Are Green Bay’s Cornerbacks Still a Concern?
If there is anything the Green Bay pass rush has revealed, it’s how rough the cornerback room is without Jaire Alexander. Alexander has had his fair share of injury troubles that have left him sidelined. His limited availability leaves his future uncertain. General manager Brian Gutekunst addressed this by signing Nate Hobbs, but was it enough?
With four years of experience, Hobbs is a 26-year-old cornerback entering his prime. According to Pro Football Focus, he has logged over 1,600 snaps in the slot and nearly 800 on the perimeter across his four NFL seasons. During that time, Hobbs recorded 281 tackles, three sacks, 14 tackles for loss, three interceptions, 19 passes defended, and three forced fumbles. His versatility and athleticism will undoubtedly give Jeff Hafley’s secondary a boost.
“Nate could do a lot of things,” then-Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said. “Nate's a special player because he can cover, he's explosive, but more importantly, in the run game, he's physical. He's a big asset for our team.” Hobbs is by no means a bad signing, but the cornerback room is not a one-man fix for all types of situations. A doctor cannot put a bandaid on a broken arm and expect it to be fixed. The Packers cornerback room still needs some TLC that must be addressed in the draft. Eric Stokes, Corey Ballentine, and Robert Rochell left in free agency. The starting-caliber players now under contract for 2025 are Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, Nate Hobbs, and Jaire Alexander, whose future remains a mystery.
Packers fans can rest easy knowing that Nate Hobbs makes for a lot of creative freedom for Hafley, but just understand that the cornerback position should still be further addressed in the draft if the Packers want to make that next leap to the Super Bowl. It is not one-and-done. Even a non-football fan could tell you injuries are part of the game, and depth can make or break a team. No gray hairs should be forming over the current state, but the Packers cannot say this should be good enough if they want to be the team to look out for.
