When we think of the biggest needs that the Green Bay Packers have to address this offseason, I’m guessing cornerback doesn’t come to mind for most. However, when it comes to the 2023 draft class, this is a very talented position group, especially at the top.
Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com put together the first iteration of his top 50 big board, and there were three position groups that stood out above the rest, accounting for nearly 50% of the 50 total players listed. Jeremiah had 11 edge rushers, six tight ends, and seven cornerbacks.
Here are the seven cornerbacks:
(5) Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
(16) Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
(20) Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
(21) Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
(40) Kelee Ringo, Georgia
(42) Deonte Banks, Maryland
(48) Tyrique Stevenson, Miami
Again, cornerback isn’t a huge need for Green Bay. Jaire Alexander is entering just the second season of his record-setting extension. Eric Stokes will be in Year 3 of his rookie contract, which will have five years in total if the Packers pick up his fifth-year option. On top of that, Rasul Douglas is still under contract as well.
As currently constructed, Green Bay has already had to do some maneuvering to get all three of those players on the field. In 2022, we saw Douglas play out of position in the slot; that way, Alexander and Stokes could stay on the boundary. In short, the results were mixed, with Douglas not finding his true form until he was lined up back outside. Adding another high-caliber player to the mix could only further complicate playing time and where these players align.
The draft is about planning ahead, not to mention that the best practice is oftentimes taking the best player available to increase your chances of finding a long-term contributor rather than a team feeling like they have to take a specific position. The latter can lead to over-drafting a player, which could result in them being a bust.
While on paper, the position appears to be in good shape – and, for the most part, it is – there are still question marks. For starters, we do not know when Stokes is going to be back on the field after suffering a season-ending injury in Detroit, and at the moment, the depth of this position group is a major unknown. Other players on the roster currently are Shemar Jean-Charles, who was a regular on the inactive list once he returned from injury. The Packers also have practice squad players in Kiondre Thomas and Benjie Franklin, along with CFL alum Tyrell Ford, who was signed to a futures contract in January.
And speaking of Stokes, while the old saying says that past performances aren’t indicative of future results, he very much found himself in a sophomore slump prior to his injury.
Looking beyond 2023, Douglas enters the final year of his contract in 2024, and cutting him at that time saves Green Bay $9 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap. In terms of planning ahead, cornerback could be a much bigger need a year from now.
Now, having said all of that, I don’t expect Brian Gutekunst to spend an early-round draft pick on the position. However, I’m also not sure that the position is as stable as it appears on paper, and there’s also a decent chance that when the Packers are on the clock at picks 15 and 45, one of the best players on the board could very well be a cornerback. After all, Gutey has surprised us on a few occasions in previous drafts.
