The need for the Green Bay Packers from the cornerback entering this off-season is not a lack of effort.
Over a four-year period between 2015 and 2018, the Packers used five selections from the first or second round on the corner, including four selections in the top 50. Of the five, only one – All-Pro Jaire Alexander – is a hit . The others? Well, they are the reason why the defender remains a perpetual need in Green Bay.
It wouldn’t be shocking if general manager Brian Gutekunst uses another top 50 selection on a defender in April.
Four big misses have the position that looks awful entering the off-season.
Kevin King, the team’s best national team in 2017, is heading to the free agency after a disappointing fourth season, which was limited by disastrous performance in the NFC game. He’s probably gone. Josh Jackson, the 45th general election in 2018, has not played a significant role since his debut season and is about to reach bust status, where he would join the chosen one of the first round 2015 Damarious Randall and the second 2015 tour, Quentin Rollins.
Randall took 10 passes with the Packers, but was eventually replaced by a backup. He’s been on three different teams in the last three years. Rollins showed promise early in Green Bay, but abruptly retreated and lost football for more than a year.
King was extremely productive in 2019, intercepting five passes, but struggled with injuries over his time in Green Bay and never rose above the replacement level as a starter.
Not only does the Packers have to find a new starter to play on the perimeter opposite Alexander in 2021, but the starter in the slot also seems uncertain. Chandon Sullivan looked great as a defender no. 4 in 2019, but it was generally inconsistent as the best defensive turn in 2020. The position is too important for the Packers not to add some kind of competition, especially given that Sullivan is a restricted free agent.
The Packers tried to use Jackson in the slot. He had opportunities to play on the perimeter. Countless times, the team has shown a lack of desire to play it. In the last two seasons, he has been on the field for just over 400 defensive photos, with seven healthy scratches and no significant contributions.
Cornerback is a premium position, and the Packers treated her like that during the draft for a long time. The problem is not the volume of swings. It is the volume of failures. This team needs to do better either in identifying defender talents through the design process or in developing talent once they arrive in Green Bay. Somewhere, there is a malfunction in this process.
Randall was the 30th pick in 2015. Rollins was 62nd in 2015. King was 33rd in 2017. Jackson was 45th in 2018. It’s a lot of venture capital to see how it gets lost, especially in one position. The Packers should really have one of the deepest groups of football corners. Instead, they will have to use more project capital – or precious wage payments – in another attempt to establish the position in the next few months.