The Green Bay Packers’ top priority for 2025 remains a need they didn’t address during this week’s NFL trade deadline: cornerback.
ESPN analyst Aaron Schatz highlighted each team’s biggest need, and draft experts Matt Miller and Jordan Reid discussed how the 2025 draft could address these gaps. Schatz praised Jaire Alexander’s performance when healthy and Keisean Nixon’s adaptation to a perimeter corner role for the Packers.
However, Eric Stokes, despite a promising start in his rookie season, hasn’t regained his form. With the team opting not to activate his fifth-year option, he’ll enter free agency after this season.
“This is a position where Green Bay needs depth, and adding a young player to learn from Alexander and Nixon could help,” Schatz noted.
But the Packers may need a cornerback ready to play immediately. Reid suggested Arizona’s Tacario Davis as a possible first-round choice.
“At 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, Davis is a long, rangy corner with ball skills. He’s adept at man coverage and can disrupt passing lanes, making him a solid fit for Green Bay’s defense,”
Reid wrote. A junior, Davis has logged zero interceptions and five defended passes this season. In 2023, he posted one interception and led the Pac-12 with 15 pass breakups. Pro Football Focus reports that Davis has a 52.4 percent catch rate allowed, zero touchdowns allowed, and a 79.6 passer rating against him.
Cornerbacks coach Courtney Viney praised Davis’s potential, saying, “He’s what every team wants—long, fast, and good in coverage. He’s just starting to tap into his potential.”
In early assessments of the 2025 draft class, PFF labeled this cornerback group as “great,” with eight corners in its Top 100. This includes Shavon Revel from East Carolina, who, despite an ACL injury, could be a late first-round pick.
“Even with the ACL injury, Revel’s length (6-foot-3, 193 pounds) and change-of-direction ability make him a top corner in this draft class,” Reid said, mentioning him as a fit for San Francisco.
Last offseason, the Packers needed help at safety, which general manager Brian Gutekunst addressed through free agency and the draft.
The Packers are projected to have around $48.4 million in cap space after signing their draft class, giving them flexibility to pursue free agents.
Experienced players like Pittsburgh’s Donte Jackson, San Francisco’s Deommodore Lenoir, New Orleans’ Paulson Adebo, and New York Jets’ D.J. Reed could command high interest, though prices may be steep.
Adding to the Packers’ secondary options is rookie safety Javon Bullard. With Nixon moved to cornerback, Bullard has performed well in the slot.
“For a rookie, Bullard has done an outstanding job at nickel,” Gutekunst noted. “His ability to play both safety and nickel is impressive for someone so young. And Keisean has adjusted well to his new role on the outside, showing great instincts and playmaking ability. We’re pleased with how he’s adapted.”
