Seventh in a nine-part Packers position-analysis series with 2018 grades.
GREEN BAY - In recent seasons, the Packers have prioritized no position more than cornerback. They have drafted five corners in the first or second round during the past four years, including three first rounders in that time. Their pursuit in building one of the most important positions on their roster has been constant. Their results have been mostly disappointing.
The Packers have struggled defending the perimeter of the field since 2015. That season, they had Sam Shields and Casey Hayward leading a young group that included high-round picks Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins. Concussions ended Shields’ time in Green Bay. The Packers let Hayward leave in free agency, and he became a two-time Pro Bowler with the Los Angeles Chargers. Randall and Rollins are no longer with the team.
The group as a whole has suffered because of injuries and youth, but also poor decisions. This past season, the Packers tried to strike a balance between veteran leadership and developmental talent. They brought back a 35-year-old Tramon Williams and 29-year-old Davon House, joining them with youngsters Kevin King, Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson. The end result was a pass defense that ranked 12th in the NFL, falling below the league leaders but an improvement over the previous two seasons.
Which makes this a critical offseason that could be highlighted by fierce competition. The Packers have the talent to take another step in their pass coverage. They need to find a way to keep that talent on the field.
The Packers have missed on too many first-round picks this decade, but it sure seems like they hit on their No. 18 overall pick last spring, cornerback Jaire Alexander. It was Brian Gutekunst’s first draft decision as the Packers general manager, and as such one he seriously could not afford to get wrong. Gutekunst traded twice, ultimately moving back four spots and gaining an extra first-round pick, before drafting the rookie out of Louisville. The Packers might have been better off standing pat at No. 14 and taking Derwin James, a first-team All-Pro at the safety position that became a major weakness on the Packers' roster. But cornerback is a primary position in football, and Gutekunst was able to select a good, young corner while adding an extra first-round pick this spring. Not a bad start at all.
If healthy, the Packers cornerback depth chart consists of young, promising talent. All that attention paid by the front office would have paid off. It’s just that this group is rarely healthy. The Packers entered the season with five cornerbacks: Williams, King, Alexander, Jackson and House. They combined to miss 28 games because of injury. Only Williams and Jackson played all 16 games, and Williams moved to safety midway through the season. When House went on injured reserve in September, the Packers signed Bashaud Breeland. He missed two games because of a hamstring injury, bringing the total number of games missed because of injury to 30. This has been a theme the past few seasons. Until the position gains more consistent health, it will continue to struggle.
Re-signing Breeland should be a priority, and the Packers likely would prefer to return Williams to corner, ideally playing the slot. Their presence would be important, because the biggest need — besides health — is for youngsters like King and Alexander to continue their development. The Packers hope they are the future of their cornerback position, but they’re still far from providing what Shields and Williams once did, and Charles Woodson and Al Harris before them. It’s a critical offseason for this position. The Packers need to see the assets they pumped into building their cornerback depth chart yield a healthy return.