The Green Bay Packers have more obvious roster needs, but don’t discount the potential future need at cornerback as the 2020 draft approaches.
In 2019, cornerback was one of the team’s deepest and most reliable positions. Veteran Tramon Williams stabilized things in the slot, Kevin King stayed healthy for nearly the entire season and Chandon Sullivan emerged as a quality and versatile fourth option, all while Jaire Alexander turned in a solid sophomore season.
But things change rapidly in the NFL, and a position that looks strong today can turn shaky in a hurry.
Cornerback could be one of those positions for the Packers.
Williams, who turned 37 this month, is still unsigned. King, a second-round pick in 2017, is entering the final year of his rookie deal and could get squeezed out by the fact that the Packers have so many important players (David Bakhtiari, Kenny Clark Corey Linsley, Aaron Jones) needing new deals in 2021. Sullivan, for all his progression in 2019, has never been counted on as a full-time player.
Josh Jackson, the team’s second-rounder in 2018, remains a wild card. Mike Pettine hardly played him in 2019, muddying his long-term future in Green Bay. He looks like an awkward fit at cornerback in Pettine’s system and there’s no guarantee he’s capable of playing safety. Pettine thinks he has a future in the slot. Jackson will likely go into camp on the roster bubble.
The Packers also have Ka’dar Hollman, last year’s sixth-round pick. He produced some intriguing snaps during camp and the preseason, but the Packers didn’t need him and didn’t play him as a rookie. It would really help the stability of the position if he can take a big second-year jump and provide quality depth and potentially a future starter.
GM Brian Gutekunst will have decisions to make, starting right now. Does he want Williams back for another season? He was really good in the slot in 2019, and he’s a versatile player and a trusted leader in the secondary. But he’s also 37, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the cap-strapped Packers moved on.
Losing Williams would likely leave Sullivan and Jackson to compete to start in the slot.
The draft could provide the right opportunity to add more depth. Draft analysts are split about the depth of incoming cornerbacks. The Packers may want to grab one they think can play at some point, possibly even on Day 2, especially if Gutekunst isn’t confident in his ability to re-sign King.
For now, the Packers look good at cornerback. But nothing lasts forever in the NFL, and Gutekunst might need to use the 2020 draft to make sure it stays strong past next season.