What Does the Packers Secondary Look Like Without Their Star Corner?
The biggest offseason question has finally been answered with the announcement of Jaire Alexander’s release. While some fans were holding out hope that Alexander would remain in Green Bay on a restructured deal, he turned it down and will now hit the free-agent market in search of a new team. The front office likely saw this coming and had time to prepare, but that doesn’t make his departure any less significant. With last season’s shaky cornerback performance and Alexander now officially out of the picture, the question becomes: what’s next for the Packers’ secondary?
“He has been a great player for us,” Mark Murphy said, via Dave Schroeder of WBAY. “Elite talent. Unfortunately, just injured a lot. Unfortunately, that’s a big part of the game.” Murphy’s comments highlight what ultimately led to this tough decision: Alexander’s injuries. As talented as he is, availability matters just as much as ability in the NFL, and the Packers couldn’t keep paying a player who rarely saw the field. That reality leaves the team in a tricky spot heading into the season. Without their former Pro Bowler anchoring the secondary, the current cornerback room doesn’t exactly inspire much confidence.
At the top of the food chain is new free-agent addition Nate Hobbs, who brings versatility and athleticism, though he has yet to prove himself as a true number-one corner. Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine follow behind him based on their experience, yet this trio does not exactly strike fear into opposing quarterbacks. Depth is another issue, with young and unproven players like Kalen King, Micah Robinson, Kamal Hadden, Jonathan Baldwin, Gregory Junior, Isaiah Dunn, and Tyron Herring making up the rest of the group. If one of them emerges as a surprise contributor, that would be a win. If none can make that leap, the blame will fall squarely on the front office.
This situation puts the Packers in a vulnerable spot because, as we've seen, injuries are part of the game. If any of the top corners go down, the team could be forced to rely on someone who isn't ready to face the big guns. In a perfect world, these young players exceed expectations and hold their own. However, when you look at the schedule, the reality is sobering.
Green Bay is set to face some of the best receivers in the league: Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith, just to name a few. The depth at the corner is thin, and so far, the only outside-the-box move the front office has made is experimenting with wide receiver Bo Melton at the position. Hopefully, the front office finds a way to supply enough depth and talent at one of the hardest positions in football. Otherwise, the Packers could be in for another “so close” kind of season.
