The need for the Green Bay Packers in the cornerback entering this offseason is not for want of trying.
Over a four-year period between 2015 and 2018, the Packers used five first or second round choices in the cornerback position, including four choices in the top 50. Of the five, only one – All-Pro Jaire Alexander – is a hit. The others? Well, they represent the reason why cornerback remains a perpetual necessity in Green Bay.
It wouldn’t be shocking if general manager Brian Gutekunst used another choice in the top 50 in a cornerback in April.
Four major fouls made the position look awful at the start of the off-season.
Kevin King, the team’s top pick in 2017, is heading to the free agency after a disappointing fourth season that culminated in a disastrous performance in the game for the NFC title. He’s probably gone. Josh Jackson, the 45th overall choice in 2018, has not played a significant role since his debut season and is on his way to being eliminated, where he joined Damarious Randall of the first round of 2015 and Quentin of the second round of 2015 Rollins.
Randall made 10 passes with the Packers, but was eventually replaced by a reserve quarterback. He has been on three different teams in the past three years. Rollins showed promise at the start of Green Bay, but has drastically regressed and has been out of football for over a year.
King was highly productive in 2019, intercepting five passes, but he struggled with injuries throughout his time at Green Bay and never rose above the substitution level as a starter.
Not only will the Packers probably need to find a new starter to play on the perimeter opposite Alexander in 2021, but the starter in the slot also looks uncertain. Chandon Sullivan looked great as a No. 4 cornerback in 2019, but was inconsistent as the top corner of the defense slot in 2020. The position is very important for Packers not to add any kind of competition, especially considering that Sullivan is a free agent restricted.
The Packers tried to use Jackson in the slot. He had opportunities to play on the perimeter. Again and again, the team showed a reluctance to play it. He has been on the field for just over 400 defensive plays in the past two seasons, with seven healthy scratches and no significant contributions.
The cornerback is a premium position, and the Packers treated it that way during the draft for a long time. The problem is not the volume of the oscillations. It is the volume of errors. This team needs to improve the identification of cornerback talents through the draft process or to develop the talent when in Green Bay. Somewhere, there is a flaw in the process.
Randall was the 30th chosen in 2015. Rollins was the 62nd in 2015. King was the 33rd in 2017. Jackson was the 45th in 2018. It is a great capital project to lose, especially in one position. The Packers really should have one of the deepest cornerback groups in football. Instead, they will have to use more drawing capital – or precious salary caps – in another attempt to fix the position in the coming months.